Senator Kennedy a Tireless Advocate at 76
It was one of the finest spring days yet in Boston and I was taking in the beautiful Beacon Hill scenery - including window boxes overflowing with flowers - with my daughter on our way to the Public Garden when a friend shared the news that Senator Kennedy had just been flown to the hospital from his Cape Cod home for seizures. Boston.com confirmed the report.
I had just had the honor of meeting the Senator one week prior. He was the keynote speaker at the Associated Industries of Massachusetts’ annual meeting. In his introduction of the Senator, Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare’s CEO Charlie Baker commented that Senator Kennedy had done more than any other person in history for families living in Massachusetts. Given the Senator’s impressive longevity in the US Senate (he’s the second-most senior-ranking US senator) and his passionate advocacy for decades for issues affecting so many families at every income level, such as education and health care, the bold statement was indisputable.
Still, the audience of business owners and executives was skeptical. Senator Kennedy met that skepticism with humor, quickly loosening up the crowd, and then winning them over with a series of compelling, pride-inspiring points. He called Boston “the city of the future” for its leadership on several fronts - ranging from green space to health care. The audience didn’t have to agree with him point by point, but it was clear from their periodic nods and attentiveness that they respected his service.
Sitting there in the audience, I felt he was talking to me and me alone - it was that powerful. Sure, public speaking is a pre-req for politicians, but as a PR professional I tend to watch speakers, and have trained many, with a more critical eye than most. The Senator has not just mastered the art of public speaking, he cares, and it was hard not to be moved by his sincerity. You can read his remarks here.
The Senator began his remarks paraphrasing a blessing his brother Bobby used, “May you live in interesting times.” We certainly do, and because we do, it’s important to have public servants such as Senator Kennedy representing us.
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