December 14, 2025

Dear Jack,

It was a genuine pleasure meeting you and your assistant Hannah this past Friday—what a delightfully and totally unexpected chance encounter! Initially I thought you Harper were panhandling. Her homemade cardboard sign with big black scrawny letters “Meet Jack” caught my eye. I’ve been connecting with remarkable people ever since adopting my “Jane Goodall approach” (patient immersion and genuine relationship-building), here in the Verdi Square neighborhood blended with strategies from the wonderful folks I’ve met on my journeys. G-d works in mysterious ways. 

First off, you truly have that unmistakable Kennedy charm—I first learned of it from Mrs. Kelly and her daughter, my godmother, Barbara Ann. As I mentioned, my mother was half Irish, with her own mother hailing from Dún Laoghaire, Ireland and her uncle none other than Cardinal MacCabe.

As mentioned we have many connections. My mother worked for your family back in the 1960s and was an extraordinary woman. In one harrowing incident, a brick fell nine stories from a construction site, striking her directly on the head— she heroically threw herself over my baby pram to save me from harm. Debilitating her for the rest of her life. Despite the crippling injury, she returned to work to earn the credits needed for Social Security eligibility. She later graced the cover of the American Express quarterly report in April 1967. In 1968, she ran a humorous spoof campaign for Austin Burton in the presidential primary, promising to “sell New York back to the Indians.” She never stopped advocating: after surviving yet another serious accident while riding her motorcycle, she felt called to champion motorcycle helmet laws, even traveling to Carson City to  give powerful testimony before lawmakers.

Tragically, when she later suffered a massive stroke, she was left in an emergency room hallway for three days without admission, mistaken for a homeless woman. She did not recover. Against family objections—and our pleas to at least wait until loved ones could gather by her bedside—the hospital pulled the plug, declaring her brain-dead. It will be 26 years tomorrow. My second pilgrimage across the USA (of three in total) was dedicated to her memory, and I’m now contemplating a fourth pilgrimage from the good old New York to D.C. 

The primary reason I’m writing this letter, Jack, is to call upon you to embrace the noblesse oblige of your extraordinary family legacy and join me in the urgent quest to finally pass the Equal Rights Amendment. As we touched on your reference to a “constitutional crisis,” we’re facing major issues that will shape governance for generations. We live in a brave new world—one unimaginable to the Founders—where the Constitution must evolve. We are only in the infancy of Information Technology and that which will spring forth from those developments are in our hands. I do not agree that President Trump is the problem; the real challenge isn’t any one person or branch of government, but the toxic cycle of misinformation and rage amplified by social media. It’s time to break that pattern.

Americans are exhausted by division and craving true leadership. With your unparalleled experience growing up in the spotlight, and from our brief yet inspiring conversation, I’m convinced you’re the best person for this congressional seat—and that you could be a transformative voice for unity in the 21st century.

Moreover, I’m feeling deeply called to introduce you to the amazing network of people I’m building right here in the neighbourhood—extraordinary souls who would make powerful allies for your vision. There’s Iva Kaufman, the brilliant philanthropy consultant whose lifelong work empowers women, entrepreneurs of color, and sustainable causes across the city; Herb Bardavid, the compassionate Upper West Side psychotherapist and gifted photographer who for decades has captured the resilient stories of New York’s elders; Joshua Reisner, a resourceful young man who quietly becomes a lifeline for so many living on the edge—delivering essentials, securing small contracts, and stepping up wherever help is needed; and a slew of others equally inspiring. My patient, trust-building approach is working wonders, and I know they’d be moved to support a leader like you.

Championing the ERA is in the Kennedy blood, laddie! It would mean so much to feature it prominently on your campaign website. This is the defining civil rights issue of our time—a true game-changer—especially now that New York State has passed its own equality bill. Removing the outdated ratification deadline is the key step forward.

Even though we may not agree on every point, I believe you’re made of the right stuff. That’s why I’ve signed up for your newsletter and to volunteer.

If you’re open to it, I’d very much appreciate an informal follow-up—perhaps over coffee or a call—to discuss how we can work together on the ERA and beyond. In the meantime, I look forward to volunteering for your campaign Jack for New York and am eager to contribute, including phone-banking or any other way I can help. Please let me know how to get started.

God works in mysterious ways—bringing families together like this across generations and shared Irish roots.

Á céad míle fáilte romhat, a Sheáin.

Love and Light,

Helene P. de Boissiere-Swanson

P.S. Because I’m utterly shameless and proudly carrying on the grand Irish tradition of begging (with a wink), I’ll be asking folks to tossing a few pennies into your  coffer myself—and humbly asking if you’d spare a few more to help this poor pilgrim keep the family obligation alive. LOL And while you’re at it, Jack, would you kindly sign and share my petition urging Senator Murkowski to step up and champion SJ Res 38. Every Kennedy voice added would be pure gold!

Link to JackforNewYork https://jackfornewyork.com/

Link to Petition https://c.org/4rq5TmMqLP

Link to $20 for 20 – Ignighting Equality https://gofund.me/d836a5e22