<p>This comes as a shock. It was such a relief when it turned out that he had not had a stroke. I am sick about this.</p>
<p>The guy killed a young woman and lied about it. No sympathy from me, ever.</p>
<p>Me neither.</p>
<p>He’s 76 and everyone dies of something. Kennedy left the scene of an accident and did not report the accident, or his role in the death of his passenger, until the following day, which enabled him to skirt charges of driving under the influence. Because he’s a Kennedy he enjoys the great fortune of dying as a U.S. Senator rather than as a convicted felon.</p>
<p>Wow… a little harsh, huh? “He’s 76 and everyone dies of something.” Did you feel that way when your own parents or grandparents became ill? Geez. </p>
<p>There’s no excusing Chappaquidick, but it doesn’t eliminate all the good he’s done in decades in the Senate. His poetic and heartbreaking eulogy at his nephew John’s funeral reminded me how much pain he and his family have seen. I am not a big “Kennedy family fan” but on the whole the man has done much good for this country and for those who otherwise would have no voice.</p>
<p>I consider myself a moderate, but I think there is always a role for a well-reasoned person on the further reaches of both the conservative and liberal sides of the aisle… whenever the country lurches from one mindset to another, those on the far reaches of the unpopular side stand their ground, and eventually the nation usually comes back to a middle ground. We need both Ted Kennedys and John McCains, both Orrin Hatches and Barak Obamas.</p>
<p>I agree with Lafalum. Shouldn’t wish him, or anyone ill will. When I heard he’d had a seizure, my immediate thoughts were alcohol withdrawl or brain tumor. This is sad. He has been a surrogate father figure for Caroline and John junior. Despite his faults, he has done a lot for a lot of people. I will go read up on his tumor and hope it is operable.</p>
<p>Let he who is without sin throw the first stone, or however that phrase goes. I probably couldn’t be further from Kennedy in politics, but, wish him no ill will and offer prayers for his recovery from this. We do need the Kennedys just as much as we need the Reagans and the McCains and yes even the Bushes. </p>
<p>It is interesting culturally to see the public reaction (at least as reported on CNN) - the tone is so funereal - again, I am starting to see why cancer is such a hard disease to defeat. If you accept that a good bit of the fight is mental, then, he is already counted as dead. I am not hearing one word on the news about the advances in treating gliomas, not one word on the positive outcomes of people with this diagnosis, etc. I know they exist because I have come across the information in my own research. What an opportunity to showcase our terrific advances in medical science specific to this disease - yet the focus is all on how sad, terrible this is etc. </p>
<p>Obviously, it is sad, he is in for the fight of his life, etc., but, cannot we hear something hopeful and positive about modern treatment strategies and hopeful prognosises?</p>
<p>LS:</p>
<p>I am with you on this–as on many other things, despite our, no doubt, ideological differences. Hoping you’re having a good day!</p>
<p>There is sin and there is murder followed by the classic cover-up by a powerful family. I do not equate the two. Yes I have had some speeding tickets but I never killed anyone. And I paid my fines and did not try to dodge my guilt by hiring some lawyer to question the radar, etc.</p>
<p>Agree with Lafalum84.</p>
<p>Yes, Chappaquidick was inexcusably horrible and I agree that he should have been punished for it by the legal system.</p>
<p>Still, I believe that there’s redemption possible for even people who do the most heinous things, and Kennedy has done much good as a politician.</p>
<p>LTS-
I agree, the powerful Kennedy name is an opportunity to share the progress being made in the treatment of many cancers. As more information comes out about the specific kind of glioma he has (some are more treatable than others) hopefully we will here about the advances in CA treatments. As for those who continue to want to drag him and his name through the mud, hitting a man while he is down is, IMO, in poor taste. No excusing the Chappaquittick incident, but his work to champion social justice has been powerful. Gosh, even if someone like OJ Simpson was found to have a tumor, I wouldnt wish him ill will either.</p>
<p>Lafalum84: What about the voice of May Jo Kepechne? </p>
<p>She had no voice when she drowned in his car.</p>
<p>What about the voices of all the millions of unborn babies that died due to people like him supporting abortion? They had no voice either.</p>
<p>
Biggest oxymoron ever.</p>
<p>Didn’t take long to turn this into a discussion about political hot topics. This is not the place for that, IMO. The appropriate thing, if one wants to debate such things, is to start a separate thread.</p>
<p>Dayum. Tough crowd.</p>
<p>I don’t wish anyone ill and I do admire Senator Kennedy’s devotion to his fatherless relatives, but I can’t say that I would pray for him or wish him well. Aside from his own family, I don’t necessarily think this is a good man.</p>
<p>whatever your views are on Kennedy and what he has and hasn’t done, he has a family and people who love him very much. To spout off about what a rotten person some people may think he is, is cruel.</p>
<p>As liberal as I am, I wish no ill will on right-wingers who have made our political system a joke with their affairs, and support of a war that has killed thousands. I wish no ill-will on anybody because I don’t respect their political ties or past indiscretions.</p>
<p>Interesting opinions here. I might not wish well people who would be considered by most to be purely evil. I hope most people would not put Ted Kennedy in that group. His family has had great fortune and great tragedy. His ex wife and son each battled cancer. Have a little compassion, people.</p>
<p>*** edit*** well put, teriwtt.</p>
<p>I don’t think any posters on this thread have wished him ill, though some of us haven’t wished him well. He chose to live his life as a public figure, with all of the positive and negative that entails, so there is nothing cruel about remarking on his rottenness as a human being, whether he is healthy or ill.</p>
<p>He should have retired years ago while he still had his health.</p>