Teddy Joins His Brothers In Rest

By Monica Brady-Myerov (@bradymyerov)
Aug 30, 2009, 4:36 PM
3 Comments

Family members gather at the coffin of Sen. Edward M Kennedy at a private burial at Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday. (Doug Mills, Pool/Via AP)

ARLINGTON, Va. — Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was laid to rest Saturday night alongside his slain brothers, John and Robert, at Arlington National Cemetery. The Kennedy family paid final respects in a simple graveside service as darkness fell and lightning flickered across the sky.

The sounds of a military gun salute, and Taps being played by a bugler, marked the end of four days of public and private mourning for the senator.

Kennedy represented Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate for 46 years and made a deeply personal connection to millions of Americans. The last Kennedy brother, he fought personal demons and mourned public tragedies. He was called the hardest working member of the Senate — and possibly the most effective senator in the history of the chamber. He continued working through 15 months of brain cancer, a disease that ultimately took his life Tuesday. He was 77.

Barbara Arnwine at the Capitol. (Monica Brady-Myerov/WBUR)

Barbara Arnwine worked with Kennedy in Boston on civil rights issues. (Monica Brady-Myerov/WBUR)

After an earlier funeral Mass in working-class Mission Hill, the senator’s body left the showers of Boston for the late summer heat and humidity of Washington.

The motorcade traveled to the Capitol steps, where almost 1,000 staff members and people who had worked with Kennedy over the decades were waiting to pay their respects. They waved miniature American flags, and most were dressed as though for a formal funeral.

When the hearse arrived, it was silent. When Vicki Kennedy stepped out, two minutes of applause. The House chaplain said a prayer, and the crowd joined in when a soloist sang “America the Beautiful.”

It was stunning to see how many people Kennedy had worked with over his nearly five decades in the Senate. And whether they worked with him for a few years or a few decades, the devotion to him was the same.

Barbara Arnwine worked with Kennedy on civil rights issues at the Boston chapter of the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights.

“I’m just going to think about the deep debt our nation holds and how much he really made a difference,” Arnwine said. “He was a game-changer in every respect — there are so many civil rights laws that just wouldn’t be law today if it weren’t for his perseverance, his ingenuity, his incredible diplomacy, his, just, all-out sacrifice.”

The motorcade then proceeded to Arlington National Cemetery. Capitol police say about 4,000 people lined Constitution Avenue for that final procession. All along the way, Vicki rolled down the tinted windows of her limousine and thanked the onlookers for coming.

Several old-time Washingtonians said they had never seen anything like this for a senator — a president, maybe, but not a senator. But Kennedy was not an ordinary senator.

Kennedy's simple grave at Arlington National Cemetary. (Monica Brady-Myerov/WBUR)

Kennedy's simple grave at Arlington National Cemetery. (Monica Brady-Myerov/WBUR)

He was the youngest of the Kennedy clan and had a hand in almost every piece of major legislation over the past 40 years — the civil rights act, Americans with Disabilities act, immigration policy, school loans and health care.

That’s why more than one person said that, even though not from Massachusetts, they saw him as a senator for the whole nation, and they wanted to show thanks to the Kennedy family for their public service.

Kenny French was visiting Washington from Victoria, Tex.

“I think that he was a great man, and this is an opportunity for me to be a part of history today,” French said. “That’s why I’m coming out here to say good-bye to Ted. I wore my shirt, my Red Sox shirt, for Teddy today.”

At the burial site, the presiding priest read a special letter Kennedy had sent to the pope earlier this year. The letter revealed how big a role Catholicism played in his life.

“I know that I am an imperfect human being but with the help of my faith, I have tried to right my path,” the letter said.

The senator’s grave lies on a gently sloping hillside, flanked by a pair of maple trees. His brother, Robert F. Kennedy, lies 100 feet away. It is another 100 feet to the eternal flame that has burned since 1963 for John F. Kennedy.

An oak cross, painted white, marks the head of his grave, and a flat marble footstone bears the simple inscription: “Edward Moore Kennedy, 1932–2009.”

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http://factxchange.wordpress.com/ Joseph Edgecombe

Nation Builders – Winners of the Good Fight: Edward / Ted Kennedy joins Shirley Chisholm in rest… after fighting the good fight as the Political- Architects of Change and Modernization in America.

On Friday the 28th & Saturday August 29th many people as well as many of our well known past and present Democratic leaders and others said farewell to our Sen. Ted Kennedy in Boston, another political champion in American-Politics Shirley Chisholm would have been there also, but we can be sure she was watching from above. Now with both Shirley Chisholm and Ted Kennedy gone…. “The dream still lives on”…Sen. Ed. Kennedy (2008 DNC speech).

Ted Kennedy joins Shirley Chisholm as a champion for the cause of the needs people of this country, both have been magnetic, inspirational, tireless and outspoken leaders – dedicated the political renaissance of changing the backward state of the Divided State of America before the transitional times of the 1960’s to the new Progressive/Inclusive era of a United States after the 1960’s. Both overcame many odds to gain national political office during to 1960’s and rose to become the voice of the people in Washington DC by running effective Post 60’s Presidential Campaigns or agenda and both successfully-winning Congressional or Senatorial campaigns during the 60’s, Both of their timelines led America out of the turbulent, divided and deadly and uncivilized 1960’s which created a more progressive era and country for all Americans during the 1970’s (and 80’s). Both embraced a New Philosophies and ideologies for a new era for a Modern America instead of an antiquated America which would not live up to the words of the American Constitution. Equality – Equal Rights, Justice, Human Rights, and Civil Rights belongs to everyone in this country not just the privileged and preferred by class bias, by dominant race/ethnicity or dominant gender. Both Kennedy and Chisholm have fought “the good fight” better than all of their piers. “The Good Fight”…by Shirley Chisholm 1973.

We have a solid Foundation laid by the Political-Architects of Change and the new revolutionary evolution – in general born out of the urban-social and political events of the l950’s and 60’s both Kennedy and Chisholm:
Congresswoman/US Representative Shirley Anita Hill Chisholm, 1924-2005
US Senator Edward Moore Kennedy, 1932-2009

We have been left with the responsibility of being the Architects of the Dreams of the future of this country called the United States of America… with great loss comes great responsibility, an Architectural Responsibility….Joseph C. Edgecombe, Boston
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com Tom Degan

Watching George W. Bush at the funeral of Teddy Kennedy on Saturday was, to say the very least, amusing. It’s always great fun to witness the members of the vast right wing conspiracy confronted head-on with the theological flaws that are inherent in their philosophy. Watching that event with my pal, Kevin Swanwick, we both were mesmerized and just slightly overjoyed to be reminded yet again that the basic tenets of Liberalism are in perfect harmony with our Christianity – our Catholicism: feed the hungry, shelter the poor and clothe the naked. Oh, how I wish the camera would have cut to Bush’s face the moment he was confronted with the most famous line (and justly so) from the Gospel according to Matthew:

“I tell you this: whatever you did to the least of these brothers of mine, you did to me.”

Jesus of Nazareth

One can only imagine how uncomfortable that passage from the scriptures must have made him feel. Or how about the Sermon on the Mount?

“Blessed are the peace makers
For they shall be called Sons of God.”

I imagine being confronted with the words of Jesus Christ might make old George just a tad uneasy. The prayers that were offered up by the youngest members of the Kennedy clan, in Teddy’s own words, were the most touching part of the entire day:

“That human beings be measured not by what they cannot do. That quality health care becomes a fundamental right and not a privilege. That old policies of race and gender die away. That newcomers be accepted, no matter their color or place of birth. That the nation stand united against violence, hate and war. That the work begins anew, and the dream lives on. We pray to the Lord.”

Lord hear our prayer.

After the mass had ended, and Kevin and I headed into town to get a cup of coffee, I was almost stunned by the good cheer I felt. Ted Kennedy’s funeral was truly a joyous event. Truth be told, it was damned-near therapeutic! The politics of joy as opposed to the politics of fear. There ain’t nothin’ like it in the world, Baby!

The stark contrasts between the ideals of the Progressive movement and the right wing’s backwards and greedy ideology were out in public Saturday for all to compare and contrast at Our Lady of Perpetual Comfort Church in Boston. The differences were so obvious, you could not have missed them had you tried.

http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com

Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
Katie Rhinehart

I,like Mr. Degan, was touched to the core by Senator Kennedy’s Requiem Mass. I always loved the Kennedys and it was like losing a good friend. Certainly the poor and the neglected lost a champion. A man who came from so much had the conscience to remember those who were left out. I thought his tributes were wonderful and on mark. I was glued to my TV the entire day and cried most of it. I am so grateful that he lived long enough to fulfill so many of the promises of his brothers and himself. Whatever Rose Kennedy did to instill her values and thier responsibilites should be passed on to all mothers. As has been noted, Ted’s personal life was not perfect, which he later realized. I know his abandoning of Mary Jo Kupinick had to weigh on his conscience. Perhaps his later actions were his way of trying to make up in a way for his transgressions. It is too bad that George Bush conscience did not cause him to feel guilty about all the American soldiers and innocent Iraqi citizens that died because of his ignorance or deliberate lies. What a contrast in men.