Remembering Senator Kennedy
By Aubrey Sarvis
Huffington Post
August 26, 2009
A civil rights giant and champion of the underdog has died. Yes, we knew death might come any day. Still, it left me feeling very sad, and I suspect it did most Americans. You pause, you reflect. Many of us have Kennedy memories and stories, and I have mine.
Some thirty years ago, as a young lawyer just out of law school , I worked with the Senator on airline and trucking legislation. I met him at the White House for more than one bill-signing ceremony, I took my old boss Ray Smith, then Bell Atlantic CEO, to talk about ENDA legislation with him, and later telecommunications legislation. He was invariably courteous but more than that, he was also welcoming and friendly, especially to staff. He was also a jovial man and he was a smart man.
Just look at his extraordinary and lasting legislative accomplishments in civil rights, health care, education, transportation, and on down the line. He did all that with great gusto and a great sense of humor, maybe because he was Irish. Most of his life was lived on the public stage, and he demonstrated that one person can make a difference. Ted Kennedy did indeed make a difference.
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network joins the country in extending our sincere condolences to the Kennedy family and the Senator's staff, and in honoring and recognizing his vast contributions over his decades in public life. The loss of this great American leader and legislator marks the end of an era.
The LGBT community has lost one of its most committed champions. Everyone in the LGBT community understood that this generous man was the go-to senator if we wanted to move a major piece of legislation impacting our community.
More than a year ago, Senator Kennedy told SLDN that he would like to take the lead in the Senate as the main author of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." He insisted that the bill's introduction and debate be bi-partisan. We were honored that he volunteered to lead this debate in the Senate. Several senators have been ready to introduce the bill, but they have held back out of respect for Senator Kennedy's wishes.
As a key member of the Senate Armed Service Committee and longtime opponent of DADT, Senator Kennedy was a formidable advocate in this debate. We knew we had a fighter with us. His leadership and caring will be deeply missed, but he will remain a great inspiration for us as we continue the fight for justice. I deeply regret that Senator Kennedy will not be participating in the first DADT hearing in sixteen years in the Senate Armed Services Committee this fall. We will miss the unique passion, intensity, and common sense that he would have brought into the hearing room.
It would certainly be appropriate if Senate leaders, Democrats and Republicans, and the new authors of the Senate's repeal legislation would move Ted Kennedy's "Military Readiness Enhancement Act" as a tribute to his leadership in civil rights. That would surely be an appropriate way to honor the Senator and his commitment to equality for all, and it would make all of those who have been leading and fighting for repeal over the past sixteen years extremely proud.
We will miss Senator Kennedy terribly.
08-26-09 By Aubrey Sarvis, SLDN Executive Director |
7 Comments
Comments for this entry are closed.James E. Pietrangelo, II in Cleveland, OH on September 03, 2009 at 01.31 pm
Clayton, I sincerely appreciate your comments, and I do not respond to say that I disagree with you, because in many respects I do not. But I want to say that, for me at least, nothing Kennedy ever did could ever make up for the death he caused of another human being. And that is true for me of any person who wrongfully causes the death of another. I’m that kind of way that I don’t view people as nobodies. Also, it wasn’t an accident—no drunk driving injury or death is ever an accident. Nor can I blame Mary Jo for being there with Ted Kennedy in that car. She didn’t ask to be killed. As for “one person,” one person can make a difference IF THEY HAVE THE WILL. MLK, Jr. made such a difference. And Ted got so much legislation passed because of corruption—and corruption, Republican or Democrat, can never be commended.
Clayton Hagan in Chicago, IL on September 01, 2009 at 06.18 pm
James I too woder about Mary Jo Kopechne. But let’s remember Mary Jo got into the car of her own free will. They were young and they were partying. Did you know her? I didn’t. Reprehensible as it was to wait so long to report the accident, it was certainly not murder. I don’t doubt that the Kennedy name got the senator out of that pinch much like Joe Kennedy’s efforts largely put JFK in the white house. But let’s not forget that the people of MA loved Ted Kennedy. For 47 years. And you cannot deny his bi-partisan track record. The man passed huge amounts of legislation. One politican alone cannot establish equality for gay people; maybe he was like Obama but I think not. I think our anger would be better directed at our own communty’s apathy. Fiscally I often agree with Republicans. But being gay and in the republican party is kind of like being a sad dog, nipping at the heals of a master who’s only affection will ever be the whip. Maybe this will change with the next generation.
James E. Pietrangelo, II in Cleveland, OH on August 31, 2009 at 12.04 pm
Dino, I’d rather remember Mary Jo Kopechne.
Dino, in Washington, D.C. on August 30, 2009 at 07.47 pm
Michael, in response to you scathing review of Ted Kennedy’s life, I should point out that Aubrey actually KNEW Ted Kennedy and worked with him. Did you? I hope you were able to watch the memorial service of the late Senator where Orrin Hatch and John McCain gave glowing testaments of his life. Everyone who spoke stated how thought ful he was remembering birthdays, weddings, funerals, anniversaries, names of family members. If you weren’t moved by his son Ted Jr.‘s eulogy the next day at Kennedy’s funeral, you weren’t human. Ted Jr. admitted that his father was imperfect, as the late Senator himself said in his letter to the Pope. We aren’t after all sugesting that we cannonize Ted Kennedy for sainthood; everyone admits that he was a flawed human being like the rest of us. Sure, he was a senator for 47 years because he was a Kennedy; but few people get to where they are without some sort of connections. You ask why wasn’t he sucessful in LGBT legislation? Because of many years of a GOP Controlled Congress and because some conservative democratics opposed it. Let’s remember Ted Kennedy for the good and best things that he did.
Dino in Washington, D.C. on August 27, 2009 at 01.24 pm
Thank you Aubrey:
Ted lead in the Senate for progressive causes in the memory of his brothers who he is now going to join. The Kennedys even had a close friend named Lem Billings who was openly gay in the 1960s. I believe that Ted Kennedy said that JFK and RFK would have been supporters of LGBT rights.
James E. Pietrangelo, II in Cleveland, OH on August 27, 2009 at 09.59 am
In fact, if anything, Ted Kennedy should be CONDEMNED for his record regarding Gay rights. The so-called liberal “Lion of the Senate” didn’t get any Gay-rights legislation (the one AIDs law he co-sponsored wasn’t specific to Gays) passed, despite being a Senator for over 45 years. If he was the great Senator and civil-rights champion he was supposed to be, as Mr. Sarvis gushes, he certainly would have used his considerable power to get Gya-rights legislation passed. He didn’t, and the reason is simple: like Obama, he was all talk. The Gay community’s trusting people like Ted is why we don’t have equality yet.
James E. Pietrangelo, II in Cleveland, OH on August 27, 2009 at 09.24 am
For those of us who haven’t drunk the Democratic kool-aid, Senator Ted Kennedy was, in all fact and all fairness, the last person to be eulogized. He killed—murdered—Mary Jo Kepechne, cowardly leaving her to horribly drown, after he had driven their car drunk off a bridge in Chappaquidick. He was never held to account for that because he was a Kennedy. He long supported the IRA, unabashed terrorists responsible for the murder of thousands in the UK. He was a lifelong drunk. And, despite Mr. Sarvis’ gushing sentiments, I cannot think of one right ol’ Ted helped secure for Gay people—despite all his talk (like Obama talks but doesn’t do a damn thing). Ted’s only accomplishment was his longevity as a Senator, which would never have occurred had he not been a Kennedy.