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Wednesday, August 26. 2009
He Cared for Justice
It’s the end of an era. Ted Kennedy, the last of the four brothers, has died. Some 16 months ago he was diagnosed with cancer, a brain tumor, and Tuesday evening the greatest public servant, certainly of my lifetime and quite possibly in the last 75 years, succumbed to the disease. It was inevitable.Death is always inevitable. As the saying goes, no one gets out of life alive, but there are some figures in our lives, be they family members, friends, musicians, artists or politicians, who played a part in forming our personal philosophies and gave direction to our lives so we feel a greater loss when they are gone.
Parents are always the first to influence our lives, for good and ill. Both of mine were decent people and like Edward M. Kennedy, they had their flaws. Our dad, for instance, didn’t seem to believe in higher education, at least not for his kids. For Dad, his boy getting in the trades as he did was the answer. College was for others, like the Kennedys for instance. For my sisters, hard to say what Dad had in mind for them, although I’ll go out on a limb and say marriage and becoming baby machines.
My sisters and brothers all have wonderful children, but only one, my youngest brother, has more than two so it can be said with some pride my sisters didn’t quite live up to Dad’s … err … 19th Century sensibilities.
Our mother on the other hand was almost a polar opposite to Dad. She certainly encouraged me to higher education and to go after the arts. Not so Dad. And as much as Mom would curse her eight children with, “I hope you have ten children just like yourself!” she, quietly almost, counseled us to have fewer children if we have any at all.
Mom had her flaws, probably most significantly her bitterness, always evident in private conversation. She was angry with family members, had icy words for friends of the family. It was a bitterness born from an early life filled with hardship and tragedy. You can say, “Who can blame her?”
But such strong personality traits drip off the parents and on to the children, sometimes in a slow, corrosive stream, sometimes quickly, washing over leaving little noticeable effect.
They Kennedy Family were a counterweight to some of those traits. The four Kennedy Brothers, Joe, Jr., John, Robert and Edward, all went to Harvard. Edward — Teddy — twice. After getting expelled for cheating, Teddy Kennedy joined the Army, much to his parents’ horror. There was a war going on in Korea and the Kennedy family had already lost one son and a second son severely injured in World War II.Joe Kennedy, Sr., once an advisor in the Roosevelt Administration, and the father of four boys, pulled some strings and his youngest son spent his two years in the Army serving in Europe.
Years ago, when a Marine and our nation was pulling out of Vietnam, I told Dad in a phone call that I was going to volunteer to go to Vietnam to be a part of the pull out. Mysteriously, three or four days later I was doing “KP Duty,” assigned to work in the mess hall for 30 days.
Our mother at the time was a bigwig in Milwaukee’s Democratic Party. She knew politicians like powerful Congressman Clem Zablocki and even more powerful Senator William Proxmire on a first name basis. Did she make a few calls and change my plans? Don’t know. It never occurred to me until long after she had passed away. So, if Joe Kennedy, Sr. made a few phone calls and kept his son out of Korea, well, good for him.
When John F. Kennedy became president, his youngest brother Teddy filled his seat in the United States Senate a year later, where he served our nation until the end of his life.
He had his detractors of course. Until President Clinton came along (and now President Obama), Ted Kennedy was the favorite punching bag of the Republican Party. They always bring up Chappaquiddick and the death of Mary Jo Kopechne and how that defines not only Ted Kennedy’s alleged immoral life, but also the perceived immorality of liberals in general.
They used his good name to raise money for their campaigns, which really is a compliment when you think about it. Kennedy’s effectiveness as a Senator was so over-powering he became the face of the Democratic Party.
Ted Kennedy was a liberal’s liberal. He was proud of the title and, unlike many of his Democratic colleagues, wasn’t ashamed of the title. When the American Civil Liberties Union ticked him off, Ted Kennedy said, “The ACLU thinks that it defines liberalism in the country. I define liberalism in this country.” You go Ted!When people accused him and his family getting into politics for financial gain, he replied, “The Kennedys are not in government to make money. We’ve paid too high a price.”
Ted Kennedy was in public service for a simple ideal, first put into words by his older brother, Robert Kennedy. Simply put: to whom much is given, much is required. The Kennedy wealth will remain legendary, but their call to public service will be their legacy, most especially for the Lion of the Senate.
Here’s an e-mail letter received from President Obama.
He says it better than I did.
Michelle and I were heartbroken to learn this morning of the death of our dear friend, Senator Ted Kennedy. For nearly five decades, virtually every major piece of legislation to advance the civil rights, health and economic well-being of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts. His ideas and ideals are stamped on scores of laws and reflected in millions of lives -- in seniors who know new dignity; in families that know new opportunity; in children who know education's promise; and in all who can pursue their dream in an America that is more equal and more just, including me. In the United States Senate, I can think of no one who engendered greater respect or affection from members of both sides of the aisle. His seriousness of purpose was perpetually matched by humility, warmth and good cheer. He battled passionately on the Senate floor for the causes that he held dear, and yet still maintained warm friendships across party lines. And that's one reason he became not only one of the greatest senators of our time, but one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve our democracy. I personally valued his wise counsel in the Senate, where, regardless of the swirl of events, he always had time for a new colleague. I cherished his confidence and momentous support in my race for the Presidency. And even as he waged a valiant struggle with a mortal illness, I've benefited as President from his encouragement and wisdom. His fight gave us the opportunity we were denied when his brothers John and Robert were taken from us: the blessing of time to say thank you and goodbye. The outpouring of love, gratitude and fond memories to which we've all borne witness is a testament to the way this singular figure in American history touched so many lives. For America, he was a defender of a dream. For his family, he was a guardian. Our hearts and prayers go out to them today -- to his wonderful wife, Vicki, his children Ted Jr., Patrick and Kara, his grandchildren and his extended family. Today, our country mourns. We say goodbye to a friend and a true leader who challenged us all to live out our noblest values. And we give thanks for his memory, which inspires us still. Sincerely, President Barack Obama
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