My mother’s second oldest brother was the Patriarch of our family. Successful in business, politically savvy and a true philanthropist, he spoke with the authority of a mob boss and the business intellect of a high-powered real estate mogul. (The only thing missing was a Cuban cigar.) Only he knew what he didn’t know. To us, he knew everything you needed to know on any subject. I once asked him how he came to know so many people in public office on both sides of the political aisle. He said, “I contribute to both parties equally.” This gave him access no matter who was in office. Hmm.
He was a dyed-in-the-wool Republican and yet, I remember him being irritated when Reagan reduced taxes for the top 2% income earners in the country – a category that most certainly included him. “It’s a mistake,” he said. “Wealth does not trickle down.” Pulling out the bank roll in his pocket, he continued, “It stays right here.”
That’s right, my rich Republican Uncle was willing to pay more taxes to help those less fortunate. That single statement taught me quite a bit about how to “size up” those seeking public office.
I now closely follow the words of those who use their good fortune to help “…the least among us…” When a person of wealth is willing to give back through a higher percentage of their income going towards taxes to help our country provide opportunity for those with little or no means, I’m all ears. This was Ted Kennedy. Born into extreme privilege, he most certainly could have maintained a low profile, away from public scrutiny. But that was not his choice, and I for one, am very grateful.
Up until the mid-90s, I knew very little about the senator. Oh sure, I knew what everyone else knew: younger brother to John and Bobby; son of Joe and Rose; Massachusetts Senator since 1962; a womanizer and heavy drinker in his early years; the car accident on Chappaquiddick Island and the plane crash that nearly killed him.
Kennedy’s legislative achievements are easy enough to research. He was the co-sponsor of over 2500 bills and penned 300 personally. Here’s a list. As you read – or skim – through it, imagine where the country would be without this legislation. There is not one American alive whose life has not been improved by at least some of these laws.
But the Ted Kennedy that I didn’t know until very recently was the man, the husband, the brother, the uncle, the grandfather and great grandfather. As I listened, these past few days, to the different stories by those who knew him, it is very obvious that he was the Patriarch of his family. I recognized the hug of a grandchild, the laugh with a sister, the handshake with a nephew, the pat-on-the-back of a brother-in-law and the acknowledgment of a job well done by a niece. He was whatever the family needed him to be, whenever they needed him. I also learned he became a prayerful man in his last 15+ years.
It is highly believed that his second wife, Vickie, helped Ted deal with the “demons” of his early years: the death of his oldest brother in WWII, the car accident on Chappaquiddick Island that took the life of Mary Jo Kopechne, while married to his first wife, Joanne, who was pregnant at the time; the mental disabilities that led to a lobotomy of a sister who was later institutionalized, the assassinations of two brothers and the death of another sister just recently.
As I watched him work his way onto the Senate floor a few months ago, to a cheering crowd of Senators and well-wishers from both sides of the aisle, I wondered then if he would see his largest legislative dream come to pass before he passed.
I certainly hope he sees it pass from wherever he is now.
You served us well, Uncle Teddy.
Sincerely,
Rants and Observations by Michael Kontras 