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Ted Kennedy: death of the Liberal Lion
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Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy has died. Sincere condolences to his loved ones. God have mercy on his soul. May the Almighty be infinitely more attentive to Mr. Kennedy's eternal condition than Mr. Kennedy appears to have been to lovely, bright-eyed, blonde-haired, 28 year old Mary Jo Kopechne whom he left behind to drown in the car he had driven off an unlit bridge on the night of July 18, 1969, in Chappaquiddick, MA. Kennedy, and this (i.e. special treatment) is a fairly common tale amongst the fabled "Camelot" clan, was given a mockery of a sentence (2 months in prison - suspended, a year’s probation and a 6 month loss of driving privileges) by a Massachusetts "kangaroo court" for "leaving the scene of an accident".
As disturbing as the lack of jurisprudence was in this case, the entire milieu, charade of an "investigation", sordid scandal, cover-up, closed-mouth witnesses, and purported treatment of Ted Kennedy as royalty by then local police chief, Dominick Arena, who even gave up his office so that Kennedy could make telephone calls to advisers and lawyers in privacy, is an utter travesty.
Without citing any specifics, Bill O’Reilly stated on his August 26th broadcast, "there have been some vicious postings on the internet and they are disgraceful". While it’s difficult to evaluate the content without knowing specifically what O’Reilly was referring to the question here is, "When someone dies, their legacy notwithstanding, isn’t that a time of reflection upon the life and experiences of the departed? And conversely does this make those in the liberal media glorifying Ted Kennedy "honorable"? One Op-Ed writer even exulted Kennedy this way: "Over the months and battles to come, many in the trenches will no doubt be asking themselves WWTD? What Would Teddy Do"? A dubious juxtaposition of the senator and Jesus Christ whose "Golden Rule" teaching is often memorialized on bracelets worn by Christians with the acronym "WWJD" What Would Jesus Do? Such is the legacy of the liberal media and how it fawns all over one of its champions. 
A few years back, Boston Globe reporter Charles Pierce had the unmitigated gall to write of the drowning victim, who died that night in the cold murky waters off Dike Bridge in the inlet known as Poucha Pond - "If she had lived, Mary Jo Kopechne would be 62 years old. Through his tireless work as a legislator, Edward Kennedy would have brought comfort to her in her old age." And THAT’S the memo Bill!
While Kennedy was no doubt a stalwart figure in the Senate, having served for nearly half a century and deserving of a modicum of respect, his record can hardly be considered exemplary by those who cherish traditional American values. That is neither to imply he never did anything worthwhile nor to discount his humanity. God alone can see into the heart of any man and as O’Reilly correctly pointed out, only God decides where he spends his eternity. That is assuming this was the judgment O’Reilly was referring to, it’s difficult to say for sure. Bill O’Reilly a self-proclaimed Roman Catholic, as was Kennedy, is quite possibly the worst Bible expositor in the history of television. Given, that’s not his bailiwick, but he seems to proffer his ill-informed understanding of the Scripture quite freely for someone with so little understanding of it. Although O’Reilly feels that eternal destination, i.e. "personal judgment" is up to God alone, he violates the very principle he proclaimed when later on in his show he speculates about a hypothetical conversation between Kennedy and Saint Peter, presumably meaning that Kennedy is bound for the pearly gates. Every true Christian, this one included, hopes this is so and again, the sincere and heartfelt sentiment here is that God will be merciful to Mr. Kennedy. Nevertheless, as a matter of textual accuracy, personal judgment of actions, expressed philosophy, and yes wrongdoing, are not prohibited by the Bible. However, the final evaluation of a life is left up to the Almighty and assuming the Fox News host was referring to that, he is correct.
Especially disconcerting, was the Senator’s deplorable record of voting on the side of progressive liberals on social issues. Although it’s been alleged he had claimed to be "pro-life" when he was first elected to fill the seat vacated when JFK became president in 1962, political expediency soon swayed him to the pro-abortion camp. This sentiment was of sufficient consequence that Mr. Kris Mineau of the Massachusetts Family Institute said, "Kennedy was a ‘remarkable individual’, but has left a ‘sad legacy’ of opposition to pro-life values. Senator Kennedy was certainly opposed to many of our traditional value issues... he epitomized what is wrong with our leaders and their value of life."
So will this cursory assessment of the "Liberal Lion" of the United States Senate be construed as hateful speech delivered at an inappropriate time? The left will no doubt think so, just as the right rebuked liberals for their on the spot, vicious, hate mongering when moderate Democrat turned conservative Charlton Heston passed away from Alzheimer’s disease in 2008. One thing for sure, when President Obama eulogizes Kennedy this weekend, the canonization of the Senator by the so-called "anointed one", will then be absolute.
Until next time...
Your opinions are welcome any time. Leave them under comments or send them to delawarewimer@hotmail.com
For further insight:
Aug. 26 O’Reilly Factor Talking Points memo http://www.foxnews.com/oreilly/
WWTD - What Would Teddy Do? Ridiculous!! http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/08/26/kennedys-legacy-to-always-fight-on/
Outstanding feature by Carl Cannon Politics Daily www.politicsdaily.com/2009/08/26/mary-jo-kopechne-and-chappaquiddick-americas-selective-memory/
Myrna Blyth on Mary Jo Kopechne http://www.nationalreview.com/blyth/blyth200407200944.asp
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