Correction

Peter Dreier of Occidental College writes to point out an error in our “One Thing I Know” column from Fall 2010. “I have only one complaint… The famous saying that ends ‘ask why not?’ [is attributed] to Robert Kennedy. We associate this statement with RFK because Ted Kennedy mentioned that it was [his brother's] favorite saying during his eulogy for his assassinated brother. In fact, this was written by George Bernard Shaw in his 1921 play, ‘Back to Methuselah.’ He has the character actually say the following: I hear you say ‘Why?’ Always ‘Why?’ You see things, and you say ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were, and I say Why not?’ RFK got it from Shaw, but he rarely (if ever) said it in public. It was Ted's eulogy that popularized the saying and [is] why so many people mistakenly attribute it to RFK.” We thank Dreier for that interesting clarification.