Not my words but I don\'t think I could have said it better.
Taken from a post on ts.com
"the Kennedy brothers have made such an oversized contribution to our life and times, and really at their own sacrifice. They were born to fabulous comfort and wealth. They could have very easily used their position for further personal monetary enrichment, or have simply lived idle, opulent lives. Instead, they dedicated themselves to the service of others, losing life (Joe) and blood (Jack) defending our nation and ideals in WWII, losing life serving in or working towards the highest office in the land (Jack and Bobby), and Teddy himself, toiling for years in congressional service, keeping the ideas and ideals of he and his brothers progressively advancing. Teddy traded an easy, spoon fed life for one dedicated to the rich and poor, brilliant and developmentally disabled, gay and straight, male and female, regardless of race, creed, ability or any other factor we used to divide ourselves from each other.
I\'m the first to admit the foibles and flaws of the Kennedy brothers, being a student of history and having closely studied the CIA. I\'ve been and will continue to be critical of the mistakes they\'ve made. But one can scarcely argue against the impact they\'ve had on this nation, the ideals they\'ve helped foster and instill, and in Teddy\'s case, the sheer magnitude of the legislation he\'s brought to pass in his more than 40 years in service and leadership in the US Senate - the sheer number of real people whom he has helped, directly, through the force of his work and the ideas of he and his brothers.
The eventual, and tragically near, passing of Ted Kennedy will be nothing but a tragic event for this country"