End of An Era

Associated Press

This morning, I was teary on the way to school listening to the news. I walked straight to my fellow Bay Stater's office and we teared up together. At lunch I almost got in a fight with a Californian teacher who dismissed the news as irrelevant. I know that Ted Kennedy made mistakes in his life, but overall, he did a lot of great things for the people of Massachusetts and left the Senate better than he found it. Maybe I'm just more patriotic or more naive (probably true) than most liberals and perhaps Americans are a bit too obsessed with this family for people of a democracy, but this guy was one of the Greats. Like the Lou Gehrig of the Senate. He was there for decades, his booming voice speaking loudly for women, ethnic minorities, and the poor.

I've been steeped in articles today...about the end of Camelot and how Kennedy lived his life in the last year. I have nothing but admiration for the work that Senator Kennedy has done in his career and the respect his colleagues have for him. I feel privileged to have voted for the Lion of the Senate. I hope that he inspires more people to public service.

A shot of Clinton and Kennedy rallying supporters in Framingham, Mass. 1994.

Doug Mills/Associated Press