Rest In Peace Ted Kennedy

[tampa24]

I Just wanted to take a moment to say how much I will miss knowing that there is a Ted Kennedy in the U.S. Senate. A great lion roars no more... I see the era passes now and there are no more of the original Kennedy siblings. I know the Kennedy brothers had many demons and vices. And their father was certainly no saint. There are those who will only focus on Chappaquiddick and rumors of Marilyn Monroe. The tainted money that forms the Kennedy wealth, etc... That is their choice. Ted Kennedy paid dearly in this lifetime both in huge disappointments and terrible tragedies.

Nobody forced the Kennedy brothers to go into public office where they could do the most good good for their fellow citizens. And at mortal peril. In a time when wealthy meant that you must be a Republican, they were staunch Democrats. Even now we see the vacuum left by Ted Kennedy in the health care debate. I have little doubt that if Ted had been around for the last several months that the momentum would be on our side for reform. If health care reform does go down in defeat it may well be argued that Ted Kennedy would have made the difference. Teddy was always for the underdog while in the Senate. Whether it was fighting for passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 or the ERA amendment for women he was always at the forefront of liberal causes. As early as 1980 he was already championing affordable health care for all Americans. That zeal of always fighting and rooting for the underdog and the downtrodden is such a quintessentially American trait. In spite of his numerous flaws (and we all have them) I see Ted Kennedy as a great American patriot. And I will miss him.

 

[mikeyank]

I agree with 99% of what you said, Tampa. I was too young to vote when JFK ran, but at age 10, I was aware of him, and supported him and remember watching his inauguration, and he got me interested in politics. I voted for Bobby Kennedy for New York State Senator, and in my senior year in high school, I was doing volunteer work every Friday afternoon in his New York City office. He was assassinated while I was doing that job. I too very much admired the good work that Teddy did in the United States Senate.

But I disagree with one statement that you made, when you said,

"There are those who will only focus on Chappaquiddick and rumors of Marilyn Monroe"

These are two separate issues. Anyone who gives a fuck if he or his brothers slept with Marilyn Monroe, I don't care. It's interesting gossip, but has no effect on how he performed in office. But Mary Jo Kopechne is a whole different issue to me. Teddy Kennedy did drive the girl, turn onto a narrow bridge, the car overturned, and Mary Joe drowned while Teddy swam free. He didn't notify the police until the next morning, after the police found her dead body. I don't think I could have voted for him for President. I want my President to use a hell of a lot of better judgement, than he exhibited that night.

But, he definitely did a lot of good for the people of Massachusetts and the United States, in the Senate, and he definitely will be sorely missed.

 

[Jayman01]

Heres to a man who was not afraid of change or reform. Heres to a man who stood by his convictions to help make America a better place to raise our families. Heres to an American who put the people of our great country first in his life and worked to make every American's life worth living regardless of political affilliation...

Ted Kennedy you will be missed.

 

[vicekid]

Heres to a man who was not afraid of change or reform. Heres to a man who stood by his convictions to help make America a better place to raise our families. Heres to an American who put the people of our great country first in his life and worked to make every American's life worth living regardless of political affilliation...

Ted Kennedy you will be missed.

Jayman,

I could not agree with you more. I may not have agreed with everything the Ted supported, the one thing that will always stand out in my mind is that he was a servant of the common person. How many of our legislative leaders in any branch of government truly, "REPRESENT THEIR CONSTITUENTS"?

This nation has lost a true leader and spoksperson for John Q. American, of which I am one of millions.

And Mike, regarding your comments, "I don't think I could have voted for him for President. I want my President to use a hell of a lot of better judgement, than he exhibited that night. "

I am curious as to how you define "better judgement"? Would anyone who has held the office; passed? What about Clinton, and why not Kennedy or FDR or ??? In our early past, before we have an almost National Enquirer of a press that dug up whatever on who ever who knows if their judgements would pass the muster. For that matter, would any of us under identical circumstances done any better???

Mike, mind you I am not at all approving his actions, but we are all human, subject to a variety of emotions that sometimes miss-lead us. If we are to judge others, lets make sure we can hold ourselves accountable too.

Live Long and Prosper,

Vicekid

p.s. Still love you Mike.

 

[mikeyank]

And Mike, regarding your comments, "I don't think I could have voted for him for President. I want my President to use a hell of a lot of better judgement, than he exhibited that night. "

I am curious as to how you define "better judgement"? Would anyone who has held the office; passed? What about Clinton, and why not Kennedy or FDR or ??? In our early past, before we have an almost National Enquirer of a press that dug up whatever on who ever who knows if their judgements would pass the muster. For that matter, would any of us under identical circumstances done any better???

Mike, mind you I am not at all approving his actions, but we are all human, subject to a variety of emotions that sometimes miss-lead us. If we are to judge others, lets make sure we can hold ourselves accountable too.

Live Long and Prosper,

Vicekid

p.s. Still love you Mike.

Vicekid, I totally agree that Teddy was a wonderful human being in his great work for the common man. However, I could never forget what he did that night. I am not bringing up any National Enquirer type reporting that suggested that he was having a sexual tryst with Mary Joe Kopechne, and therefore there is no correlation to Clinton, Kennedy or FDR. I don't care that any of them may or may not have carried on extra marital affairs.

What I do care about is that there was an unfortunate accident where he drove off a bridge, and either did not or could not rescue here, and she drowned, and he did not report it to the police until after her body was recovered. That is the "better judgment" that I am talking about. As far as I know none of the former presidents mentioned ever were involved in an accidental homicide and failed to report it for as many hours as Kennedy did at Chappaquiddick. That is what I was talking about.

And I still love you too, ViceKid.

 

[tightywhitieboy]

I just find it amusing that someone can be the butt of jokes for years (M.J., Ted, etc.) and then they die and suddenly they were the greatest person ever. The media REALLY over does it with celebrity deaths. It is sad when ANYONE dies. No more sad because that someone was famous.

 

[tampa24]

I just find it amusing that someone can be the butt of jokes for years (M.J., Ted, etc.) and then they die and suddenly they were the greatest person ever. The media REALLY over does it with celebrity deaths. It is sad when ANYONE dies. No more sad because that someone was famous.

I definitely see your point TWB. But I think you used the wrong person to use as an example. Unlike people like Ana Nicole and Paris Hilton etc,Ted Kennedy was not famous for being famous. The name and the pedigree were already famous, yes. And unlike MJ he didn't just sing songs that people liked and dance well for people's entertainment. He used his position of authority to make a real difference for the public good. Always fighting for the underdog and all the great liberal causes. He is already sorely missed in the health care debate.

Joe Biden said yesterday that Ted always worked us to see to help us see each other differently. Whether it was straights and gays, gays and straights, black and whites, whites and blacks. At one point he said that if a young adolescent no longer had to agaonize over his sexuality with shame, that he could thank Ted Kennedy. The rhetoric may be a little bit over the top. But not as much as we might think. Teddy championed every liberal cause in the book. And to have a sitting vice president refer to us gays in such a positive way in a prominent national speech is wonderful. Biden also said that he never would not have become vice president without Ted Kennedy. And he went on to explain in detail why that was true. And it was Teddy's very early and shocking endorsement of Barak Obama that gave him the momentum to beat Hillary Clinton.

So while the media do go overboard many times in celebrity deaths, Teddy was definitely not the typical celebrity.

 

[tightywhitieboy]

I definitely see your point TWB. But I think you used the wrong person to use as an example. Unlike people like Ana Nicole and Paris Hilton etc,Ted Kennedy was not famous for being famous. The name and the pedigree were already famous, yes. And unlike MJ he didn't just sing songs that people liked and dance well for people's entertainment. He used his position of authority to make a real difference for the public good. Always fighting for the underdog and all the great liberal causes. He is already sorely missed in the health care debate.

Joe Biden said yesterday that Ted always worked us to see to help us see each other differently. Whether it was straights and gays, gays and straights, black and whites, whites and blacks. At one point he said that if a young adolescent no longer had to agaonize over his sexuality with shame, that he could thank Ted Kennedy. The rhetoric may be a little bit over the top. But not as much as we might think. Teddy championed every liberal cause in the book. And to have a sitting vice president refer to us gays in such a positive way in a prominent national speech is wonderful. Biden also said that he never would not have become vice president without Ted Kennedy. And he went on to explain in detail why that was true. And it was Teddy's very early and shocking endorsement of Barak Obama that gave him the momentum to beat Hillary Clinton.

So while the media do go overboard many times in celebrity deaths, Teddy was definitely not the typical celebrity.

he was, however, typical in that he was involved in scandal after scandal. hell the whole family was.

my main point, tho, is everyone made fun of him for SO long - then he dies and he's saint. people are so fickle.

 

[tampa24]

Yeah. That is very true. Especially of MJ.

 

[slimvintage]

he was, however, typical in that he was involved in scandal after scandal. hell the whole family was.

my main point, tho, is everyone made fun of him for SO long - then he dies and he's saint. people are so fickle.

In America it's bad form to keep criticizing an enemy after he's become a corpse (unless he's gone through the legal system and been found guilty of something, in which case you can vilify the body). All the voices previously critical and now piously raised in praise are proof that we're really just an anthropologically "primitive" society underneath the thinnest veneer of modernity, and act in ritualized ways in moments of passage. Such fucking hypocrites, I'd prefer them to say "good riddance to bad rubbish" rather than crapping on the real grief millions of people feel at his death with their insincerity.

Was that a rant? Oh, sorry.

 

[Jayman01]

In America it's bad form to keep criticizing an enemy after he's become a corpse (unless he's gone through the legal system and been found guilty of something, in which case you can vilify the body). All the voices previously critical and now piously raised in praise are proof that we're really just an anthropologically "primitive" society underneath the thinnest veneer of modernity, and act in ritualized ways in moments of passage. Such fucking hypocrites, I'd prefer them to say "good riddance to bad rubbish" rather than crapping on the real grief millions of people feel at his death with their insincerity.

Was that a rant? Oh, sorry.

Great point of view. I think you hit the nail on the head with that.

I was almost kind of glad Ted Kennedy died. I think it gave us something else to think about for a little while. I was really getting tired of the whole MJ thing. The only thing that really stood out there for me was his bad judgement. He was aquitted by a jury for one case of child molestation. In both cases I read that the sheriffs investigators found no evidence of any wrong doing on MJ's part in either investigation other than the child's word. Children and youth services conducted over 60 extensive interviews to turn up nothing. Then a few days after his death the first accuser made a press statement that all of his allogations were false and that the whole story was fabricated by his father who was a dentist. My only thought on that was many people wanted to believe he was guilty of those charges. However, it was in his death that he was finally vindicated. Also, there is evidence that he may have had a legitimate child of his own and his family confirms knowledge of this. MJ's whole life was a complete mystery. I am finally glad that he and all of these issues have been laid to rest for now finally.

 

[slimvintage]

Great point of view. I think you hit the nail on the head with that.

I was almost kind of glad Ted Kennedy died. I think it gave us something else to think about for a little while. I was really getting tired of the whole MJ thing. The only thing that really stood out there for me was his bad judgement. He was aquitted by a jury for one case of child molestation. In both cases I read that the sheriffs investigators found no evidence of any wrong doing on MJ's part in either investigation other than the child's word. Children and youth services conducted over 60 extensive interviews to turn up nothing. Then a few days after his death the first accuser made a press statement that all of his allogations were false and that the whole story was fabricated by his father who was a dentist. My only thought on that was many people wanted to believe he was guilty of those charges. However, it was in his death that he was finally vindicated. Also, there is evidence that he may have had a legitimate child of his own and his family confirms knowledge of this. MJ's whole life was a complete mystery. I am finally glad that he and all of these issues have been laid to rest for now finally.

You don't think we'll be visiting "Graceland" to catch a glimpse of the "King" for decades to come? I don't think anything's been laid to rest yet, and most of it will have to stay up watching TV forever, and never ever get any rest at all...

Jay, I'm jumping back in to add to what I wrote. Your assessment of Jacko is the most coherent, precise and articulate evaluation of his posthumous identity I've read. But your last little flick suggests that other less perceptive commentators won't keep worrying the grave, and I think they won't be able to resist.

 

[tampa24]

You don't think we'll be visiting "Graceland" to catch a glimpse of the "King" for decades to come? I don't think anything's been laid to rest yet, and most of it will have to stay up watching TV forever, and never ever get any rest at all...

Yeah. People will be talking about the guilt or innocence of MJ for decades to come. We'll never hear the final word on the subject. Unfortunately... But the National Enquirer types of papers have to have something to write and talk about.

 

[rockymtndude4u]

Senator Ted Kennedy Passing

It's always sad when anyone passes away. Ted Kennedy was not a saint ... let's face it ... but then who among us is? With all the media attention over the years, I kinda wonder how I would have handled life if I had been born a Kennedy with all that fame. fortune, and the Kennedy good looks. He did do much good for the people of Massachusetts and also the country ... as well as the minorities ... and became a very powerful senator. His senate popularity and power surpassed even that of his brothers John and Bobby. I feel he made his fatal mistake regarding his run for the presidency back when he was involved in/responsible for the tragic Chappaquiddick accident years ago that caused the death of Mary Jo Kopechne. He had spent the remaining years of his life trying to do good for the people of the state and the country. His passing is just one more piece of the "Camelot era" slipping away from memory. I was just a adolescent in 1963 when JFK was assassinated but remember those years very well. The only surviving original Kennedy sibling now is Jean Kennedy Smith of the older Kennedy clan. (Glad we still have Caroline from the President's immediate family.) We all are human ... wouldn't it be nice if we could be a little less judgmental of others and just enjoy diversity in people and in life? Peace and good health to everyone. RIP Teddy.

 

[tightywhitieboy]

In America it's bad form to keep criticizing an enemy after he's become a corpse (unless he's gone through the legal system and been found guilty of something, in which case you can vilify the body). All the voices previously critical and now piously raised in praise are proof that we're really just an anthropologically "primitive" society underneath the thinnest veneer of modernity, and act in ritualized ways in moments of passage. Such fucking hypocrites, I'd prefer them to say "good riddance to bad rubbish" rather than crapping on the real grief millions of people feel at his death with their insincerity.

Was that a rant? Oh, sorry.

it was a rant, but i agree with you!

 

[tightywhitieboy]

It's always sad when anyone passes away.

i agree with that too. just don't make the deceased seem like something they were not when they were alive, especially when you never liked them in the first place.

 

[Jayman01]

You don't think we'll be visiting "Graceland" to catch a glimpse of the "King" for decades to come? I don't think anything's been laid to rest yet, and most of it will have to stay up watching TV forever, and never ever get any rest at all...

Jay, I'm jumping back in to add to what I wrote. Your assessment of Jacko is the most coherent, precise and articulate evaluation of his posthumous identity I've read. But your last little flick suggests that other less perceptive commentators won't keep worrying the grave, and I think they won't be able to resist.

You may be right... Just like Elvis they circulated the rumor that his death was faked already too... And there are still many people who may wish to cash in on MJ's fame now that he cannot defend himself. I am sure we will hear more stories in the next few years. I may be remiss in my statement.