The Kennedy family was and is still part of American history, world history. Ted Kennedy’s brother was the first and only Catholic president. We now have an African American president. We have never had a woman president.We have not had a Jewish president.  I do not think we are post anything yet.
The rise of the Kennedys is remarkable. They may look like white males and so part of the power structure of this country but Irish and Catholic lowered them considerably…I try to tell Catholics…as a former WASP myself…that Catholics are not “white” in the commonly accepted meaning of that term…which is really WASP. So the passing of this giant is a significant milestone for all kinds of reasons.
One editorial said that Ted Kennedy took the needs of his constituents as his program. It is tragic that this has to be pointed out as a special aspect. But we know that the political structures cater to money and not many constituents have money. You can vote for politicians but money is really power. We were all lucky that the Kennedys were rich and looked out for those who were not. Lots at Wesleyan would encourage the talented students here to use their talents on behalf of the people who need them but cannot afford to pay for them. It is a great place to be a chaplain.