Senator Edward Kennedy – The Sir Galahad of Camelot

Camelot is a name associated with the Castle and court of King Arthur and the seat of power in England where King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table presided.  For some it is a mythical castle, the location of which has never been identified. According to legend, beauty, goodness and truth reigned in Camelot – a place filled with enlightenment and peace.

The Kennedy political dynasty in the United States has come to be associated with the Camelot legend, starting with John F Kennedy, the eldest brother and his wife Jackie. But if John and Jackie were likened to King Arthur and Guinevere, Edward Kennedy, the youngest brother, was a real life Sir Galahad.  In Arthurian Legend, Sir Galahad was known for being gallant and pure and one of the only three achievers of the Holy Grail.

Gallantry was undoubtedly a calling card of the late Senator Edward Kennedy who relentlessly attacked inequalities are it woman’s rights or racial and ethnic discrimination and challenged any culture of inequity. The Immigration Act of 1965 which brought about changes in a discriminatory immigration policy and supported the Fair Housing act of 1968.

As early as 1966 his fight for changes to the Health Care system was underway and he was responsible for the start of the National Community Health Center Program. Long before Obama called for Health care reform, Senator Edward Kennedy,  in 1969,  gave a speech in which he called for a National Health  Insurance for all Americans. He continued his work for Health care reform as Chairman of the Senate Health Committee and until his death on August 26, 2009.

Edward Kennedy was a champion of the disabled, war veterans, the elderly, the mentally ill and even those incarcerated. He supported minimum wage increases, enabled the passing of the National Child Care Act and introduced the Ryan white Care Act, which provided relief to states most affected by the aids epidemic. His accomplishments, campaigns and successes are too numerous to mention in this short article.

Senator  Edward Kennedy’s Camelot was anything but mythical. He was a true Sir Galahad engaged in a protracted battle of good over evil. He was the voice of those who had no voice and left a legacy of hard work, perseverance, goodness, truth, enlightenment and peace – much the same as the legendary Sir Galahad of Camelot.