Barack Obama may be a rockstar, a man who reinvigorated America's political and civic consciousness, but for someone like me who not only follows politics closely but aspires to make it my life's work, I must say that Ted Kennedy was, is, and always will be my political idol.
This man was the youngest of nine children, and the last of three brothers. He grew up, as my mother would say, "in the lap of luxury" to a family that before his birth was already storied in Massachusetts political circles. His grandfather--"Honey Fitz"-- had been Mayor of Boston and had set the standard high for the future public lives of his grandsons.
As we all know, Joe came first, a WWII combat hero who sadly perished during that conflict. Then came John, elected the youngest and first Catholic President of the United States in 1960, and then Robert, the country's Attorney General and later a Senator from New York. To say the bar wasn't set for Teddy would be very false indeed. Tragedy struck Senator Kennedy three times in the 1960s. The assassinations of his two remaining brothers, and then of course the tragedy at Chappaquiddick in 1969. As President Obama eulogized, a lesser man would have simply given up, but Senator Kennedy persevered and became the "voice and conscience of American progressivism" over the course of the next 40 years.
For someone like me, who feels called to use politics as a means of helping others, helping those who have been forgotten in society's periphery, Ted Kennedy set the example. He crafted the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Minimum Wage, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and so many other pieces of legislation which strove to make this country more just and equitable.
One needed only to look at the myriad faces, over 50,000 who walked past and gave respect to his casket at the JFK library last Friday and Saturday to see how much his work had inpacted the lives of regular Americans. People from all walks of life, from coast to coast, felt the need to come and say goodbye to the man who was known as the Lion of the Senate, a man whose career can now be remembered as one of the greatest--if not the greatest--to have graced the halls of the US Senate.
I had the pleasure of meeting Senator Kennedy for a few brief moments last year, when he came and stumped for President Obama at the Bates College Chapel. The place was packed, after the event had been publicized for a few short hours. Yes, people were excited about Obama and his message, but I think just as many people wanted to come and hear Senator Kennedy speak, hear why he supported thsi candidacy. It ewas clear that his health was slipping, but Senator Kennedy exuded that presence which made him such a famous and respected official. His speech was invigorating but it was just getting to see and meet the man that had done so much good for this country which gave me the most pleasure.
The prevailing theme throughout all of Senator Kennedy's funeral was not necessarily how perfect of a man he was, but of how human he was. He was not perfect, but, as the Rev. Peter Gomes remarked, it was his imperfection that allowed so many people to get so close to him. He was not pure, but he worked so hard on behalf of those that needed his help and his example that he inspired so many more to give back. His power in the Senate grew, but instead of builiding his political capital he used it change the country for the better. Thus, while many mourn him, the message was sent by all those that reflected on his life, that his example should be used to inspire more people, to encourage the next generation, my generation, to live and work like he did.
That's what means so much to me. He was not just a powerful Senator, but he was a man that worked for the common people in a way that was so humble. He did not brag or gloat, he simply gave, and that is an example that can only inspire. No one, in my estimation, will achieve what he achieved, but as long as his memory lives people can try, and that can only bring ou country farther. Thus, when I look at the framed notecard with his autograph, I imagine the good that following his light can do for both me, this country, and this world.
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