“He saw a wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it.” These were the words that Senator Edward M. Kennedy used to eulogize his brother Robert F. Kennedy at his funeral on June 8, 1968. These words aptly describe the life and career of Edward Moore Kennedy.
He saw a wrong and tried to right it. He saw suffering and tried to heal it. He saw war and tried to stop it.
As a person with a disability, I directly benefited from much of the work that Ted Kennedy accomplished over the last generation. Senator Kennedy was a main sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 that enabled the disabled to enter the mainstream of American life in every phase, from public accommodations to employment. I also see Senator Kennedy’s impact everyday in my work as an attorney practicing Special Education law. The original Special Education law, cosponsored by Senator Kennedy, and its various amendments guaranteeing an appropriate education for children with disabilities has given millions of disabled children the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Senator Kennedy also impacted others who were shut out and had no voice in American society. He was a primary sponsor of Title 9, which promoted equality for women in college sports. Without the co-sponsorship of Title 9 by Senator Kennedy, women athletes would not have attained the achievements they have in our society.
Many may question why Senator Kennedy was such a strong advocate for those who were left out of American society. His advocacy for those who were less fortunate was natural for him. He knew what suffering was, and he saw it in his personal life. He saw the suffering of the disabled in his own sister, who had a mental impairment. He saw what violence does to a family as two of his beloved brothers were struck down by acts of violence. He encountered illness and disease in his own family as two of his own children had cancer at different times. Both survived.
These experiences made Edward Kennedy the lion of the Senate, and the champion of those who are less fortunate. Those of us who are left behind have the opportunity to continue Senator Kennedy’s great work. In fact, we are required to do so if the American dream is going to be fully realized so that we can become a more perfect union. Each of us, in our own way, whether in private life or in public office, has the opportunity to continue his work, whether through the achievement of a strong public option in healthcare reform, or the future advancement of civil rights and the achievement of equality in this country, regardless of status in life. Each one of us can move us closer to the dream that Senator Kennedy had of a greater America, a more perfect union. It is up to us to make sure that the hope still lives and that the dream shall never die. Every time we stand up for a wrong, or set out to make a right, we can help move Senator Kennedy’s dream closer to reality. I pledge to you that I will continue to do so, whether in private or in public life. Let us continue to bind up the wounds of our nation and to ensure that all those in our nation and around the world reach their full potential and are treated as children of God.