Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dread-full, for, thou art not so,
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and souls delivery.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy, or charms can make us sleep as well,
And better then thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

John Donne

With the passing of Ted Kennedy I feel the passing of an era; a time when lives were valued more than profit margins, and improving the human condition was more important than improving a product. The death of John Kennedy helped to spur the passage of the Civil Rights Amendment. Can Ted's passing have the same outcome on health care reform? Are there any Lions left in the Senate or Giants in Congress who can push this legislation in his memory?