The Old Lion Still Roars

The other night, Senator Ted Kennedy, ailing from brain cancer, came and spoke to the Democratic Convention in Denver. He's fondly known as the "old liberal lion of the Senate", and he spoke in a booming and commanding voice despite his illness, exhorting us never to forget the dream of what America should be, not what it is. It was an emotionally charged speech and one that, for all intents and purposes, officially passed the torch to a new generation of leadership in the party, that being Senator Barack Obama. There was a short documentary about Kennedy by Ken Burns that was shown prior to his appearance, and before that, his niece Caroline Kennedy spoke of his accomplishments, not just for his constituents in Massachusetts, but for the entire country. It was truly inspiring to hear what this man has done in his lengthy Senatorial career to make life better for so many people in this country. It makes me sad that he is so ill and that there is a possibility that he will no longer be with us in the near future, if, indeed, he is as ill as people are saying. Still, being Irish like Kennedy is, he's a fighter and I am sure that he will prove to be as resilient and relentless as he's been so often in his life. What also inspired me the other evening during his speech was to hear of his long battle waged to bring universal health care to all people, and that he plans on being on the Senate floor next January to keep up his fight. Naturally, the audience cheered raucously when he made this pronouncement. I am entirely sure that health care is as important to others as it is to me and to so many I speak to who are either, like me, underinsured yet employed full time, or just flat out uninsured and yet employed - or unemployed - and facing one serious injury or illness from bankruptcy. And that the old lion will still be there fighting the battle despite what may possibly be his waning days makes me so glad to know that he won't stop, even if or when his health finally fails him. He in effect passed the torch to a new generation to continue the fight when he's gone, and I hope that the younger generation is up to the fight and will not relent until everyone, north, south, east, west, young, old, black, white, straight, gay, healthy, ill, etc., from cradle to grave, has access to health care regardless of employment or health status.
I just hope that Hillary's gals will get over their loss and accept that Barack Obama won the nomination fair and square. I've heard it said that there are more disgruntled Democrats who wanted Hillary to win who are going to cross over and vote for McCain than disgruntled Republicans who are going to cross over and vote for Obama. That rather frightens me that so many Hillary fans are planning to defect parties despite the fact that we all know that Republicans have been bad for this country. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know what they've done to make a mess of things in the past 8 years. The economy is in the dumpster, jobs have been lost by the millions to countries overseas, the dollar has been reduced to little better than a third world currency in value, energy prices have soared to record levels, more people lack access to health care, schools and the nation's infrastructure are crumbling, and of course, we're fighting an unpopular war that we had no need to go fight and now can't extricate ourselves from - I could go on at length as to what has happened since Bush took power, but it's apparent that something is rotten in this country and needs to be dealt with immediately. So if Hillary supporters are going to act like a bunch of spoilsports and go vote for the opposition, then they are going to get exactly what they deserve, a President who will continue the failed policies of the outgoing administration. I just hope that they heed Hillary's call last night to close ranks behind Obama and unify the Democrats in order to muster the strength to make it to the finish line in November and win the election. She made a strong case for why she feels that the party needs unity at such a critical time. Given that nearly every speaker so far has been someone who has come from modest means to make something of themselves instead of someone born with a silver spoon in their mouths, it speaks highly to what the Democratic Party stands for, giving ordinary people the chance to become something extraordinary. This is the message we need to get across this fall, that when you elect Democrats, you can follow your dreams to the highest star and make it. You can go as far and as high as you want to, and Democrats will make sure that you have the means to do so. I got a college degree because FDR left behind a legacy of social safety nets that allowed my family to prosper despite losing its main breadwinner when I was a toddler. My widowed mother was able to send all four of her children to college because of that. And that is what this country is all about and why Democrats need to win in November. I just hope that Hillary made it clear just how important each and every vote for Obama truly is. It's now or never. This election is a make or break thing for our country, the most crucial election in modern history. May it go the way we all hope it will and may the US once again become the beacon of liberty and hope that it's been for generations of people around the world. As Senator Ted Kennedy roared to a packed crowd at the Democratic Convention the other evening, "The Hope rises again. And the Dream lives On!!!" Amen to that, Senator, Amen to that!