AMERICA lost a great hero today.
But Senator Ted Kennedy’s legacy will have impacted our country for generations to come.
A key leader in the push for healthcare reform, Kennedy, the “Liberal Lion”, used most of his political career to better the lives of many citizens through progressive causes and bills.
Kennedy also campaigned vigorously on egalitarian issues and was a staunch supporter of equal civil rights - even before it was popular to do so.
He was a champion in the fight against global warming. And he was an outspoken critic of the Iraq war right from the onset.
Kennedy was part of a family ‘dynasty’ that made Massachusetts a state much bigger and influential than it once was.
Not only that, but the Kennedys have played a significant role in creating a unified cultural sense among Irish Americans, of which there are some 36 million. Kennedy, for his part, was also heavily involved in the Irish peace process.
As the leader of Ireland's Social Democrat and Labour Party (SDLP), Mark Durkan, put it, in reaction to his death: “He was never afraid to take stands and stances that challenged the actions and inactions of the British Government.”
But even as we take time to mourn his death, we must already be thinking about his empty senate seat as we have now entered the climax of healthcare reform.
The Senate Democratic Party caucus has now lost its 60-seat supermajority in the US Senate, the minimum required to defeat potential filibusters the Republican Party caucus may impose to block any bills they dislike.
Shortly before his death, Kennedy appealed to governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick and the legislature to seek out someone to temporarily fill his seat.
This seat will be a big one to fill. His role in the push for healthcare reform was seen as pivotal in holding together both progressive and centrist Democratic voters as the issue threatens to tear the US into two enraged camps.
The process to replace him could take months as Massachusetts law permits. Let us hope a deal squares out fast so we can secure this legislation that is vital to our futures.
Believe it or not, this campaign is finally picking up steam! We may soon see a completely pedestrianised 42nd Street right through the centre of Manhattan if campaigners finally get their way. This would be great as it would set a much-needed precedent for other prominent American cities as well as become an interesting tourist attraction - for Europeans and Americans alike. City managers accomplished this in Times Square (a section of Broadway in summer 2009) so why not permanently remake 42nd Street into an exclusive pedestrian/tram zone? I personally think it would do wonders to the streetscape, as well as boost economic activity and real estate value in that particular district.
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