The Kennedy Family: A Personal Thought

Whenever I have read about Senator Kennedy and the Kennedy, I have been in awe. They have been a family that have been in the public eye for almost 100 years. This has been the case ever since Joe Kennedy began his business career that in turn led to a political career as Ambassador and Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commision. There has been enough said and written about Joe Kennedy Sr. that I won't repeat it here. I am, however, grateful that such a family has devouted its' life to public service in such a way. From JFK to RFK to Ted Kennedy, it has been quite a remarkable journey. JFK and RFK were taken away from us in the prime of their life. I have written before and always thought about what might have been had they lived. Their children have been active in the environment, in civil rights and workers rights for many years. And their leader, Senator Kennedy, has been a fighter all his life. Despite his personal setbacks (which is a burden I'm sure he has to carry), he has worked to give voice to the voiceless amongst us. He has understood the plight of the common man and all that he has achieved as a "man of the Senate" has been nothing short of extra-ordinary. There was a retrospective by David Von Drehle in the June 2, 2008 edition of Time Magazine (http://www.time.com) where he noted that "The one luxury denied him was the illusion of immortality." His achievements will live on and his family will always have a place in the history of America and the world. May Senator Kennedy overcome his latest challenge with the same grit and determination as he has carried on other fights in his life. All I can offer him and his family is to say, "Thank You". I wonder if it is enough.

The Democratic Campaign For President

Barrack Obama won some endorsements today. Senator Kennedy endorsed Obama, along with JFK's daughter Caroline. I respect Senator Kennedy's judgement. But, I respectfully disagree with it. I would have liked for Senator Kennedy to stay neutral. Yet, he decided otherwise. I wish it was otherwise.

I have had a chance to review Senator Obama's plans and will continue to visit his website (http://www.barackobama.com). One thing I respectfully disagree with him is on the 2006 war. The war has led to instability in Lebanon that could ignite the civil war at any minute. His ill-advised comment about leading attacks into Pakistan had no foresight at all. I agree with him that we need change. However, change for change's sake is simply not possible. We have to know why we are changing. I don't know if Barrack Obama is that man who is able to lead that change.