RIP Ted Kennedy
August 26, 2009Jon Brooks Comments Off
The blogosphere is filled with commentary on Ted Kennedy, vitriolic and hagiographic, and a portion in-between. THE AFL-CIO blog has two Kennedy items up, one on his fight for universal health care and the other on his support for unions and working-class issues. For those who want to remember him in the best light, his Facebook page is a good place to start online. There we found this personal remembrance. Of course, there’s no way to know if it’s true, but it’s nice to think so. An excerpt:
And on we go…As a personal [beneficiary] of Senator Kennedy, I’d like to add a short true story. Back when I was a kid, perhaps 12, my younger brother was diagnosed with a mental disability. The school system would no longer admit my 9 year old brother and he had to be sent to a private institution which was way beyond my parents means.
One Thursday evening the phone rang at dinner time and I was the one who was closest and answered it. To my great surprise, the man on the other end said he was Senator Ted Kennedy and he wanted to speak to my father.
My dad got on the phone. A few minutes later after a one sided conversation by the Senator, my father ended the call with “Thank you so much.” Tears ran down my father’s face.
The senator had gotten a letter from my mom telling him how awful it was that our state of Massachusetts no longer helped the handicapped. He read the letter and called to say he personally would pay for my brother’s stay and education at a private institution.
My brother, and the rest of the family were saved by this great man. He had compassion. He had his demons as well. But for America, he was a hero. With great sorrow I brave his passing. Thank you Senator Ted. For me. My family. For the country.
