- Sep 2, 2008
- 33,178
- 3,055
- 48
"Death of an Era"
The lion of the senate has finally gone to rest. And with that, an end of a era has occurred here today.
An era that began with four brothers from the state of Massachusetts all young, full of life, and ready to turn the world on it's head. Those four brothers were Joe Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Edward "Teddy" Kennedy. They were known as the brothers of Camelot.
Joe Kennedy died fighting in WWII. Then soon enough John had become President ushering in the age of Camelot. However, his life and his Presidency were cut down too soon with the bullet of an assassin that still leaves many of us with more questions then answers today.
Ted was going to be the one to tell his father the news, however, his plane crashed on the way there, and the hospital experience started what turned out to be his lifelong battle for Health Care for all. Soon enough, Bobby died in one dark night in California, leaving Ted Kennedy, the survivor.
Ted Kennedy was the one in the four that we saw grow old. The other three, dying well before their prime, their youthful images captured in our minds forever. With that growing old, we watched Ted Kennedy's highs and lows. We saw his flaws, his triumphant victories, but most of all his will.
To be perfectly honest, I was never old enough obviously for those of you who know me to see JFK or RFK. I was never old enough to see Ted's failed campaign in 1980. However, I was more then old enough to watch him this last election. I watched him speak in giving his support to Obama and at the convention and I felt something about the election that I had not before; hope.
I hoped for a better tomorrow, and had hope that real change could occur in Washington. Since then, have we gotten it? Yes, and no. Obama is different from the GOP and former President Bush obviously but he still harks to the right doing several things that former President Bush did that he spoke out against.
Whether you love Ted Kennedy or you hate Ted Kennedy, one has to at least acknowledge his many achievements that have helped change this country. One has to acknowledge his bipartisanship, proving that it's not quite dead. He fought for civil rights, better education, health care for all, and many other rights for people. His fight for health care and other fights will live on.
As he stated in 1980, and in various ways throughout the rest of his entire life:
"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
The lion of the senate has finally gone to rest. And with that, an end of a era has occurred here today.
An era that began with four brothers from the state of Massachusetts all young, full of life, and ready to turn the world on it's head. Those four brothers were Joe Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Edward "Teddy" Kennedy. They were known as the brothers of Camelot.
Joe Kennedy died fighting in WWII. Then soon enough John had become President ushering in the age of Camelot. However, his life and his Presidency were cut down too soon with the bullet of an assassin that still leaves many of us with more questions then answers today.
Ted was going to be the one to tell his father the news, however, his plane crashed on the way there, and the hospital experience started what turned out to be his lifelong battle for Health Care for all. Soon enough, Bobby died in one dark night in California, leaving Ted Kennedy, the survivor.
Ted Kennedy was the one in the four that we saw grow old. The other three, dying well before their prime, their youthful images captured in our minds forever. With that growing old, we watched Ted Kennedy's highs and lows. We saw his flaws, his triumphant victories, but most of all his will.
To be perfectly honest, I was never old enough obviously for those of you who know me to see JFK or RFK. I was never old enough to see Ted's failed campaign in 1980. However, I was more then old enough to watch him this last election. I watched him speak in giving his support to Obama and at the convention and I felt something about the election that I had not before; hope.
I hoped for a better tomorrow, and had hope that real change could occur in Washington. Since then, have we gotten it? Yes, and no. Obama is different from the GOP and former President Bush obviously but he still harks to the right doing several things that former President Bush did that he spoke out against.
Whether you love Ted Kennedy or you hate Ted Kennedy, one has to at least acknowledge his many achievements that have helped change this country. One has to acknowledge his bipartisanship, proving that it's not quite dead. He fought for civil rights, better education, health care for all, and many other rights for people. His fight for health care and other fights will live on.
As he stated in 1980, and in various ways throughout the rest of his entire life:
"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
