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Since 1980 I have been a proud Republican. I have fundraised for and worked on numerous House, Senate and presidential races all for Republicans. However, I grew up a Democrat and was and am extremely proud of my roots and first exposure to politics. 

Back in the late 1970s I was executive director of a major New York State Student Organization. A small group of us traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with our elected officials to discuss the need for increased aid for all college students. We met with many congressmen, but only one senator had the time t meet with us. 

What a time it was. What a learning and life altering experience it was. 

That Senator, that MAN, was Senator Ted Kennedy. 

I will never forget that meeting. 

Why did we go and visit Senator Kennedy? Well we knew that without his key support of Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 there might not have been a women's softball team, a women's basketball team, a women's lacrosse team at many of the colleges and high schools across our great nation. Are there problems with Title IX, sure, but what law is free of problems? 

Before we go much further, let's examine some of Mr. Ted Kennedy's faults. But before you judge let me ask you:

 

Did you have an older sister committed to a mental hospital when you were only 9? 

Did you have your oldest brother die in a secret mission when you were only 12 years old? 

Did you have another sister die in a plane crash when you were only 16? 

Did you have your now oldest brother, your idol assassinated on national television and have the replays shown over and over and over for 46 years?

Did you have your remaining older brother assassinated 5 years later on national television and have the replays shown over and over and over for 41 years? 

And for those of you that do not have any brothers and sisters, have you had your father suffer a stroke leaving him paralyzed and virtually unable to speak for eight years until his death?

Let me ask you to think about this for a moment if you had half the above happen to you, would you have had a drinking problem? I have been there and done that, it's not fun. 

Ok, let's get back to Ted Kennedy the public servant. 

Did you know that Ted, Robert and John did not take a government salary as they felt that should not since they were "public servants"!

Sure they had plenty of family money, but how many very wealthy Senators, Congressmen, Governors and the like take a salary and whatever else they can? 

Everyone knows about President John F. Kennedy's military career, but did you know that is 1951 Ted Kennedy enlisted in and served in the United States Army? 

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