by Aneesa Vaez-Iravani

Webmaster
On Sat., Aug. 29, Senator Edward Kennedy was put in his final resting place on the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery within a few steps from his two brothers. Ted, as he was called, succumbed not to the bullet of an assassin, but to the quiet violence of a brain tumor that ended the career of America’s third longest serving senator and the patriarch of the Kennedy dynasty.

    Kennedy’s final burial was a culmination of a week-long series of events, which included the long procession from Hyannis Port through the streets of Boston and up the steps of the US Capitol, along which many politicians paid their respects to a true public servant. President Barack Obama delivered the eulogy at Kennedy’s funeral.

    Born into a life of luxury and under the shadow of his two celebrity brothers, John and Robert, Ted Kennedy opted for public service early in his life. Some observers believe that the Kennedys went into politics to fulfill the ambitions of their father, Joseph Kennedy. Regardless of the motives, countless Americans are the beneficiaries of Ted Kennedy’s legislative achievements, which include the initial passage of Medicare, the Family Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Funding Cancer Research and AIDS care, Civil Rights Acts, Children Health Care Reforms, and increase in the minimum wage. Despite carrying the label of the quintessential “liberal” throughout most of his professional life, he succeeded in his efforts because of his ability to work with Republicans on many issues, while still maintaining his key liberal principles.

    But Ted Kennedy had his personal flaws and professional critics, as well. Remarkably, however, he counted some of the most conservative members of congress among his closest friends. As an advocate for health care, which he called the “cause of my live,” the late Democrat from Massachusetts will never life to see universal health care, the subject of current debate in Congress. From a political viewpoint, this creates a vacuum in the ranks of the health care reform advocates, and at least temporarily puts the democratic majority in the Senate. Meanwhile, the Massachusetts legislature is discussing the possibility of changing the law to allow the governor to appoint a temporary replacement, and preparations are being made for a special election to find a new senator.

    If health care reform finally becomes a reality, it will be a true tribute to the memory of Ted Kennedy and a cause for which he has campaigned for much of his life.