Edward "Teddy" Kennedy, the Democratic Senator from Massachusetts, died last night after years-long battle with brain cancer. Known as the "liberal lion of the US Senate" he was the second longest serving member of the current US Senate (nearly 50 years of service) after the nonagenarian Senator Bob Byrd, the Democrat of West Virginia. He was well-known to be a staunch advocate for liberal causes in the US Senate but never dogmatic enough to preclude any compromises with his Republican counterparts.
I met him once when I was living in Washington, DC. It was at forum for National and Community Service on Capitol Hill and there were a whole bunch of us trying to push for more funding for the AmeriCorps program. Ted Kennedy, as the ranking member of the Senate's Health, Education and Labor committee, was a big supporter of the AmeriCorps program and had worked to pass its funding renewal in the US Congress despite the vehement opposition from the Republican-majority at the time.
I remember seeing Senator Kennedy as a larger than life figure (literally and figuratively) but he presented himself as a very caring grandpa, full of compassion, understanding and wisdom. I was simply awestruck by his humility and attentiveness to our issues. And also this is a Kennedy for god's sake! In flesh and breathing right in front of me. I might not have the chance to meet the older Kennedys - JFK and Bobby in particular - but at least I have sat a mere 5 feet away from the youngest of the Kennedy siblings. It was truly an unforgettable experience for me.
Senator Kennedy, may you rest in peace now. Rest assured that your endeavors for peace, justice and equality in past five decades will not be in vain. The struggle lives on.
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