TPM Reader JC reports from the procession …
I don’t know that it’s possible to describe what it was like to see the hearse pull up to Boston City Hall. I was among hundreds of people who waited for more than two hours to pay respects. Frankly, I was surprised by the size of the crowd. These last weeks are the easiest of the year to find a parking space in the city, and I expected a ghost town reception.
The moment I’ll never forget was when one of Teddy’s step-kids saw the crowd that had assembled. She was sobbing and trying to wave but couldn’t seem to make it work. It seemed to me that she never expected that people could actually be appreciative to a public figure, let alone Teddy. She’s old enough to know that he was vilified by the Right (especially the garbage on Free Republic, etc.), and that—oh, the horror—he was a human being with a history of human foibles.
Today was a great moment. Because for once, we didn’t have to apologize for believing in the same things Teddy believed in. Usually we’re cast by the Right as a lower form of American (or person) because we believe in fairness and justice for all people.
It felt good to air it out, and I want more of the same.
