Oh dear Teddy, dear Teddy. . . .
1932-2009
In 1963, I wept in confusion,
In 1968, I sobbed in pain,
In 2009, I wipe the tears away and defiantly declare: The hope shall live on!
***
And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
Existential Ennui 
Amen.
A huge part of history died…
I’ve only read about 1963 and 1968, but I share your loss in 2009. We all do.
Senator Kennedy fought for a just, humane society even when it was no longer safe or fashionable to do that. He fought for universal healthcare, women’s rights, education, and all the other things that make a civilized society a good place to live.
He will be missed. But we will pick up where he left off. We will carry it forward.
In 1963, I wept in confusion,
In 1968, I sobbed in pain,
In 2009, I wipe the tears away and defiantly declare: The hope shall live on!
Thank you for beautifully summarizing my thoughts this sad day – may he rest in God’s peace and may we continue his legacy of care, concern and equality for each and all.
A beautiful tribute and may the hope live on forever.
Thanks everyone.
So Well Said! Being from one of the richest Families formerly, He Used his Talents to help the Poorest, The Sickest, the most hopeless.
That is called Noblesse Oblige.
And he, as entire Catholic Family, Lived their Faith Openly, in times of War, in times of Peace. Not many know Sen Kennedy enlisted as a Private, and never rose above Sergeant in Reserves/Guard.
There are no replacements for Sen Kennedy. New Politiscians are controlled by Big Money, not idealism. Idealism has little place now, being called radical names/labels By Big Moneyh forces.
But we each have to continue the struggle, by Correcting Misrepresentations By Big Money/Big Insurance forces.
All the Funeral, burial coverage on C-Span had all Relatives summarize Sen Ted Kennedy: Extremly Caring, even hurt strangers; Driven By his Catholic Faith essence to conquer the impossible: Helping Poorest, stopping Wars, Minority rights, HEALTHCARE universally, too many qualities to list.
Entirelly driven, in great humility, By his Catholic Faith. The same drive as mine: Correct Social Injustice.
Catholic Priests, Nuns joined in the Very first Civil rights marches in the early 1950’s, when almost no Whites did. That included my Famed in Science Physics Professor, Dr/Fr Luis Eisle, S J, who developed an Earthquake Direction Seismograph in the Mid 1950’s. National Media called him to find out Which Direction from Mobile Ala. the Worldwide detected Earthquake was: late 1950’s.
Dr/Fr/Prof Eisle is also shown in Southern Civil Rights marches late 1940’s Before Racial Rights became a Cause for Whites. Nuns also. Other faiths Much Later had white clergy involvement, by a few. Only the Catholic Church had Policy not local congregation opinion of All basic human Rights.