kennedy then delivered one of his most well-remembered remarks: "what we need in the united states is not division; what we need in the united states is not hatred; what we need in the united states is not violence or lawlessness, but is love and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice towards those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black." to conclude, kennedy reiterated his belief that the country needed and wanted unity between blacks and whites and encouraged the country to "dedicate ourselves to what the greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and to make gentle the life of this world." he finished by asking the audience members to pray for "our country and our people." rather than exploding in anger at the tragic news of king's death, the crowd exploded in applause and enthusiasm for a second time, before dispersing quietly.