Ted Kennedy’s last letter to the President

May 12, 2009

Dear Mr. President,

I wanted to write a few final words to you to express my gratitude for your repeated personal kindnesses to me – and one last time, to salute your leadership in giving our country back its future and its truth.

On a personal level, you and Michelle reached out to Vicki, to our family and me in so many different ways. You helped to make these difficult months a happy time in my life.

You also made it a time of hope for me and for our country.

When I thought of all the years, all the battles, and all the memories of my long public life, I felt confident in these closing days that while I will not be there when it happens, you will be the President who at long last signs into law the health care reform that is the great unfinished business of our society. For me, this cause stretched across decades; it has been disappointed, but never finally defeated. It was the cause of my life. And in the past year, the prospect of victory sustained me-and the work of achieving it summoned my energy and determination.

There will be struggles – there always have been – and they are already underway again. But as we moved forward in these months, I learned that you will not yield to calls to retreat – that you will stay with the cause until it is won. I saw your conviction that the time is now and witnessed your unwavering commitment and understanding that health care is a decisive issue for our future prosperity. But you have also reminded all of us that it concerns more than material things; that what we face is above all a moral issue; that at stake are not just the details of policy, but fundamental principles of social justice and the character of our country.

And so because of your vision and resolve, I came to believe that soon, very soon, affordable health coverage will be available to all, in an America where the state of a family’s health will never again depend on the amount of a family’s wealth. And while I will not see the victory, I was able to look forward and know that we will – yes, we will – fulfill the promise of health care in America as a right and not a privilege.

In closing, let me say again how proud I was to be part of your campaign- and proud as well to play a part in the early months of a new era of high purpose and achievement. I entered public life with a young President who inspired a generation and the world. It gives me great hope that as I leave, another young President inspires another generation and once more on America’s behalf inspires the entire world.

So, I wrote this to thank you one last time as a friend- and to stand with you one last time for change and the America we can become.

At the Denver Convention where you were nominated, I said the dream lives on.

And I finished this letter with unshakable faith that the dream will be fulfilled for this generation, and preserved and enlarged for generations to come.

With deep respect and abiding affection,
[Ted]

Filed under: Barack Obama, Health Care, Politics, Social Commentary, Truth | Tagged: Barack Obama, health care, Ted Kennedy

Learning the Hard Way: The Unnecessary Journey of the Prodigal Soul

Since my first encounter with Barack Obama, I have recognized in my spirit a consistently portrayal of an individual that just made sound, thought-out, practical, and humble spirited sense; when he spoke as well as acted. I would have loved for this man to be my professor in college. Through my own research, it is clear that in his classroom invoked an atmosphere that encouraged open, flexible inquiry, disclosure, discussion and exploration between the student and himself in a constant bi-directional way; opposite from the often found, monologue podium atmosphere. Consequently, students had a chance to personally get involved and interactive with content taught in Obama’s classroom.

I don’t understand… for the life of me… why there is so must objection, hostility and blunt disrespect, by the parents of this nation, toward a sound, loving, family-oriented individual who wants to encourage their children in the following areas: the importance of discipline, perseverance and time management in school, applying one’s self toward being the best that they can be in life and to understand that an education provides an ‘essential’ foundation as well as an indispensable tool that will help them prepare and thrive in the journey of life; not just to find a job or acquire wealth, but to discern and evaluate the many faces that life brings us all.

After observing this non-stop futile resistance, it is obvious that some Americans don’t see the same President and the intertwining history & experience that he brings forth to this nation. However, I know one thing… many of the media endorsed lies and falsehoods aren’t helping the matter. It makes me seriously scratch my head, in deep concern, about the future integrity and objectivity of journalism and broadcasting with in the United States. Some people have to discover who are actually on their side and love them and this nation the hard way; the journey of ‘prodigal’ soul must unfortunately take place.

According to the ‘Chicago Sun-Times’ Pallashch recounts Janis adding the following insight about the then senior lecturer at the Chicago School of Law in her interview with her, “Some professors are just kind of going through the motions with you. He actually seemed to take everyone’s point of view seriously (2007). I wonder how many other faculty members and students of the Chicago University’s School of Law could provide even more elaborate, detailed insight into the man that supposedly will lead tomorrow’s youth astray in the wilderness? Have some of us even taken time to seek and find out? Perhaps some of us have some “planks” in our own eyes that need removing first?

Pallasch, A. (2007, February 12) Professor Obama was a listener, students say. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved From http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/253391,CST-NWS-prof12.article