April 17, 1968

RFK in Portland, Oregon, April 17, 1968

“To many of our traditional allies and neutral friends, 

we behaved as a Superpower ignoring our own historical 

commitment to a ‘decent respect for the opinions of 

mankind.’ The toughest guy in town can appoint 

himself sheriff and if he has enough ammunition 

he may keep himself sheriff and if he has enough 

ammunition he may keep the office for a long time, 

but his control will depend upon fear—and fear is 

not acceptable to us or the world as the basis of law 

and order. Our great strength—moral, political, 

economic, and military—must be used to seek peace 

with justice, to secure peace without fear.”