Learning from Ted Kennedy

This week the airwaves are saturated with coverage of the life and death of Senator Edward Kennedy (D) of Massachussets, who died on Tuesday night. As I hear the many tributes to the life of the late Senator, I am drawn to a few conclusions.

First, human beings are complex. It is seldom possible to summarize a human life by simply saying "good" or "bad". Those who are conditioned by their political leanings to see him as the enemy can find many things to deplore about his life: his unabashed pro-choice stand on abortion, the hard-drinking, partying playboy image of his early career most clearly symbolized by expulsion from Harvard for cheating, the Chappaquidick tragedy and his failed marriage. Yet, even his political enemies have been lavish in their praise of him as an effective legislator, his devotion to his family and, most surprisingly, the genuine friendship many of them shared with him.

Second, redemption is possible. Had Senator Kennedy died in the auto accident in 1969, his legacy may easily have been characterized by cheating, overreaching ambition, and reckless selfishness. Yet, at some point he chose to make his position of wealth and privilege count for more than self-indulgence, and to become an effective senator. In doing so, rather than choosing to focus on prestigious areas such as foreign policy or finance, he chose to expend his energy and influence on advancing the good of others in issues like education, health-care, the disabled, and poverty. The result is a portfolio of legislative acomplishments unmatched in the 20th century. Click here for a good summary.

Third, even when we have strong convictions, it pays to reach out with respect to those with whom we disagree. His collaborations with Republican senators such as McCain, Hatch, and others were invaluable in securing the successful passage of landmark legislation.

Finally, people matter. Over and over again this week, one could hear testimony from colleagues on both sides of the aisle, newspeople and others, telling about when they were in distress, or ailing or bereaved, and the first call they got was from Ted Kennedy. Senator Hatch talked about losing his mother and being surprised and comforted to see Senator Kennedy turn up at the funeral in Utah.

And so, back to the first point. A cheating, adulterous, drunkard can also be the finest legislator of our time. People are complex indeed. But that should not surprise us. Reminds me of a certain Israelite king three millenia ago.