By Li Hong, People's Daily Online

Boston- grooved Kennedy family is born for politics, its ups and downs in the past 80 years have intrigued readers world over. The death of Edward Kennedy this week, the youngest of four powerful brothers, speaks of an era's end, which will also initiate historians to write a ton about its magnitude and impact.

Not everybody is endowed with a "rock and compassionate" heart to practice politics. Not China's next to last Emperor Guangxu who always kowtowed to Dowager Cixi, the behind-curtain real powerbroker, and certainly not Beijing traffic policemen, who hide in the corners and pin tickets on cars for illicit parking after seeing the drivers get away.

The strength of the legendary Kennedy family in pursuit of public service, for the good of American people, and at the same time, for the Kennedy's glory, marvels many. To stand for interests of the downtrodden and deprived, or the fledging middle class of a society, such as China and Brazil, the Kennedy boys will inspire other families in various places to run for the highest office and curry for realization of an ambition.

The office means serving one's country soul and heart, with the lofty goal that no person should be left behind. Required of knowledge, intelligence, integrity, judgment and courage, the office is not accessible to mediocre ones. It is a sacred place which could make real difference for numerous people.

Politics is no nonsense, and ought to be taught from the very beginning. The four Kennedy boys, Joseph, John, Robert and Edward, grew up talking politics and power, influenced by their Irish-Catholic father who built a fortune out of real estate and banking. The mother of the children once said: "My babies were rocked to political lullabies."

However, singing of the rhyme was not without risk, even sometimes it means life. It was understood among the four brothers, that Joseph Kennedy, the oldest boy, would someday run for Congress and, as his father hoped, the White House. When Joseph was killed in the battlefield during World War II, it fell to the next oldest son, John, to run.

John F. Kennedy, the youngest U.S. President ever, said in 1959 while serving the Senate: "Just as I went into politics because Joe died, if anything happened to me tomorrow, Bobby would run for my seat in the Senate. And if Bobby died, our young brother, Ted, would take over for him." He seemed to be a wicked prophet. John was assassinated in November 1963 on a Dallas street, and Robert was gunned down five years later in California campaigning for his own presidency.

The violent deaths of his three brothers did not deter Edward. Ever since Robert was gone, the flame of family hope, and the burden of looking after 13 children of John and Robert, all fell on his shoulders. Edward served on the U.S. Senate ever since 1963, or 46 years in total through August 2009. Though his bid to oust President Jimmy Carter in 1980 in the primary of the Democratic Party faltered, Robert has since then focuses on crafting the best legislation for his country in the fields of civil rights, social welfare, public education, job training and the minimum wage. He worked for a universal coverage of all Americans, the poor especially, under a reformed medical care system, till the end of life.

From the time his brain cancer was diagnosed 15 months ago, Edward spoke of having a "good ending" for himself, in whatever time he had left, and by every account, he did. He fought with the tumor ferociously, till the last minute, because he believed that "every day is a gift".

A beloved politician should own a strong and benevolent heart, like Mr. Deng Xiaoping who truly believed that he owed to 1.3 billion people, and he had the responsibility and ability to bring a life to them, which gave him power to overcome three political tumbles in Mao's time.