American Legacy
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It’s a sad day in America, a small piece of history was plucked from our lives when Ted Kennedy passed away last night. It was something to be expected, but nonetheless, our nation suffers a grave loss.
Albeit I didn’t agree with the man’s politics, nor did I admire his personal lifestyle, he and his family have long been historical icons in American history. For the loss of that, and those our country is turning to, I shed a tear.
The Kennedy’s are the closest thing America has had to royal family. Their linage in the political arena, the arena that helped shape America into the great nation it is, has been unparalleled by any other family of such stature. I remember vividly as a child, in the early sixties, the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Such a tragedy. I lived through Robert Kennedy’s assassination in 1968 and the scandalous affair of Edward Kennedy in 1969, regarding the accident where Mary Jo Kopechne was killed. We were saddened when Michael Kennedy died in a skiing accident in Colorado in 1997, John F. Kennedy Jr. and members of his family dying in a plane crash in 1999, and a whole host of other tragedies that have plagued the family and played out like some daytime soap opera.
Although many American’s may not agree with Ted Kennedy’s personal conduct or behavior, one cannot deny his and his family’s contribution to the greatness of America. For millions of American’s he has been a touchstone from whence this country came, and an inspiration for many who wish to follow in his footsteps. We all mourn the loss of such a great man.
Comment by joker on 28 August 2009:
The Kennedy family was built on a platform of a criminal empire run by Joseph P. Kennedy Sr, a vile man who was a womanizer, Nazi sypathizer, as well as an anti-Semite. He basically bought the Presidency for JFK by using his political and labor union connections in Chicago, arguably the most politically corrupt city in America both then and now.
I won’t disagree they are all historical icons, but to suggest that we have suffered a grave loss is equal to putting up a post saying you are convinced O.J. Simpson is still on a tireless search for “the real killers.”
I don’t know if you have a daughter, but if you do, picture her being left to die in the Oldsmobile in 10 feet of water by a man who grew up on the ocean. Try shedding a tear for Mary Jo instead of the man who snuffed her innocent life out with no more concern than stamping out a cigarette butt.
They say what goes around comes around, so I am glad for all the tragedies that have plagued those bastards. As far as I’m concerned they haven’t experienced enough of them to equal the misdeeds they are guilty of. A touchstone from whence this country came? You have to be kidding. We have enough problems in this country today without millions of Americans romanticizing about making a fortune in illegal business ventures and bribing politicians and corrupt union bosses.
An inspiration to follow in his footsteps? Alcholism. Womanizing. Manslaughter. Perjury. I’ll tell you what, you let YOUR kids follow in his footsteps - good luck to you.
I mourn the loss of both your cognitive ability and common sense.
Comment by proletarian on 28 August 2009:
Joker, thank you for you poignant opinion. I do understand your detestation of the Kennedys, however, have you never heard of “do not speak ill of the dead?” Does your rancor compel you to overlook the good in others? Are you pulling a page from Deb’s “book of life?” Benevolence is a virtue, malevolence eats your soul from the inside.
I as well do not condone or admire many of the Kennedy family’s exploits or their personal flaws and past activities, but, regardless of that, as I stated, their family has been a touchstone for many. If you noticed I did point out some of the atrocities, but, in such a time of need, I can put those aside for a short duration in commemoration of what Ted Kennedy represented.
You cannot deny the Kennedy family’s contribution to what America has become, good, bad, or indifferent. They have been a sinew of American life. That is the point of my post. It’s the “ideal” that Ted and his family holds for so many Americans that I,we, mourn. Which is what I believe the article alludes to. Even you, Joker, have to admit he accrued some admirable accomplishments during his tenure.
We all have skeletons in our closet, on occasion it takes a better man to overlook those of others and recognize the good they have done.
Comment by joker on 28 August 2009:
I don’t deny at all that there are many pieces of legislation bearing Ted’s name that did many people some good. I also think for every one of those, there was another one that made middle class people pay more taxes to “spread the wealth around” to deadbeats who deserve a square kick in the ass in lieu of “help.” I also don’t forget his adamant opposition to President Reagan, which in retrospect now clearly shows that Reagan was right and Kennedy wrong.
I also separate Ted the Pol from Ted the Real Person. They are as different as Deb and I are. He was an accomplished chameleon for sure. I guess that bothers me, especially when I have to absorb all this hagiographic praise being heaped upon him in the same manner as that which was given to Lady Diana. The difference is I think Lady Diana truly cared about people, had never done anyone any harm in her life, and was worthy of such an outpour of public grief.
In Ted’s case I see it as if a renouned surgeon had saved hundreds of lives over a long career of perceived skill and dedication, and then it is discovered he has the mutilated corpse of his old college room mate, thought to have disappeared years before, buried on his property. After such a shocking discovery were to be made public, I’d hardly expect anyone to support the man, but you know there’d always be someone who’d say, “But what about all the people he helped?”
I’m largely a person who goes more with facts than opinions. There are years of documentation showing the whole Kennedy legacy is built on a purely rotten foundation. I guess I have a hard time processing how anyone can romanticize that. Admittedly, JFK and Jackie were the flowers among the thorns in perception, and his tragic murder is not something I ever celebrated. On the other hand, had he lived I believe he’d have been seen by history as a mediocre president, a far cry from the iconic image he maintains nearly 45 years after his death.
I appreciate what you’ve said, and I apologize for my passion sometimes causing me to lay it on a bit thick. Your cognitive ability is certainly not in question here, and you have the right to be forgiving if you wish. I will certainly give you that the Kennedys are all iconic figures, and they did play a huge role in shaping what America is today, for better and for worse. But, references to them as “royalty” will always make me recoil.
Thank you for engaging me on this.
Comment by proletarian on 28 August 2009:
Thank you for the reconciliation, magnanimity is a cornerstone of good character.
I believe I said it was “the closest thing America has had to royal family.” Again, it’s what people percieve. Perception is a leader, in of itself, in wars and humanities alike. All great things are driven by perception, therefore, who am I to tear down someone else’s perception, or concept, of an American icon? Would I be a better person to invalidate another’s vision? What they hold in their minds to aspire to? I don’t think so. I have my own opinion of Ted “the man”, but the ideal is another whole story.
To hold disdain and contempt, to excoriate and loath, is something one has for the living. This way it can act, sometimes, as a deterrent to scurrilous behavior.
As to you — being dauntless, defiant and resolute to your own perceptions is an admirable quality, one many cannot muster for themselves. I understand your fervor and easily viewed, primarily from your own post, your raw emotions in this regard. I applaud you, carry on my friend. Deo volente.