Post by mirium on Aug 30, 2009 11:12:22 GMT -5
Requiescet in pacem (have I got that right? RIP, anyway) Ted Kennedy. Whether you agreed with his politics or not (I did, big surprise ) or his personal morals ( ), the guy left quite a legacy and had some admirable traits.
For starters, he could have goofed off all his life; instead, he was a tireless advocate of cvil rights, and fought for the poor and disadvantaged even though he was certainly one of the privileged class. He argued vigorously for his point of view on the Senate floor and was friends with his political opponents -- the comment I've liked best was from a fellow politician who is an amateur songwriter, who said Kennedy not only claimed to like his songs, he even knew the words to them. We could use a few more like that.
And although he certainly had his "weaknesses" (that seems to be word the relatives and pundits have settled on), he also had a lot to bear. His father only cared about Joe Jr. and then Jack; Ted was basically nonexistent for Joe Sr. His two elder brothers were murdered, making Ted the patriarch of the clan in, what, his 30s? And from that moment on, being a Senator for about half a century and authoring/sponsoring oodles of landmark legislation wasn't enough -- he's considered a failure because he wasn't President. Geez, talk about pressure! Doesn't excuse his mistakes, but perhaps makes them a bit more understandable.
I also admire the way he tried to live up to his religious beliefs. He apparently attended Mass regularly, no matter where he was (must have startled a few priests when he made confession out in the hinterland... ) ). And when one of his fellow Senators asked him why a rich guy was so persistent about legislation that helped the poor, Kennedy looked at the guy and said, "Have you read the New Testament?" He didn't waive his faith like a flag, he tried to serve his God as an integral part of his life every day, not just on Sundays.
Okay, enough somberness! The man was proudly Irish and would have preferred a wake to a shiva -- so next time you're partying, dance like mad and quaff something in his honor.
I think he would have liked that.
For starters, he could have goofed off all his life; instead, he was a tireless advocate of cvil rights, and fought for the poor and disadvantaged even though he was certainly one of the privileged class. He argued vigorously for his point of view on the Senate floor and was friends with his political opponents -- the comment I've liked best was from a fellow politician who is an amateur songwriter, who said Kennedy not only claimed to like his songs, he even knew the words to them. We could use a few more like that.
And although he certainly had his "weaknesses" (that seems to be word the relatives and pundits have settled on), he also had a lot to bear. His father only cared about Joe Jr. and then Jack; Ted was basically nonexistent for Joe Sr. His two elder brothers were murdered, making Ted the patriarch of the clan in, what, his 30s? And from that moment on, being a Senator for about half a century and authoring/sponsoring oodles of landmark legislation wasn't enough -- he's considered a failure because he wasn't President. Geez, talk about pressure! Doesn't excuse his mistakes, but perhaps makes them a bit more understandable.
I also admire the way he tried to live up to his religious beliefs. He apparently attended Mass regularly, no matter where he was (must have startled a few priests when he made confession out in the hinterland... ) ). And when one of his fellow Senators asked him why a rich guy was so persistent about legislation that helped the poor, Kennedy looked at the guy and said, "Have you read the New Testament?" He didn't waive his faith like a flag, he tried to serve his God as an integral part of his life every day, not just on Sundays.
Okay, enough somberness! The man was proudly Irish and would have preferred a wake to a shiva -- so next time you're partying, dance like mad and quaff something in his honor.
I think he would have liked that.