8/26/2009

Rest in Peace Mary Jo Kopechne

19 comments:

elmers brother said...

WTG Jason.

Brooke said...

I hope Mary Jo is kicking Teddy in the balls right now.

That's all I'm gonna say.

Z said...

Brooke..that's all that needs to be said, isn't it.
I thought I'd read a LOT on the subject but somehow hadn't realized Kennedy actually said he was so TIRED of having tried to save her that he just had to go to bed instead of going to the police;
Translation: Make sure the wagons are circled and PR people advising how to handle it. The IMAGE, you know.
Why didn't he just go say WE HAD AN ACCIDENT! done.
WHY NOT?
God rest her soul.

Brooke said...

My translation:

Sleep it off and make sure you're sober before calling the police.

Anonymous said...

I hope Mary Jo was at peace one moment after she died. I hope her family found peace prior to Kennedy's death.

What he did was wrong (an understatement), but fostering hatred only hurts the person that holds it.

friend of the right said...

Someone on a forum I frequent posted a very well written piece on this topic when it came up, and I thought I'd post it here.

I sincerely wish Senator Ted Kennedy was not dead. I wish he was alive and voting and using the Senate floor as a bully pulpit to pass EFCA, immigration reform and healthcare reform. I do not think that these three things are a panacea of righting all of history's wrongs, but they would be much more likely to happen better with Kennedy alive and they are all worthy legislative goals that I support.

Those of you who cannot view distinction between Kennedy and Helms because they are both politicians probably get the government you deserve. On what planet do you spend most of your time?

I don't know how culpable Kennedy is in Kopechne's death and what justice demands - I just don't know the facts. But if we assume the likely worst - that he was loaded, crashed the car and selfishly saved himself without helping her - does that damn Kennedy for the rest of his life? I'd say no. Then again, my relationship with him is that of a citizen living under laws of which he was a legislator. If she was my sister, I'd feel differently.

That point - to what extent people's actions make them morally unredeemable - is a valid one for discussion. Saying "all politicians should be scorned without distinction" is a hair shy of infantile.

Chuck said...

I have intentionally not posted on Kennedy's death because I really don't have much nice to say about him. I do wish him and his family peace. He is dead now and we need to let the rest go. With that said, I have a hard time ignoring the fact that he likely murdered a young lady to get rid of an unwanted pregnancy. It was a selfish and cowardly act and he should not have gotten away with it.

Friend of the Right,

First, you clearly are not. You are clearly one of the trolls we all attract posing as a conservative. What an absolutely ridiculous defense of the man. My favorite was this.

But if we assume the likely worst - that he was loaded, crashed the car and selfishly saved himself without helping her - does that damn Kennedy for the rest of his life? I'd say no.

Huh?

Then you follow up with this

Then again, my relationship with him is that of a citizen living under laws of which he was a legislator.

You have no concern that he did not chose to follow the laws he himself swore to uphold?

friend of the right said...

Chuck, my name is meant to be ironic.

And I agree with the person who wrote that. You cannot completely damn someone...anyone. Yes, Kennedy made a serious, serious blunder. Let NO-ONE accuse me of making light of this woman's tragic death. But everyone should have a chance to redeem themselves, and I believe that in fighting for the causes he did following that horrible incident, he went someways to doing that.

Papa Frank said...

"But if we assume the likely worst - that he was loaded, crashed the car and selfishly saved himself without helping her - does that damn Kennedy for the rest of his life? I'd say no."

FOTR -- You agree with this statement? Let me say a couple of things about this. First of all, if this scenario were true then Kennedy is a criminal and should have been charged in a court of law with manslaughter. If you assume the best possible in the situation he is negligent and a coward and completely abused the power of his name and family. I admit that I do not know the truth of the situation but the evidence points heavily towards the worst and not the best. Either way, (and politics aside) is this a man that should be honored and looked up to?

Chuck said...

FOTR, so what you are saying is it is old history and we should let it go. Like say, hypothetically speaking of course, if a President had a DUI 30 years ago and owned up to and apologized? Then it would not be an issue anymore, right? Is that what you were talking about?

friend of the right said...

No, I did not extend my comments (and nor does the original poster) to excusing the fact he didn't receive a jail sentence for what he did, and there's really no arguing with the notion his status as a wealthy politician from such a family played a role in it.

What I am saying is that I refuse to condemn anyone to the degree that most of this country seems to, and believe the causes he fought for after Chappaquiddick go someway towards redeeming the man.

Papa Frank said...

FOTR -- you have missed the point. His negligent, selfish, and arrogant actions should have disqualified him from his position in the first place. Had he not received preferential treatment in the first place they would have. Of course the left side of politics has always been excessively lenient of their own and condemning of others.

friend of the right said...

Ha, well, I don't want to go down that path because, well, you believe Reagan and the Bushes somehow benefitted the world.

Papa Frank said...

And you believe it was Clinton who balanced the budget and that Obama is qualified to be President.

Brooke said...

The only way Kennedy could have began the process of redemption would have been to accept responsibility and the consequences for what he did.

Papa Frank said...

Brooke -- EXACTLY!!!

Pasadena Closet Conservative said...

It's interesting, isn't it, that most of the networks have given Ted Kennedy sainthood status since his death, with little or no mention of Mary Jo Kopechne at all, and certainly no mention of the pain and sorrow her family has suffered all these years.

Papa Frank said...

Not to mention that he personally paid them off to the tune of nearly $100,000 in 1969.

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