I met Ted Kennedy one breezy autumn afternoon in Boston’s North End. I was surprised to see him alone, striding across the street with one hand in his pocket and his trademark jaw jutting up towards the slate grey sky, looking every bit the sartorial Senator.
Without hesitation, my pulse quickening with my pace, I changed course to intercept him as he reached the corner and waited to cross. In my early 20’s, probably wearing my school uniform of torn jeans, who knows what he might have expected me to say as his curious, twinkling blue eyes pierced mine.
I offered my hand and blurted out, “Senator Kennedy, my name is Rudy Ruiz and I’m a student at the Kennedy School of Government. I just wanted to meet you and thank you for all that you and your family do.”
There. I’d said it. My cheeks were probably flushed redder than his, but we were both smiling. He warmly replied in that classic accent, “It’s good to meet you, Rudy.”
For him I was but one of probably hundreds of thousands of people he met throughout his long and illustrious career, eager to shake his hand, admiring of his towering achievements, frankly in awe of his family’s legacy. But for that moment, he paused and genuinely fulfilled my wish to converse with him, granting me a lifelong memory I’ve always cherished.
With his passing, I’ve remembered that moment poignantly. And I’ve marveled about how much Ted Kennedy and the Kennedy legacy has meant to me in my life, a phenomenon that at first glance I found rare but upon further reflection makes perfect sense.
Born on the US-Mexico border – in Brownsville, Texas – what could a small town boy who didn’t speak a word of English when entering kindergarten relate to within the persona of Ted Kennedy and the mythos of his wealthy, powerful family of New England aristocrats?
As a child I was first drawn to the Kennedy mystique while devouring biographies in my elementary school library. Somewhat of a nascent policy geek, I appreciated and admired the stories of great American heroes much like any other child growing up anywhere in our nation. When I read the book about Teddy’s older brother, John, I was moved to tears. I must have been about 10 years old and – like many full-grown adults to this day – I could not understand how someone with so much promise could be so ruthlessly cut down in his prime, robbing all of us and the world of his vision, charisma and heart. John F. Kennedy’s formula for success, though, shared a variable with several other Presidents who also made an impression on me, including John Adams, Teddy Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The common denominator was Harvard, one that Ted Kennedy shared as well. In the pages of those books, the seed was planted in my mind that in order to achieve my fullest potential and contribute to my country I should start at Harvard.
When I asked my mom about John F. Kennedy, she mournfully recalled the day he was assassinated.
“I was working as a teller in a large bank in Mexico City the day it happened,” she said, a faraway look in her eyes. “When they announced in the lobby that President Kennedy had been killed, everyone stopped what they were doing. It was completely quiet. And then everybody broke down crying.”
I asked her why people in Mexico were so affected by his death. To which she explained, as if I should have known at birth, that the Kennedys had always been loved in Mexico, that they were also great friends of immigrants, and they were simply good people devoted to helping others. A devout Catholic, my mom naturally attributed much of this commitment to serving humanity to the Kennedy’s faith. She then told me that John F. Kennedy had faced great challenges overcoming prejudice against Catholics to win the presidency.
I was stunned. I had learned in school about the struggles of African Americans to gain freedom and equality, but I had no idea Catholics or Irish Americans had faced prejudices as well. When I asked her why people were afraid of having a Catholic as president, she replied it was because they worried that he would be subject to the Pope’s influence and thus undermine American sovereignty.
I found it hard to believe, but my appreciation for the Kennedy family was only heightened by the discovery of those two commonalities: their experience as an immigrant minority and their religion. The fact that they had overcome prejudice in ascending to prominence also fueled my own aspirations to rise beyond the circumstances of the border, with Harvard as the gateway to that future.
When Teddy ran for President in 1980 I was twelve years old but followed it as closely as I could, enamored with the possibility that the shattered dream of Camelot might be poetically restored via the youngest brother.
And when the Senator’s fatal flaw doomed his candidacy, I found him strangely more compelling a figure, tragic in his own right, enigmatic. He was a sobering reminder that – regardless of our childhood dreams – not all of us can be President. Most of us probably do not manage to reach the pinnacle of our dreams. But that doesn’t mean we should give up on doing good for the world. That’s a lesson to be learned from Ted Kennedy. For despite all of his name recognition, family wealth and connections, Kennedy failed to capture the brass ring of the Presidency. And, while he wavered at times, in the end he persevered in his efforts to quietly, consistently deliver on the idealistic promises embodied by his clan.
Looking back at his most famous speeches, two seem to stand out: his eulogy at brother Robert’s funeral and his concession speech at the 1980 Democratic Convention.
At St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, he said of his brother Bobby: “My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it…”
Later when conceding defeat to Jimmy Carter, he electrified the crowd with his rousing sentiments as he proclaimed that despite his defeat, “…the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die.”
As memorable as his words were in those moments of loss, more memorable is the manner in which he forged those values into law in the decades that followed, touching millions of lives via his authoring and support of far-reaching legislation in the areas of civil rights, immigration reform, health care and social services.
He failed. He wavered. But in the end, he persevered in doing good work.
Coincidentally, those were his parting words to me that crisp, cool day in Boston’s version of Little Italy. As he stepped off the curb, he looked back at me and cheered me on: “Keep up the good work!”
Speechless, I stood there with a goofy smile plastered on my face as I watched one of my heroes walk away.
When I graduated from Harvard’s Kennedy School I was inspired by the Kennedy legacy to apply myself to the betterment of society, to serving diverse communities and individuals in need, and to search for creative, entrepreneurial ways of doing so.
Since I didn’t reply to the Senator then, I’ll do so now as I join the world in watching him walk away with his head held high:
Senator, thanks to you and your family’s inspiration and accomplishments. In transcending race, religion, class and nation of origin, your ideals and spirit were truly the essence of America. For that reason, they resonate with people from Boston to the border, from Latin America to London. And regardless of whether I realize the fullness of my dreams, whether my shortcomings slow my progress, whether I waver at times, I will keep up the good work. Hopefully, thanks to your example, many others will do the same.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Rudy Ruiz.
Rudy Ruiz has been hailed as a cultural visionary. A published author and multicultural advocate, Ruiz is an acclaimed multicultural communications entrepreneur. He founded Red, Brown and Blue as well as Interlex, one of the nation’s leading advocacy marketing agencies ranked by Ad Age as one of the Top US Agencies across all disciplines. Prior to that, Ruiz earned his BA in Government at Harvard College and his Masters in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Conocí a Ted Kennedy una airosa tarde de otoño en el North End de Boston. Me sorprendió verlo solo, cruzando la calle con una mano en el bolsillo y su tan familiar quijada levantada hacia el cielo gris pizarra. Su aspecto era elegante; lucía como todo un Senador.
Sin dudarlo, y con el pulso acelerándose a medida que apretaba el paso, viré el rumbo para interceptarlo cuando llegara a la esquina y se detuviera a esperar que la luz del semáforo cambiara. Yo tenía poco más de 20 años y muy probablemente vestía lo que era mi acostumbrado atuendo en esa época de la escuela, pantalones de mezclilla rotos. Quién sabe qué pensaría que le iba yo a decir, mientras sus ojos azules y curiosos me dirigían una mirada penetrante.
Extendí mi mano y le espeté, “Senador Kennedy, mi nombre es Rudy Ruiz y estudio en la Escuela Kennedy de Gobierno. Solo quería conocerlo y agradecerle por todo lo que usted y su familia hacen.”
Vaya. Lo dije. Mi rostro estaba probablemente más rojo que el suyo, pero ambos sonreíamos. En su acento tan conocido me dijo, “Es un placer conocerte, Rudy.”
Para él yo era solo uno de probablemente cientos de miles de personas que había conocido a lo largo de su ilustre carrera, personas ansiosas de estrechar su mano, admiradores de sus impresionantes logros, impactados por el legado de su familia. Pero en ese momento se detuvo, y de forma auténtica y sincera cumplió mi deseo de platicar con él, regalándome un recuerdo que siempre he atesorado.
Desde conocer la noticia de su muerte, he estado recordando ese momento y me he conmovido. Y me he sorprendido al darme cuenta de lo mucho que Ted Kennedy y el legado de su familia han significado para mí durante toda la vida, fenómeno que en un principio parece extraño pero que al reflexionar le encuentro perfecto sentido.
Nacido en la frontera entre los Estados Unidos y México – en Brownsville, Texas – qué relación podría un niño pueblerino que no hablaba una sola palabra de inglés cuando entró al jardín de niños, encontrar con la persona de Ted Kennedy y la mitología de su rica y poderosa familia de aristócratas de Nueva Inglaterra?
De niño, me sentí atraído hacia la mística de los Kennedy mientras devoraba biografías en la biblioteca de mi escuela primaria. Mostrando ya tendencias de convertirme en un fanático de la política, admiraba las historias de los grandes héroes americanos al igual que cualquier otro chico que crecía en cualquier parte de nuestro país. Cuando leí el libro del hermano mayor de Teddy, John, me conmoví hasta las lágrimas. Debo haber tenido aproximadamente 10 años y – al igual que muchos adultos hasta el día de hoy – no podía entender cómo alguien con tanto potencial podía ser derribado sin piedad en la plenitud de su vida, privándonos a todos nosotros y al mundo entero de su visión, de su carisma y de su corazón. La formula de John F. Kennedy para el éxito, compartía una variable con algunos otros presidentes que también me habían impresionado, incluyendo a John Adams, Teddy Roosevelt y Franklin Delano Roosevelt. El común denominador era Harvard, algo que también Ted Kennedy compartía. Gracias a las páginas de esos libros, germinó en mi mente la semilla de la convicción que para poder alcanzar mi potencial máximo y contribuir a mi país, debería empezar en Harvard.
Cuando pregunté a mi madre acerca de John F. Kennedy, ella recordó con gran tristeza el día que fue asesinado.
“Yo trabajaba como cajera en un banco importante en la ciudad de México cuando ocurrió,” me dijo con una expresión lejana en sus ojos. “Cuando en el vestíbulo dieron la noticia de que el Presidente Kennedy había sido asesinado, todos se detuvieron en seco. Se hizo un silencio profundo. Y después todos empezaron a llorar.”
Yo le pregunté porqué la gente en México se había impactado tanto con su muerte. A lo que ella me explicó, como si fuese algo que yo debiese haber sabido desde que nací, que los Kennedy siempre habían sido muy queridos en México, que eran grandes amigos de los inmigrantes y que sencillamente eran gente buena dedicada a ayudar a los demás. Mi madre es una católica muy devota, y como tal, atribuía a su fe católica mucho del compromiso de Kennedy por servir a la humanidad. Y entonces me platicó que John F. Kennedy hubo de enfrentar grandes retos para superar el prejuicio contra los católicos y ganar la presidencia.
Yo estaba pasmado. Había aprendido en la escuela acerca de la lucha de los afro-americanos para ganar libertad e igualdad, pero no tenía idea que los católicos o los americanos de origen irlandés hubiesen también tenido que enfrentar prejuicios. Cuando le pregunté porqué la gente tenía miedo de tener un presidente católico, ella me respondió que la gente temía que el presidente estuviese sujeto a la influencia del Papa, poniendo así en riesgo la soberanía americana.
Se me hacía muy difícil de creer, pero mi admiración por los Kennedy se acrecentó con el descubrimiento de esas dos cosas que teníamos en común: su experiencia como minoría inmigrante y su religión. El hecho de que ellos hubiesen superado prejuicios para ascender hasta la prominencia impulsó también mis propias aspiraciones de superarme más allá de las circunstancias de la frontera, utilizando a Harvard como mi puerta hacia ese futuro.
Cuando Teddy participó en la contienda por la nominación del partido demócrata a la presidencia en 1980 yo tenía solo 12 años, pero seguí la campaña tan de cerca como pude, emocionado ante la posibilidad de que el destrozado sueño de Camelot pudiese ser restablecido a través del hermano menor.
Y cuando la falla fatal del Senador condenó su candidatura, para mí se convirtió en una figura aún más irresistible, enigmática y trágica por derecho propio. Él era un sobrio recordatorio de que – no obstante los sueños de nuestra niñez – no todos podemos llegar a ser Presidente. La mayoría de nosotros probablemente no llegamos a alcanzar la cima de nuestros sueños. Pero eso no significa que debamos darnos por vencidos y dejar de hacer el bien. Esa es la lección que debemos aprender de Ted Kennedy. Que a pesar de toda su fama, la riqueza de su familia y sus relaciones, Kennedy no pudo alcanzar la nominación a la Presidencia. Y que, a pesar de haber flaqueado en ocasiones, al final perseveró en sus esfuerzos por cumplir de forma callada y consistente, la idealista promesa que su clan personifica.
Cuando recuerdo sus discursos más famosos, hay dos que se destacan: el panegírico en el funeral de su hermano Robert y la concesión de la nominación durante la Convención Demócrata de 1980.
En la catedral de San Patricio en Nueva York dijo, refiriéndose a su hermano Bobby: “Mi hermano no necesita ser idealizado ni engrandecido en la muerte más allá de lo que fue en vida, sino simplemente recordado como un hombre bueno y decente, que vio injusticia y trató de corregirla, vio sufrimiento y trató de sanarlo, vio la guerra y trató de detenerla . . . .”
Más tarde, al conceder su derrota ante Jimmy Carter, su sentimiento llevó a la multitud al paroxismo cuando proclamó que a pesar de su derrota, “. . . la causa perdura, la esperanza aún vive y el sueño no morirá jamás.”
Tan memorables como fueron sus palabras en esos momentos de pérdida, más memorable es la forma en que supo convertir en leyes esos valores durante las décadas que siguieron, tocando millones de vidas a través de su apoyo a los derechos civiles, la reforma a la inmigración, la salud pública y los servicios sociales.
Falló. Flaqueó. Pero al final, perseveró en su buena labor.
Y por coincidencia, esas fueron las palabras de despedida que me dirigió en aquel fresco día en lo que es la versión de Boston de la Pequeña Italia. Al bajar a la calle, se volvió hacia mí y me dijo: “Continúa con tu buena labor”.
Me quedé mudo, parado ahí con una sonrisa tonta dibujada en mi rostro, viendo como se alejaba uno de mis héroes.
Cuando me gradué de la Escuela Kennedy de Harvard me sentí inspirado por el legado Kennedy a dedicarme al bienestar de la sociedad, a servir a comunidades diversas y a individuos necesitados, y a buscar formas creativas y empresariales de lograrlo.
No puede contestar al Senador entonces, pero lo hago ahora que en unión con el mundo entero, lo veo alejarse con su frente en alto:
Senador, gracias a usted y a su familia por sus logros y por ser una inspiración. Al trascender raza, religión, clase y país de origen, sus ideales y espíritu fueron realmente la esencia de América Por esa razón, tocan la fibra del corazón de la gente desde Boston hasta la frontera, desde América Latina hasta Londres. E independientemente de si llego a realizar la plenitud de mis sueños, si mis deficiencias demoran mi progreso, si llego a flaquear en ocasiones, yo continuaré con la buena labor. Y espero que gracias a su ejemplo, muchos otros lo hagan también.
Rudy Ruiz es conocido como un visionario cultural. Autor y campeón de los derechos de comunidades multiculturales, Ruiz es un destacado empresario de comunicaciones. Fundó Red, Brown and Blue e Interlex, una de las agencias de mercadeo social más reconocidas en la nación, proclamada por Ad Age como una de las agencias de publicidad más importantes en el pais. Anteriormente, Ruiz se graduó de Harvard College y obtuvo su maestría en Administración Pública en el Harvard Kennedy School.
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:46 am
Saw your article on CNN about labels and rational discussion. Isn’t this the point of journalism, to take all the facts available and use logic and reason to interpret those facts and present the truth from the journalists point of view. Instead we just have point of view A and point of view B and “we report, you decide”. There is no guarantee that point of view A or B has been rationally presented. We don’t need to throw the bums out in Congress, we need to throw the bums out in the news media. They are betraying us. All of them. What can we do?
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Why am I still surprised that there are still folks who think Ted Kennedy did something for them? He never did anything for me or my family; I know one family who lost a daughter thanks to Ted Kennedy; he only became a pro civil righter after his brother was assassinated — the Kennedy family were very close-minded and still are when it comes to whom they mingle with socially. This man never contributed anything to society — he was not a philanthropist. He was an adulterer, a Catholic who wanted abortion for everyone, a drinker, a murderer, a cheat who was thrown out of Harvard for cheating, a man who served only two years instead of the four he promised the Military; and finally a man who never worked for a private corporation a day in his life.
No, Mr. Ruiz, you and I are of different generations and see people differently.
As for your recent article on CNN about labeling folks, after listening to many medical specialists, I am of the opinion this public health plan of Obama’s will not work — until my physicians assure me otherwise, I will stand fast against Obama’s health plan and I will continue to pay for my own.
September 3rd, 2009 at 2:39 pm
You expect me to believe you and the politicians you support in the elections? Don’t tell me you’re an independant because that is a lie. Even if you are registered as one you do not vote like one. Give me a break. I will never in my life cave into the argument that I need to open up my mind. Why don’t you open up your mind and join our fight to resist this new govt tax and control of our freedoms. What they say and what the do are 2 completely different things. What they represent and what they reveal are also 2 different things. Politicians are not to be trusted with their words only by their actions. EVERYTHING the govt touches turns to waste and control that guarantees their re-election and cushy jobs, ludicrous retirement, Medical benefits, per diems, auto allowance, under the table handouts. OMG You are a much bigger fool than most if you believe their lies!. Bottom line is this; Most politicians one day will die and I believe that they will answer to a higher power and He will know the evil in their hearts and they will be punished accordingly. Choose your side!
September 3rd, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Dan,
I couldn’t agree more. There is little “news” without bias anymore. I have zero trust for any of the mainstream news media (CBS, NBC, ABC) and cable is worse. I’m politically conservative and I would lean more towards a Bill O’Reilly for some balance – but it’s because we think alike, independently. MSNBC is off the liberal deep end and some news on Fox is too – other side of the continuum.
So, where are the Cronkites of the world? Where can we get truly balanced news? Who will present the facts? Better question – are there any facts? Have we become so politically charged that the “facts” are tainted BEFORE they even reach the media? Is anyone capable of taking a fact-based position without interjecting personal beliefs?
I would certainly like to know.
Nice article Rudy.
September 4th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Ruiz. . . saw you on cnn just a bit ago. . I’ll answer the question that host asked you. . . What is the problem? I believe the problem is. . . americans are sick and tired of being duped by these elected officials and tired of sending their hard earned money for the bildberg group. . . even if they dont know its them types that are getting our money. . .
September 4th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
I am a little older than you Rudy, but what I have seen in Edward Kennedy over the years it a man that got away with murder. He did wrong and never had to pay for his crime because of his name and daddy’s money. This is what is wrong with politics in America today………..
September 4th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
I compliment you on your comportment and approach to issues. While I don’t know if I agree or disagree with you, you gave me hope for the future of consensus.
My first introduction to you just occurred while watching CNN [circa 1400 hrs Central time, 4 Sept. 2009]; some guy named Rick (?) Sanchez was baiting you and you handled the situation with unbeleivable civility. He could not derail you.
I rarely give attention to this part of the media, mostly because of behavior like Sanchez’. For me, the Sanchezes of the world cut with the two-edged sword: one edge encourages those who behave and believe as he does. The other edge severs the attention of those like me who dismiss him (change the channel). Changing the channel is partly like enabling such types by leaving them the ‘Bully Pulpit’.
Your responses gave me hope and the encouragement to participate in the political process. You did not succumb to anger; you did not follow or respond to his feints. You returned to topic, stuck to your message, and made me want to hear more discussion in your style.
My hope for Sanchez is that the whole dialog was a setup, and he was actually playing Devil’s Advocate. Surely one cannot think such attacks lead to anything but the stifling of debate.
September 4th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
Admiration, like many emotional conditions, has two sharp edges: one side compels the admirer to great feats of courage in the name of the admired; the other edge blinds the unblinking eyes of the besotted to the faults of those they adore. No matter how intelligent or educated a man believes himself, he cannot create a blade with but one side. To believe that Superman can reverse time rides side-saddle to the inability to see through the cheap suit and spectacles of Clark Kent for the Man of Steel underneath. We imagine ourselves so clever that we can love another man for his strengths, understand his weaknesses, but through reason, only acknowledge the virtues.
It is not so. For either side of the political spectrum.
Mr. Ruiz, I have ever disagreed with Senator Edward M. Kennedy. I did not trust him or like him, and I believed him at times even dangerous to the core values of America. So I will not attempt to pretend I can see “both sides” of his political or personal life. I simply cannot. I am defined by my emotional reaction to him, and though I may try to understand his accomplishments and paint them in a positive color, I will forever remember him for his sins. Just as you will see the saint.
But I also don’t see either one of us as wrong. Perhaps he was both sinner and saint. It is, it seems, a matter of opinion on whether or not he was a savior or destroyer of American values. His character, and the judgment thereof, depends on the character of the jury. I absolutely believe by my values that you are wrong to worship a man with his history; we absolutely enshrine in America the RIGHT to hold different values.
The hard part of politics is coming to the realization that in order to change someone’s opinion on an issue (or a person), which is vital to the continuation of a nation founded on liberty, one must first examine and then alter another’s core values and beliefs.
Mr. Ruiz, I can understand completely why you so greatly esteemed Sen. Kennedy, because I too loved a man as completely. His name was Ronald Reagan. Somewhere, rattling around in my ever hollowing skull are a list of his perfidies. But never will they shatter my love for the man because they cannot touch the values I believe we shared. And no matter what I might say about Edward Kennedy, it cannot touch your mind without cutting at your heart.
And what a blessing that is, Mr. Ruiz. For both of our heroes inspired us (yours to success, mine to… something else) and will continue to do so. In your eyes Senator Kennedy was a great a towering figure. And because I believe you a reasonable man, I can catch a glimpse of that too. The rest doesn’t matter.
May you rest in peace, Edward Kennedy. Whatever the truth of your life, you were a hero. At least to others.
September 6th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
Roarke, thanks for your very eloquent and thoughtful comments. I appreciate your feedback and the way in which you take issue with my view of Ted Kennedy while at the same time making the effort to empathize with that view. That’s what I’m talking about when I appeal to people to have an open mind and listen to each other. While I have admired Ted Kennedy and chose to focus on the positives in memorializing him, I do think it is very fair to acknowledge that he was far from perfect. He was, as you say, comprised of both shadow and light. In order to be fair and accurate, history must record and teach both sides of the story and the full range of his experiences, failings and triumphs. Interestingly, I too admired President Reagan greatly as a child. And, even now, I look back at the way he inspired America and led us to the end of the Cold War with a cool hand as a monumental feat. He was one of the great ones. As a country, we need leaders and role models that can touch us all in some way regardless of what end of the political spectrum they call home. It does us all a bit of good if we can be open to finding virtues and values worth emulating in others even if we don’t fully embrace all of their opinions and recommendations. Doing so is a manifestation of the ability to take a nuanced approach to the complexities of human beings and the challenges we face. I think that’s something we need in order to be able to find common ground that can outweigh our differences and allow us to trust each other in building actionable compromises for progress. I like your take on the requirements for change. And I think it all starts with robust conversations like these. Thank you once again for writing. Best regards, Rudy Ruiz
September 8th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Here’s a different perspective. I am a Mexican citizen, living in Mexico with no desire to move to the U.S. As great a country as yours is, I feel very lucky and privileged to have been born in and to live in Mexico. That said, I was very moved by your column on Senator Ted Kennedy. I, like many people of my generation the world over, was saddened by the death of Senator Kennedy and felt it indeed marked the end of an era. I strongly feel that Ted Kennedy, like his brothers John and Bobby before him, did not only belong to the U.S.; they belonged to the whole world because they brought hope and inspiration to us all.
I respectfully disagree with William Shakespeare: “The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones” . I believe good deeds transcend, and Ted Kennedy’s years of dedication to his country and his fellowmen are his legacy, and his redemption. He stands as tall as his brothers.