Kennedy and Public Service

Sen. Edward Kennedy's passing late last night means many things to many people. But I think for public servants of all stripes, whether they work for government or non-profits, or whether they volunteer, it's a sad moment. Kennedy embodied in many ways both the dedication and the complications of his brother's message of public service. It's obviously difficult to be an exemplar, and that burden was clearly something Kennedy struggled with in his personal and his public life. But he kept working at public service long after it was clear that he would never attain the glamour of the presidency, and through many devastating family tragedies, when he could have made more money, been the object of less frustration and argument, and been closer to his family by working in the private sector. One of his last acts as a Senator was to come to Washington, D.C. for the signing of legislation dedicated to promoting public service among Americans of every walk of life.