I spent an hour standing in a driving rain outside the gates to Hanscom Air Base to pay my respects to Sen. Ted Kennedy as his funeral cortege passed on the way back to Washington. Of course, I wasn’t alone. My daughter Mia was with me, as were several hundred people who lined the road leading to the base.
Just like the thousands who stood on overpasses and along the route from Hyannisport to Boston earlier in the week, and those who stood in line at the Kennedy Library, I felt that this was something I had to do. It was my way of thanking Ted, and the family, for giving so much to make this country a better place.
The extraordinary and appropriate outpouring of affection for Ted Kennedy has me thinking about the other big outpouring of emotion over the passing of an icon this summer, the death of Michael Jackson.
The two spectacles couldn’t have been more different. On the one hand, there was the prescription drug overdose of a narcissistic self-loathing pop star leading the news media and general public to exercise their worst habits of overindulgence and hyperbole. It was totally over the top and on some level kind of creepy. Yes, Michael Jackson was a terrific entertainer. But, ultimately, that’s the nicest thing you can say about him.
Ted Kennedy changed the lives of millions, and my fellow citizens of Massachusetts gave him a goodbye befitting a Great Man. The local news media covered this story non-stop and surprisingly, it didn’t seem like it was “too much.” Seeing Mission Church filled with the most powerful people in the country; hearing Placido Domingo, Yo-Yo Ma, Susan Graham and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus let you know this was an historic moment.
It's unfortunate that our society has such a difficult time keeping things in perspective. Why is it so hard for the news media to lead rather than pander? There is a huge difference between Ted Kennedy and Michael Jackson and the way we should honor them in death. This week the American public and media did things right. Let's try and remember this for next time.
2 comments:
Beautifully expressed. Thanks for posting.
Your friends in the Bluegrass (L&L)
In our lifetime, the number of great men in the public eye can be counted on one hand. Luckily, there are many great fathers out there who continue to shine by example to their children. Well done DB.
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