All around the commonwealth and the country, citizens are mourning the loss of Edward M. Kennedy, longtime Massachusetts Senator and defender of civil rights.
From his first appointment in the Senate in 1962, he made it his mission to protect and defend the rights of all, leaving his mark on issues and activities as diverse as racial discrimination, immigration reform, raising the minimum wage, fighting for environmental justice, advocating LGBT rights and especially, in his final days, fighting vehemently for healthcare reform.
The ACLU Foundation of Massachusetts honored him with the Roger Baldwin Award in 2006 – our highest recognition of significant contributions to the cause of civil rights and civil liberties, for his tireless efforts.
Kennedy's very first speech in the Senate in April 1964 proved an excellent preview for the rest of his political life. Speaking about the civil rights bill, and referencing his brother's death, he said:
"No memorial oration or eulogy could more eloquently honor President Kennedy's memory than the earliest possible passage of the civil rights bill for which he fought so long…If his life and death had a meaning, it was that we should not hate but love one another, we should use our powers not to create conditions of oppression that lead to violence, but conditions of freedom that lead to peace."
Over the years, he accumulated the reputation that served his nickname, the "liberal lion". He advocated strongly for LGBT rights, long before it was politically fashionable to do so -- in fact, he was one of only 14 votes against the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act" in 1996. In 2003, when gay and lesbian couples won the right to legally marry from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Kennedy offered this:
"The nation’s eyes were on Massachusetts today, and they saw a triumph for civil rights and fundamental fairness. Today’s historic vote will have a national impact on civil rights for years to come. Massachusetts has led the nation in education, in health care and in biotechnology, and today Massachusetts renewed its commitment as a proud leader in civil rights."
He fought for what he believed in to his very last days– and his legacy of standing strong against the injustices of the status quo will long be remembered.
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7 comments:
That’s a terrible thing for American…and the world; we all lost a great man and also a long legacy of family patriots and supporters to the American people and politics. We will miss you. Condolences to the family.
Senator Kennedy made me proud to be from Massachusetts. His legacy will continue to help those who are afflicted or are in need, and to protect the civil rights of all Americans. His passing is indeed a sad moment for America and the world.
I am greatly saddened to learn of this great loss. I found him to be the most responsive senator from Massachusetts over the years. He has proven as the most agreeable to the principals of liberty and civil rights for all.. and a great patriot from what I have seen.
My condolences and best wishes to the Family. We will miss you...
Let's not despair that our champion is no longer. He set the example and we have learned. Now, as his brother famously once said, "the torch has been passed to a new generation...". That's us, it's up to us to be on the frontlines. Let's go.
Senator Ted Kennedy is my hero. As a foreigner who immigrated to this great nation of ours 20 years ago from Sri Lanka, I fully appreciate and am greatful for the many great legislation he created which protects and gives me equal footing with the majority of Americans to pursue liberty, economic oppurtunity, and happiness in this country. His 3 older brothers were great men in their own right, but Ted Kennedy was the greatest of all 4 Kennedy brothers without a doubt.
God bless him and may the "Lion of the US Senate" rest in peace.
-- Umesh Heendeniya
Let's not despair that our champion is no longer here to defend us. We are politically grown up. As his brother once famously said, "The torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans ...". That's us, and it's up to us to be on the frontlines. Let's go!
I thought this was a really great tribute to Ted Kennedy and the way that he responded to 9/11:
For a mother, Kennedy connection ran deep
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