The Hope Still Lives, the Dream Shall Never Die

In light of the news about Senator Kennedy’s failing health, it seemed appropriate to pay tribute to his service to this country as the second longest serving US Senator. He has been called a ‘democratic icon’ and rightly so. His legislative efforts have significantly shaped the policies of our country for many years now. He has been a champion of immigrants, outspoken opponent of the Iraq war, longtime advocate of raising the minimum wage, and has worked on behalf of prisoners, children and the poor on an unspeakable number of bills.

Despite growing up in the shadows of JFK and Bobby, and battling his own personal skeletons, he has been a defining figure in the Democratic Party as well as in American politics and policy making. The legacy of the ideals on which his policies are based, and the determination to make those ideals a political reality, will live on long after his time in the Senate has expired.

His speech at the 1980 Democratic Convention is among the best ever given, and the themes he espouses are timeless. The speech was given after he bowed out of the race against incumbent president, Jimmy Carter. It is also easily applied to the challenges facing the Democratic Party this year as the nomination battle rages on, and as the party looks to unify itself and move into new positions of power next fall.

“Programs may sometimes become obsolete, but the ideal of fairness always endures. Circumstances may change, but the work of compassion must continue. It is surely correct that we cannot solve problems by throwing money at them, but it is also correct that we dare not throw out our national problems onto a scrap heap of inattention and indifference. The poor may be out of political fashion, but they are not without human needs. The middle class may be angry, but they have not lost the dream that all Americans can advance together…

We are the Party — We are the Party of the New Freedom, the New Deal, and the New Frontier. We have always been the Party of hope. So this year let us offer new hope, new hope to an America uncertain about the present, but unsurpassed in its potential for the future…

For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.”