Having lived in Massachusetts for most of my adult life, my husband Dan and I decided to attend the wake for Ted Kennedy at the Kennedy Library in Boston, 20 miles away.We got into a UMass parking lot and then Dan and I walked ( I had my newred wheelchair) to the library. It was very
interesting, inspiring, and wonderful - it was a very diverse crowd, we
met so many immigrants who wanted to thank him for immigrant legislation- many, many Africans. It was so respectful and quiet the whole time.
When we arrived at 8 they told us, it was a three hour wait, and we left
the library a little after 11. Everyone who arrived seemed determined
to get in line. The line was longer when we left then when we arrived.
The one strange thing was that the ushers or organizers kept coming up to me, saying I could go the the head of the line. I think because I was in
the wheelchair they wanted to give me special treatment. However, it
was a beautiful summer evening, in a lovely setting, with wonderful
people, so I just kept refusing to get to the head of the line. One
time they asked how many in my party, they could move us all to the
front, and Dan said thousands were in our party.
I just think that Ted worked so hard for equal rights for people with
disabilities, and one right is being with everyone else and NOT getting
preferential treatment when it was not needed. I was sitting the whole
time and everyone else was standing!
Most of all I wanted to thank Ted for his role in passing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Both have made enormous differences in the lives of my students, and in my own current life! As Tim said, " Massachusetts has lost its warrior!"
