Slaytor

This one goes out to you, @RobertKennedyJr. You never once faltered in your mission. But more exemplary still, you treated those who lied about you and betrayed you with ever-ready grace. Even when the world wasn’t watching. Even when the people who attacked you in public were the ones you loved the most. You fought for America in the face of fire and falsehoods. Time and again, you endured the vitriol and mud without ever flinging it back from whence it came. You defended our nation’s children without thought of defending yourself. That rare combination — fierce determination and boundless forgiveness — reminds us that certainty of purpose need not mean smallness of character. You’ve proven anew the power of grace and grit and service. Of cultivating brotherly and sisterly love, of respectful conversation. Of curiosity and equanimity. Of prayer and obedience to God. Of seeking the truth. Of speaking the truth. And of making space, still, for mischief and humble good humor. You set out to end our chronic disease epidemic. Along the way, you inadvertently helped heal our national soul. Congratulations, Bobby. You did it. And more than that, you did it right.