Sen. Edward Kennedy was, by any measure, a remarkable legislator.  For 46 years of dedicated service to the United States of America, he authored thousands of bills, some of which became law, was a stalwart supporter of the middle-class, and consistently challenged America to expand the basic right of healthcare to more and more of its citizens.

However, he was equally well known for the successes of his family.  The Kennedy’s were an American dynasty, politically and culturally.  No other family has, in the past half century, come to more symbolize the ideals and vision of liberalism.  The 1960’s were, and are still, defined by Teddy’s brothers, John and Bobby.

Similarly, Sen. Kennedy has defined and symbolized the Democratic Party, through his unwavering dedication to its values, which he has often shaped.

However, as I look back and reflect on the life of an incredible public servant, I cannot help but recognize the distance between his generation and my own.  The 1960’s, and the cultural and political moments that identify it, play almost no role in my own thought processes.

Sen. Kennedy is of my grandparent’s generation, and our dates of birth are separated by more than half-a-century.

Yet, the “fallen standard” which Sen. Kennedy strove to live by still burns bright in the hearts and minds of many Americans still today, because of Sen. Kennedy’s example.

“The larger battle for freedom, justice, equality, and opportunity is our battle too, and it is never fully won.  Each new generation has to take up the cause…Sometimes the fight is waged in Congress or the courts, sometimes on foreign shores…And in doing so, we will truly make our country once more America the Beautiful,” shouted Sen. Kennedy at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston.

The torch, of which John Kennedy spoke, is still being passed, this time, with the death of Sen. Kennedy, to yet another generation.

President Obama is just one of those to whom the torch has been passed.

“This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:  Yes We Can,” proclaimed the President-elect on election night.

It is with this mindset, that I feel America will not lose Sen. Kennedy’s breed, of inspiring and influential politicians with a deep rooted value of public service.  While we have lost the Lion of the Senate, we will not also lose his spirit to the history books.

In the words of Sen. Kennedy, at the 1980 Democratic National Convention, “The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.”

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