The Wit and Wisdom of Ted Kennedy by Bill Adler

The Wit and Wisdom of Ted Kennedy Reviews

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  Book Shark

  The Wit and Wisdom of Ted Kennedy edited by Bill Adler and Bill Adler, Jr.
  
  
  “The Wit and Wisdom of Ted Kennedy" is an inspirational collection of Ted Kennedy’s most famous quotes by category. The Adler team of Bill and Bill Jr. do a commendable job of presenting a collection that captures the essence of Ted Kennedy the man, father and politician. This 193-page collection of quotes include the following unnumbered chapters: Words of Inspiration, On Defining Moments in Our History, On the Constitution and Equal Justice Under Law, On Leadership and Courage, On the Kennedy Family and Its Legacy, A Voice for Children, Issues of Global Impact: The Environment, War, National Security, and Public Safety, Democracy and Human Rights, Economic Justice and the American Worker, Health Care: Senator Kennedy's Last Great Challenge, In Lighter Moments, and Personal Reflections.
  
  Positives:
  1. A well edited collection of quotes and philosophies by an iconic political figure, Ted Kennedy.
  2. Ted Kennedy’s long career and influence in public service justifies such a collection of his thoughts and philosophies.
  3. The editors do a commendable job of capturing the essence of Ted Kennedy by category. Each chapter or category starts with a summary background of the category followed by quotes and thoughts and the time and place where they took place. It covers a wide spectrum of political issues and matters of life.
  4. This is a wonderful book to use as a reference for speeches.
  5. The style behind Kennedy’s quotes. “Kennedy's writings and speeches, we began to see a clear and consistent pattern emerge: each was imbued with a deep appreciation of history. For every event he has commemorated, for every policy advocated or opposed, he notes much more than its impact on our present lives but takes care to measure its place in the tapestry of our times, its ties to the past and its significance for our future.”
  6. Like him or not, Kennedy was a great defender of the common person and that mindset shows throughout this book. “Ted Kennedy was a champion of civil rights, health care, the war on AIDS, gun control, education, drug benefits for seniors, and myriad other issues that affect Americans every day.”
  7. A great chapter on justice under the law. “The Constitution does not just protect those whose views we share; it also protects those with whose views we disagree.”
  8. The important issue of separation of church and state. “The separation of church and state can sometimes be frustrating for women and men of religious faith. They may be tempted to misuse government in order to impose a value which they cannot persuade others to accept. But once we succumb to that temptation, we step onto a slippery slope where everyone's freedom is at risk.”
  9. Same-sex rights. “It's fundamentally wrong to discriminate against gays and lesbians by denying them the many benefits and protections that the laws of the state provide for married couples. Being part of a family is a basic right. It means having loved ones with whom to build a future, to share life's joys and tears. It means having the right to be treated fairly by the tax code, to visit loved ones in the hospital, and to receive health benefits, family leave benefits, and survivor benefits. I urge my colleagues to reject efforts to write that kind of bigotry into federal law.”
  10. A proponent of family values. “The strength of the family is our greatest national treasure.”
  11. In defense of children. “Every major education law passed since the 1960s has borne Kennedy's imprint, from Head Start to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. He has proven himself, time and again, to be a fighter for children."
  12. His passion for issues of global impact comes through clearly. “People are beginning to realize that we are a part of nature, not outside it. We are beginning to understand that instead of conquering nature, we must live in harmony with it.”
  13. Interesting look at hot-button issues that have been with us for many years. “America has a massive gun problem. The crisis is especially serious for children. In one year, firearms killed no children in Japan, 19 in Great Britain, 109 in France, 153 in Canada, and 5,285 children in the United States. For every child in the United States killed with a gun, four more are wounded. The overall rate of firearm-related deaths for American children is nearly twelve times greater than in twenty-five other industrial countries. Yet, the nation's response to this death toll has been minimal, and little has changed in our approach to regulating guns since 1973.”
  14. His extraordinary defense of human rights. “Integrity is the lifeblood of democracy. Deceit is a poison in its veins.”
  15. The never-ending pursuit of economic justice. “A sound economy is the greatest social program America has ever had, the source of our hopes for action on all the other issues facing us.”
  16. The one issue that Senator Kennedy advocated since cay one, health care. “While I will not see the victory, I was able to look forward and know that we will-yes, we will-fulfill the promise of health care in America as a right and not a privilege.” Bonus quote, “Medicare and Social Security are two of the most successful programs ever enacted. They are a solemn commitment to all Americans-North, South, East, and West-that if they contribute to trust funds during their working years, they will have financial security and health security in their golden years.”
  17. Kennedy’s sense of humor. “It's a frequent joke in Democratic circles, as you may have heard, that for Republicans, life begins at conception and ends at birth. We know it's not true, and it's certainly not true for education.”
  18. His philosophy of life. “I recognize my own shortcomings-the faults in the conduct of my private life. I realize that I alone am responsible for them, and I am the one who must confront them. I believe that each of us as individuals must not only struggle to make a better world, but to make ourselves better, too.”
  19. The editors did not shy away from the tragedy at Chappaquiddick. “That night on Chappaquiddick Island ended in a horrible tragedy that haunts me every day of my life. I had suffered sudden and violent loss far too many times, but this night was different. This night I was responsible.... Yes, it was an accident. But that doesn't erase the fact that I had caused an innocent woman's death. Atonement is a process that never ends. I believe that. Maybe it's a New England thing, or an Irish thing, or a Catholic thing. Maybe all of those things. But it's as it should be.”
  
  Negatives:
  1. This is strictly a book of quotes and speech excerpts.
  2. There are no supplementary materials: notes, links, bibliography, timelines or graphs.
  
  In summary, this is not a typical book it’s a collection of quotes that covers the long public service of Ted Kennedy. The editors did a fine job of selecting speech excerpts that are representative of Kennedy’s philosophy. It’s a good reference piece but it lacks supplementary materials that would have added value. Fun to read, give it a try.
  
  Further recommendations: “Quotable Kennedy’s”, “The Quotable George W. Bush”, and “The Reagan Wit” by Bill Adler.
  
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  Bruce Cline

  Disappointing. I was a fan of Senator Kennedy, but this collection of mostly uninspired quotes does reveals neither the wit nor the wisdom of his thinking.
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  Jordan Salinas

  6.0/10