Thoughts on Sen. Kennedy's Legacy

"...I fear that in any assembly, members will obtain an influence by noise, not sense. By meanness, not greatness. By ignorance, not learning. By contracted hearts, not large souls... There is one thing, my dear sir, that must be attempted and most sacredly observed or we are all undone. There must be decency and respect, and veneration introduced for persons of authority of every rank, or we are undone. In a popular government, this is our only way." -- John Adams, in reply to concerns by Massachusetts friend John Warren, on the slow pace of the Congress' vote for independence from the British crown.

Events of the past several weeks have made me wonder about the future of this country, as cable news hosts, with no special political, journalistic or other credentials (but hubris), stir people into a frenzy against the President of this country based on distorted facts or just plain lies. I believe, as the Bible clearly states, that the truth will set us free, but sometimes it takes quite a while for the truth to come out.

Glenn Beck's histrionics reminded me of the vitriol of the McCarthy era, when people were attacked for being "Communists" and blacklisted, even though the claims were completely false in many cases. It was also reminiscent of the lunacy of Morton Downey, Jr., the '80s talk show host who specialized in whipping up rage and hatred over the issue of the day. After his show was canceled, he was so desperate for attention he claimed that neo-Nazis attacked him in a public bathroom.

When I heard the news of Senator Kennedy's death this morning, and watched the long-prepared footage of historic moments in his life, it seemed that the timing was ordained; that in his death as in his life, history will be made just as it was after his brother John's passing. Perhaps, even more quickly.

Kennedy put national health insurance and coverage for the poor on the public agenda decades ago, and insurance and pharmaceutical companies have spent hundreds of millions in lobbying dollars and campaign funds to block any meaningful action. For the first time, though, I think that Congress may have enough momentum to act.

Changing the dialogue from personal, inane attacks to well thought-out discussions will make it possible to come up with real solutions. Labeling everyone who wants to solve these problems as "socialist" is absurd. Are all Canadians, Japanese and Europeans Socialist? No, they are not, yet they have reasonable national health insurance plans.

As I read David McCullough's Pulitzer Prize-winning book, John Adams, I am becoming aware that the arguments for and against issues in this country have often been heated and sometimes personal when they should have been about the facts. In a democracy, we have to be reminded sometimes that all voices should be heard -- not shouted down by a barbaric minority, with no intelligent points to make.