</s>GENERAL June 17, 1968 LE/J13 JL3/Kamaly R.H.F.4. Dear Dr. Kistner: President Johnson has asked me to thank you for your letter at this time as a terrible sorrow. The President more than has shared your concern over lawlessness in a country that has and must always draw strength from the decency and dedication of lawlessness. In this world, there can be no people. In the words, there are no fabric of our national life. For many months the President has urged the Congress to enact stringent crime and gun control legislation, of an immediate importance, you may not want to read in full inquiring into the causes of violence, come to the enclosed copies come to you with the President's appreciation for your interest. Sincerely, Whitney Shoemaker Assistant to the President Dr. Joseph M. Kiston 305 AFRICAN Road Vestal, New York 13850 Enclosures: (6/5 televised remarks on shooting) 6/10 remarks to commission) MD:mcV 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The documents consist of correspondence and administrative records from June 1968 following the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) on June 5, 1968, in Los Angeles, California. Letters to President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration express grief over RFK’s death, critique societal violence and lawlessness, and call for stricter gun control and crime legislation. Recipients include civilians, military personnel stationed in Vietnam, and individuals from various U.S. states and territories. The White House responded to these letters, emphasizing national unity, legislative action on violence, and references to President Johnson’s speeches (June 5–10, 1968) addressing the causes of societal unrest. Some documents reference the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence established by Executive Order 11324 (June 10, 1968). Administrative notes mention declassification under Executive Order 14176. Fragments of text include redacted social security numbers, garbled OCR errors, and mentions of unrelated personal communications or administrative forms.  

Key People  
- **Robert F. Kennedy**: Assassinated on June 5, 1968; central figure in the letters’ focus on national mourning and reform demands.  
- **Lyndon B. Johnson**: President of the United States; addressed in multiple letters for his leadership and legislative initiatives.  
- **Whitney Shoemaker**: Assistant to President Johnson; served as intermediary in responding to correspondents.  
- **Sirhan Bisharan**: Identified as the assassin of RFK; referenced in letters demanding capital punishment or linking his actions to political debates.  
- **Jane Van Droskey, Judy Karp, Susan Shaffer, Barbara Spalla**: Correspondents expressing grief, societal critiques, and concerns about national decline.  
- **Carl McIntire**: Pastor involved in prayer initiatives for Johnson’s administration.  

Key Locations  
- **Los Angeles, California**: Site of RFK’s assassination; referenced as a focal point for public mourning and political discourse.  
- **Washington, D.C.**: White House and presidential offices; central to administrative responses and correspondence.  
- **Vietnam**: U.S. military units stationed there, including the 27th Engineer Battalion (C) and 50th Infantry Regiment, referenced in letters from soldiers.  
- **Puerto Rico, San Juan**: Mentioned in a letter referencing a *San Juan Star* article about Sirhan Bisharan’s alleged motivations.  
- **Various U.S. states and territories**: Including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Hawaii, California, New Jersey, and others, as addresses of correspondents.  

Key Events  
- **Assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy (June 5, 1968)**: Central to all letters, with calls for legislative action on gun control and crime prevention.  
- **President Johnson’s speeches (June 5–10, 1968)**: Addressed violence, societal unrest, and legislative reforms; referenced in multiple correspondences.  
- **Establishment of the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence (June 10, 1968 via Executive Order 11324)**: Mentioned as a response to public demands for addressing root causes of violence.  
- **Calls for legislative action**: Emphasis on stricter gun control laws and crime prevention measures by civilians and military personnel.  
- **References to prior assassinations**: Mentions of President John F. Kennedy (1963) and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1968) as examples of societal violence.  
- **Administrative declassification notes**: Documents marked for release under Executive Order 14176, indicating their status as public records.  

Key Organizations  
- **White House Mail Room**: Handled correspondence addressed to President Johnson.  
- **National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence**: Established by Executive Order 11324; referenced in letters and administrative notes.  
- **U.S. Army and Marine Corps units**: Including the 27th Engineer Battalion (C), 50th Infantry Regiment, and 3rd S.P., 2nd Marine Div., mentioned in military personnel correspondence.  
- **Central Files**: Government record-keeping system; referenced as a repository for declassified documents.  
- **San Juan Star**: Puerto Rican newspaper cited in a letter linking Sirhan Bisharan’s actions to political debates.  
- **International Council of Christian Churches**: Organization associated with Carl McIntire’s correspondence on prayer initiatives.

RFK Declassified Files

591583_lbj_whcf_subject_files_on_judicial_and_legal_matters_b34_f3.pdf

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