Distant Letter

With the passing of the Senior Senator from Mass has come the end of the Kennedy influence on Capitol Hill and  thus by his influence on the legistivate process on American life. Millions of words have been written about the Kennedy’s past and present, however the passing ot the brother who had simply by living into his seventies had more influance on the US Congress and the process of law making  leaves both the Kennedy family and Irish America in a new place. For the Kennedy’s they now have a lone voice on Capitol Hill in the form of Rep Patrick Kennedy from Rhode Island. Sure the Kennedy name will always have a certain influence. Also they will also hold a certain fascination for the American people and the Media. The days when the Kennedys went quite a way to making a President or to holding Americas future in their hands are gone. With Teddy’s passing that influance first dreamed up in the Boston suburb of Brookline by Joe Kennedy Sr is now all but gone.

Also with the demise of  Kennedy comes the end of Irish American influence, which has been on the wain for quite a while. The days of Tip O’ Neill, John P. O’ Brien ( Mayor of New York), Barret O’ Hara ( US Congressman) Ray Flynn (Mayor of Boston) and many more who saw themselves and their voters as Irish Americans. Sure there are thousands of Americans who call themselves Irish Americans, but in the America of 2009 they are neither as many or as vocal. This is purely because as the generations who made the trip across the Atlantic become older, their grandchildren do not tend to look to Ireland for their identity, as that first wave of   immigrants did.  After all these grandchildren ect have only know one home America. In the old Irish of Southie or Hells Kitchen the Irish have moved from the projects and new immigrants have taken their place. Sure you can still buy the Irish Echo or Voice at the newstand or find an Irish pub but with passing of Ted Kennedy comes another voice gone from the dwindling Irish America.