Seidemann: As long as it takes

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From the other side of the bench

By David Seidemann

Issue of September 4, 2009 / 15 Elul 5769

Long before Yogi Berra famously said, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over,” our rabbis taught us, “All is judged by the end.” In more modern times, at least from a political standpoint, Ted Kennedy said, “As long as it takes.”

Whether you liked him or not; agreed with him or disagreed with him; approved of his life style or not; a great American political figure passed away last week. At age 77, Edward Kennedy had witnessed and endured more personal tragedy than most could ever imagine. Yet despite admitted personal failings he righted his ship on numerous occasions — later in life, seemingly, for good, when he married his second wife.

I remember watching JFK’s funeral on television and remember being glued to the coverage of Robert Kennedy’s untimely end. The country was in shock when the President was assassinated and stunned when Robert was assassinated. People stood speechless, tears their only means of expression, as the two brothers were eulogized and buried.

This time I sensed a different sentiment. The crowds that lined the route from Hyannis Port to Boston applauded as the motorcade weaved its way through the bright Massachusetts afternoon. They were acknowledging a life of accomplishment, not lives cut short by assassins’ bullets.

If you are a woman, an African American, a senior citizen, a laborer or a Jew you are a enjoying a protection or a benefit as a result of Senator Kennedy’s work. And for that, for all of his failings, you must be thankful.

He was a staunch supporter of Israel throughout the years, speaking up when necessary and remaining silent when prudent. His oratorical skills were second to none; his speeches at Democratic National Conventions moved millions on both sides of the political aisle. He recognized his own shortcomings and worked on himself; he approached his big dreams with a sense of realism.

Senator Kennedy was a true public servant. Had he not been a United States Senator he would not have been lacking for fame or fortune yet he chose to serve the public.

What impressed me most about Senator Kennedy were his ideological leanings. While I did not agree with many of those leanings, the fact that he held those leanings impressed me beyond words. Born into riches he could easily have championed the causes of the rich. But instead of advocating for those that were “like,” he advocated for those who “lacked.”

That is a most admiral trait. So often, we fight and claw to attain a certain status, then leave those that we stepped on along the way to fend for themselves. While not ignoring any of his history that might suggest otherwise, one simply cannot deny that Senator Kennedy devoted his professional life to helping those whose voices would otherwise not have been heard. One cannot deny that, in the end, he got it right. He was able to conform his personal behavior to higher standards, standards befitting a leader. Ted Kennedy was a senator before his brother Robert. Once, after Robert had just been elected to the Senate, the two of them were sitting at a hearing that had dragged on for hours. At one point, the new kid on the block, Robert, passed his brother, Ted, a note saying, “How many of these meetings do I have to sit through till I become a great senator?” Ted penned back, “As long as it takes.”

Ted Kennedy lived by those words, that mantra, by sitting in the Senate for 47 years. He lived those words by having his name appear on over 2500 pieces of legislation. He lived those words by living longer than the doctors thought he would. He lived those words when later in life he married a woman who would help him rid himself of demons that dragged him astray.

Do you know why “all is judged by the end?” Because man is not perfect. “All is judged by the end” by the way we act at the end, because all G-d needs to see is that we have the potential to be who we were created to be. If G-d sees in us the “potential” he grants us the additional year of opportunity to reach that potential. Some get it right the first time, others later in life.

So now, a few hundred feet from his brothers, lies Edward Kennedy. For me, it’s the end of a political era. I will always remember what he did for Israel. I will always remember how he cared for those who were not as fortunate as he. I will always take note that, at any age, at any stage in life, one can always make necessary changes to ones behavior. And we keep trying, “As long as it takes.”

David Seidemann is a partner with the law firm of Seidemann & Mermelstein. He can be reached at (718) 692-1013 and at ds@lawofficesm.com.