I do not hate politicians. Given the prevailing American views of office holders and seekers, this sentiment may strike you as naïve, even outrageous. However I continue to respect them in general and even to admire some.  Ideally, at least, I consider the knowledge that they have acquired as important to the rest of us and I welcome opportunities to hear from them.

That is why a recent university forum entitled “Reflections on Public Service” attracted my attention. Intended largely as a gathering where a small group of highly seasoned politicians could share some wisdom with students considering public service as a career, it turned out to be both instructive and entertaining as well.

This forum featured Senator Edward Kennedy; former Senator Warren Rudman from New Hampshire; Philip Sharp, who served for twenty years as a United States congressman from Indiana; and Doris Kearns Goodwin, the historian who has written widely about American presidents.

The atmosphere in the crowded amphitheater of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government was animated and yet relaxed. This tone was largely set by the old pros who spoke with warmth and humor of their work in Washington. To me, the occasion seemed that rare opportunity whereby older people get the chance to share their wisdom with those younger.

Ted Kennedy, in particular, showed himself at his most genial and more at ease than I had ever seen him previously. He seemed to take special pleasure in recounting anecdotes of his time in the senate and in sharing his political ideals. Asked by moderator Gwen Ifill how to connect public service with politics, he responded by invoking the famous line from his brother’s inauguration speech: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

He then affirmed that “young people made the difference for people of my generation” and cited their leadership in the civil rights struggle, the opposition to the Vietnam War, and the environmental movement. For him, volunteerism is still alive and well. The best part of it is “all you have to do is care; you don’t have to be a senator.”

For his part, Warren Rudman spoke from the heart about the value that he has found in his chosen path. “There is no psychic satisfaction like public service,” he proclaimed. “I decided that a long time ago.” Since leaving the senate, he has found pro bono service to the community “terrifically satisfying.”

Phillip Sharp praised participation even when it does not produce success. “It is also important to run to lose,” he said of becoming a candidate for office in situations where there is no realistic chance of getting elected. It still helps the community to raise issues and refine them.

Doris Kearns Goodwin spoke with typical charm about some of her experiences with Lyndon Johnson. He felt depressed in his last months of life by his failures as president. “The only hope he had before he died was that he would be remembered for civil rights,” Goodwin recalled.

From her current study for a book on Abraham Lincoln, she told how depressed he was in his early thirties, so much so that his friends took knives away from him. But after he freed the slaves, he wrote: “my fondest hopes are realized.”

Asked about unaddressed issues, the two senators focused on racism. Ted Kennedy believes that we have made fundamental progress but that the issue remains before us still. “We have to free ourselves from it,” he stated. He also spoke of our national need for “a sense of common purpose.”

And Warren Rudman made this bold prediction: “If we cannot give equality to all Americans in the next twenty years, then you will see the decline of America.”

Phillip Sharp is convinced of the need for us “to undo the barriers that prevent people from rising to the level of their talent.” Doris Kearns Goodwin emphasized our need for “leaders who can follow public opinion but shape and mold it at the same time.”

A student asked whether political leaders need to have a high level of schooling. Ted Kennedy stated that “innate qualities are more important.” Doris Goodwin cited Lincoln who had only one year of formal schooling but brought temperament and character to the office of president at a time of great crisis.

Another questioner raised the subject of global warming. Kennedy called it an “enormously serious” issue and accused the Bush administration of being “in the tank” with industries.

I came away from the forum encouraged by this example of give and take among generations. This was a sharing of experience and viewpoints that characterizes a healthy democratic community. Many young people do want to hear from those with many years of public service; some of those who have been in the public eye for a long time do welcome hearing the views of young people.

Richard Griffin