Many people ask why there are no compelling progressive leaders, no fierce, yet eloquent figures that can inspire a movement or a nation. I, for one, do believe there are some great leaders, currently. However, I've been thinking recently how so many of the most captivating progressive leaders, and those with the most potential, always seem to die too early.
We are, of course, so familiar with many of these examples:
John F. Kennedy
Kennedy is also the first and only Roman Catholic ever to become President, the first president to serve who was born in the 20th century, the last to die while still in office, the last Democrat from the North to be elected, and the last to be elected while serving in the U.S. Senate. Kennedy died the youngest of any U.S. president, at 46 years and 177 days, when he was assassinated on November 22, 1963. Source
Martin Luther King, Jr.
King was assassinated the next evening, April 4, 1968, at 6:01 PM, on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, while preparing to lead a local march in support of the predominantly black Memphis sanitation workers' union who was on strike at the time. Source
Robert F. Kennedy
He was assassinated shortly after delivering a speech celebrating his victory in the 1968 presidential primary of California at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Source
Aside from such great progressive leaders, there have been potential leaders who could have been equally great, but who died before they could make such an impact:
John F. Kennedy, Jr.
That same year, John received a standing ovation at the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta -- where he made a speech introducing his uncle, Sen. Edward Kennedy. At the time, it appeared Kennedy might be following in his father's political footsteps.
...On July 16, 1999, Kennedy, along with his wife and her sister, were killed when their plane crashed into the waters off the coast of Massachusetts. Source
Pat Tillman
Baer, who served with Tillman for more than a year in Iraq and Afghanistan, told one anecdote that took place during the March 2003 invasion as the Rangers moved up through southern Iraq.
"I can see it like a movie screen," Baer said. "We were outside of (a city in southern Iraq) watching as bombs were dropping on the town. We were at an old air base, me, Kevin and Pat, we weren't in the fight right then. We were talking. And Pat said, `You know, this war is so f-- illegal.' And we all said, `Yeah.' That's who he was. He totally was against Bush."
Another soldier in the platoon, who asked not to be identified, said Pat urged him to vote for Bush's Democratic opponent in the 2004 election, Sen. John Kerry. Source
Many other potentially great progressive leaders avoid the political arena altogether, perhaps to protect themselves. I remember hearing that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., rejects the thought of ever running for elective office because of the many tragedies of his family.
The one thing that unites these great leaders, is their inspirational qualities - their ability to enlist widespread support for progressive ideals. How sad that their full potential to steer this great country on the right course was not witnessed. How much different would the world be right now had these leaders been able to live full lives?