I watched the service for Senator Kennedy on TV. What struck me most -- besides his son Teddy's eulogy -- was the idea that all of our leadership sat in an un-air conditioned church. Yes, they had fans, but their sitting in this church, knowing that Ted Kennedy sat there without such air condition, made me realize just what an impact he was having on all of them. It is ultimately called...the real world. The one that connects us in our sorrow, which ultimately can lead to shared joy. It represented the world for which he fought each day. He was never too far removed and always he believed in justice. It can be a lonely battle, but there are many who share his sentiments.
As an Irish Catholic and one who believes greatly in the ideals that the Kennedy family represents -- of service to the most vulnerable, activism for the voiceless and the notion of never forgetting from whence you come -- it compelled me to go to Constitution Avenue and pay my respects to a man who worked tirelessly for the uninsured, the often forgotten and again, our most vulnerable citizens. It brought me to my youth (70's and 80's) when the Catholic Church stood for such values, when we prayed for the poor and the ending of war. Yes, there was the preoccupation with "not having sex until you were married," but we were not obsessed with abortion. We cared about the living, and especially those who had little access to opportunities. Period. Again, that church and the man who attended it, hopefully sent a signal to our elected public servants that it is time to get focused again.
As my husband and I waited for hours we met many wonderful people of all ages, ethnicities, religious beliefs, no religious beliefs and sexual orientation. It was not sad, for we believed he led a live worth living. We all participated in open, honest and respectful discussion. In particular, we stood next to two Republicans, a mother and her daughter. I asked them, "As a Democrat and a person of Irish descent, I know why I am here, but why are you?" Both responded, "Because anyone who served our nation for 47 years deserves our respect. And he always meant to do good. As a Republican I don't believe that throwing money at our problems is the answer to everything, but we do need to give reasonable sums to help our fellow citizens." Me, as a liberal, they as conservatives, could debate the issues and do so in a calm and uplifting manner. Essentially, we represent the majority of Americans, those that live in the middle. We wanted the same things and we wanted to find compromise. Let's get the ball rolling on health care and make amendments along the way. Let's share different faiths (their's was Pentecostal), or none at all (like my husband). And let's work together to care for our children in schools that don't meet American standards and the children in foster care. We knew, just as Senator Kennedy, that a fight on ideology, is just that...on ideology. But nothing personal, we don't have to be so unkind.
And finally, Ted Kennedy reminded me that the hierarchy of the Church, any church, has nothing to do with its congregants. Senator Kennedy was ostrasized by the "Church" for believing in a woman's right to choose, but not by most of its congregants. Most Catholics aren't just going to the cafeteria when they go to church, they are believing in the words of Jesus, not the Pope, thus knowing that "blessed be those who work for justice..."