OPINION: America loses true pioneer with Shriver's passing

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who died this week at 88, impacted everyday life in America as much as her famous brothers, former President John F. Kennedy, former Attorney General Robert Kennedy and U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy.

Shriver was a lifelong advocate for people and families dealing with mental retardation and was the founder of the Special Olympics. Her commitment to great causes eliminated most of the stigmas associated with intellectual and physical disabilities, inspiring thousands of volunteers with her courage and compassion.

In the Kennedy family, it was easy to find sources of inspiration. Despite highs and lows, the Kennedys have stopped for public service their entire lives. Shriver wrote about the experiences of her older sister, Rosemary, in a 1962 Saturday Evening Post article. Rosemary was mildly retarded.

“The truth is that 75 to 85 percent of the retarded are capable of becoming useful citizens with the help of special education and rehabilitation,” Shriver wrote.

Before Shriver’s campaigns for awareness and kindness, people with disabilities sadly were lampooned and institutionalized. The Special Olympics made its debut in 1968, shortly after Robert Kennedy was assassinated as he campaigned for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. Her sadness did not derail her dream, her project or her hope of establishing fairness and understanding.

Shriver’s efforts changed the world. Last year’s Summer Special Olympics were in China, marking the first time the world’s most populous country broke its silence over the physically and mentally disabled.

“My earliest memory of Eunice is of a young girl with great humor, sharp wit and a boundless passion to make a difference,” said Sen. Ted Kennedy, himself too ill to be at his sister’s bedside as she was dying. “She understood deeply the lesson our mother and father taught us — much is expected of those to whom much has been given. Throughout her extraordinary life, she touched the lives of millions, and for Eunice, that was never enough.

“The seeds of compassion and hope she planted decades ago in her backyard summer camp were inspired by her love for our sister, Rosemary. Over the years, she grew those seeds into a worldwide movement that has given persons with disabilities everywhere the opportunity to lead more productive and fulfilling lives. We would never have had an Americans with Disabilities Act without her.”

Locally, the Special Olympics have been held recently at Francis Marion University. This year, more than 350 athletes ages 8 and older competed and more than 400 volunteers signed up to stage the games. Peggi and Mike Branham of Florence were two local volunteers touched by Shriver’s vision. For four years, they coordinated Special Olympics volunteers for Florence, Dillon and Marion counties.

“It was a wonderful service that she started,” Peggi Branham said. “We’re grateful for her contributions. It’s great that folks with disabilities can compete like anyone else.”

Shriver received many honors in her life, including the nation’s highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1984. In May, the National Portrait Gallery installed a painting of her, the first portrait commissioned by the museum of someone who had not been a president or first lady.

“When the full judgment on the Kennedy legacy is made — including JFK’s Peace Corps and Alliance for Progress, Robert Kennedy’s passion for civil rights and Ted Kennedy’s efforts on health care, work place reform and refugees — the changes wrought by Eunice Shriver may well be seen as the most consequential,” Harrison Rainie, author of “Growing Up Kennedy,” wrote in U.S. News & World Report in 1993.

Shriver often talked about the rewards of volunteering. The biggest tribute to her might be the smiles at the Special Olympics on the faces of competitors and volunteers alike. They’re the memories we’ll continue to relish in the years to come.

— Unsigned editorials represent the views of this newspaper. Editorial Board members are Mark Laskowski (regional publisher), James Bennett (regional editor), Sam Bundy (sports editor), Kimberly Ginfrida (news editor), David Johnson (regional circulation director), Charles Tomlinson (Lake City News & Post editor) and Jackie Torok (metro editor).