Ted Kennedy: A True American Legislator

Ted Kennedy was born in February 22, 1932. He died in August on the 25, of 2009. At 32 years of age he was making his way into the senate, but many didn’t seem surprised because they seemed to think it was just his good name that got him into legislation. Yes, John F Kennedy and Robert F Kennedy made an easy path for Edward, but keeping the family name in that path would long relay on him rather than his brothers.

President John F Kennedy died on November 22, 1963. He was assassinated in 1963 in Taxes while riding in a parade with the governor of the state. Robert F Kennedy was assassinated just 5 years later. He was shot while running for President. President John Kennedy, murder remains a mystery even 50 some years later.

He was the last of all his brothers, but not the least of the Kennedy’s. He spent 46 years in the senate and at the same time making admirers in the Kennedy family, but right now let’s not discuss this, but more importantly about the people that he affected. Many people were affected by the Chappaquiddick accident in 1969. Take a quick look at the year and the year that Robert died. Just months apart really, but not years and some say his drinking had gotten heavier at the time, but he denies that he was drunk; however, he was in an accident that would forever change his life.

He accidently crashed his car into a huge body of water and he swim out of the water. He explained that he tried to swim down to find her, but he couldn’t. His biggest mistake was reporting the accident 8 or 9 hours later. This is what had shaken his career, but I say it made his life better.  It put a shadow over him and left him with no presidency chance. Instead he stayed where he was needed and he was needed on the senate floor.  People listen to him, they respected him, and if they hated him they didn’t hate him after working him.

He influences senators all over America. He helped support women in power, and helped American. Not the rich ones, but the ones in poverty and middle waged. His life is filled with regret, but he didn’t just give up and go into a deep hole and die alone. He fought and fought until he either won or lost, but even when he lost he was still a friend. He lost in 1980 when he ran for president, but the truth be told, he seemed more relieved to have lost than won. He even made jokes about himself losing.

John Kerry quoted in Newsweek, “One cold night in a Davenport VFW hall, just two weeks before the caucuses, Ted brought down the house. Recalling his brothers’ Iowa races and his own, he bellowed: ‘you voted for my brother! You voted for my other brother! And you didn’t vote for me!’ and as the crowd roared with laughter, Ted shouted: ‘But we’re back here for John Kerry. And if you vote for John Kerry, I’ll forgive you! You can have three out of four… and I am going to love Iowa. I am going to love you.’ And when Ted said it, he didn’t just say he’d ‘love’ Iowa, the lion roared that he’d ‘loooovvve’ Iowa!”

He loved making jokes and didn’t care about enemies or what his enemies would say about him, but he’d still welcome this into his world. He was and is the greatest legislator of our time. He has written more than 300 of our laws today. He made himself a legend, but he a different kind of legend than his bothers. He made their path a little brighter. He helped Americans and not just America.