During his ill-fated campaign in the 1968 OR primary (the first election ever lost by a Kennedy), RFK spoke in favor of gun control during a campaign stop in Roseburg:
On May 27 1968, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy stopped in Roseburg during his campaign swing through Oregon. He stood on the steps of the Douglas County Courthouse and was confronted by hecklers who disliked his gun control bill.
SNIP
The New York Times reported: "The Senator's face was grim as he stepped to the microphone of the Douglas County courthouse to address a crowd of about 1,500." Signs in the crowd read: "Protect your rights to keep and bear arms."
The Times quoted him as saying, "I see signs about the guns. I'm wondering if any of you would like to come and explain." A "heavyset man wearing a lumberjacket" stepped forward. The Times identified him as Bud Stone.
According to The Oregonian's archives from 1968, Bud Schoon of Sutherlin presented Kennedy with a petition against his measure, which "forbids mail order sale of guns to the very young, those with criminal records and the insane," The Oregonian said at the time. Kennedy's brother, President John F. Kennedy, had been killed by a man who received the gun through mail order.
We all know what happened to RFK in LA about a week after this appearance. We all know what happened in Roseburg last week. There are many things that one could say about this speech, about RFK's assassination, and about our latest mass murder at a place dedicated to learning, but this campaign stop in that context more than speaks for itself.
The only halfway meaningful comment I can add comes from Harry Truman:
The only thing new in the world is the history you do not know.”