LEWISTON — Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. filled Stella Niagara on Saturday — the auditorium, the chapel and the children’s dining room.

About 1,000 people attended the function that helped the Sisters of St. Francis celebrate its 100th birthday along the Niagara River. RFK Jr. is the son of the former U.S. senator from New York who was assassinated in 1968, and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated five years earlier

RFK Jr., straining to speak at the outset, finished strong, blasting President Bush’s administration, corporate crony capitalism and the media that allowed it to happen.

“It’s a revolving door of plunder,” he said. “They’ve put corporations in charge of democracy. Corporations should not be running our government. They don’t want democracy, they want profits. The polluters make money at the cost to the rest of us.”

He claimed there is no stronger advocate for free market capitalism than

himself.

Kennedy, who is from a noted Democrat family, quoted Republicans to support his ideas and linked his speech to St. Francis of Assisi.

“We were the most beloved nation in the world,” Kennedy said. “In seven years, these people have drained the resources dry.”

When Kennedy said the Bush administration was the worst we ever had, there was applause.

“There is nothing wrong with having business people in government,” he said. “It’s a good thing for expertise, but these individuals have entered government not to serve the public interest but to subvert the laws.”

Kennedy pointed to President George Washington, who would not allow torture. He quoted conservative Sen. Barry Goldwater, who warned against letting corporations near the government, and President Eisenhower, who warned against the military-industrial

complex.

Kennedy championed the environment and blasted the corporate control of

government.

“Nature is the infrastructure of the community,” he said. “The Bush administration failed to do the minimum stuff.”

Kennedy decried the country’s addiction to carbon, and insisted there are substitutes to oil and coal, namely the wind and the sun. He took issue with those who argue that the changes have to be done in increments, and noted like Iceland cut its dependence on carbon fuels cold turkey and is prospering.

“Punish bad behavior and reward good behavior,” he said. The vested interests are against reform. Corporations have a coercive impact on the environment and the Bush administration has put the polluters in charge, according to Kennedy.

He asserted most of the 100 top administrators are former lobbyists and the rules are written by the

lobbyists.

Kennedy said corporations should not be making the rules. “The first act of tyranny is to privatize the public resources and take it away from the people,” he said. “The worst thing that can happen to environment is that it become the province of on political party.”

Kennedy decried the Bush policy of torturing prisoners of war. Presidents from Washington on would not permit torture. “Americans don’t torture people,” he said.

The audience was impressed. The Rev. Bill Amann, who was a cadet at Stella Niagara 70 years ago, welcomed the opportunity to come back to the Catholic campus.

“I was surprised that he was so knowledgeable and so wonderful,” the retired priest said. “He had information and facts and statistics on everything. We need to preserve resources not only for ourselves but preserve it for our children and grandchildren. We have an obligation.”

Janet Migmatti of Buffalo brought her daughter Anna to see Robert Kennedy, and hear him speak on the environment. She supported Kennedy’s contention that Americans are ill-informed.

“I think that we’re completely isolated from the rest of the world,” Janet said. “What we’re given in the media and on TV is just pure propaganda.”

Anna Migmatti, 15, said, “Everything he said seemed to be true and he wasn’t afraid to say anything.”

Kennedy asserted the corporate controlled media cut off investigative reporting and international reporting. He said that many radio stations have had to pledge not to criticize the

administration.

“Most people don’t know about it because we have a negligent press that has simply let down America,” he said to applause. “If we had a functioning press, we would have a revolution.”

Kenneth Kenney was trustee for the Village of Lewiston when JFK was president. “I’m interested in the environment and the Niagara River,” he said. “I’ve seen over the years what’s happening. We’ve got to clean up our act around the are area. There is strip mining people don’t know about.”

Kathleen Broderick Cerrone, the daughter of County Treasurer David Broderick, came for her concern for the environment and to hear Kennedy’s point of view.

“Everyone has a right and responsibility to care for the environment,” she said. “We have an obligation to preserve it and conserve it.”

Kennedy spoke of the connectionwith Franciscan ideology and that democracy and environment are intertwined.

Contact reporter Bill Wolcott

at 439-9222, ext. 6246.