So long, Teddy
Smarter, more articulate persons than I are writing about the passing of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. They are writing and speaking about the great work he did and the personal demons he battled. So I shall leave that commentary to others. As to his legacy, historians have much to ponder as they begin to put pen to paper. Or finger to keyboard as it were.
There is something Teddy, quoting his brother Jack, said that helped me clarify my own political philosophy. It also helped me clarify my view of the world. They are words to live by. I put those words here today in the hope that they will continue to inspire me, and perhaps others.
“If by ‘Liberal’ they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties — someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a “Liberal,” then I’m proud to say I’m a “Liberal.”
RIP.
Posted: August 29th, 2009 under Uncategorized.