<p>I’m a human being first and a Democrat second. If I heard a right winger had cancer, I’d feel really bad for them. I could care less their political leanings or whatever else they had done in their life.</p>
<p>No, no one “made Patrick Kennedy use his family connections to become a US Congressman.” And no one made him NOT use his family connections to pursure careers that could have been far more lucrative either. </p>
<p>And here we go again. “dope-addict screw up.” If I had a dime for every time you cast disparaging insults to people who have the ““disease”” of addition, on CC, I’d be rich. Do you hate people who have other mental illnesses as well?</p>
<p>Good grief, people. This feeding frenzy has got to stop. Addictive disorders have a strong genetic component, and sadly Patrick Kennedy was swimming in the wrong gene pool. Got it from both sides. Not to mention living with cancer and an amputation at a young age, and growing up in the limelight. I have greater respect for him than for kids who threw their lives away to crime, etc. I’ll take him and his politics over many other children of the rich and famous. Why drag him into this thread to be chewed up and spit out too? Does anyone else feel like they are at a lynching?? I suspect the tar and feathers are around here somewhere…</p>
<p>I am truly embarassed for this forum right now.</p>
<p>ID…what would you do if someone in your family had an addiction problem? Would you stop loving them? Caring for them? Wishing them well? Would you discount all the positive things and contributions they had made in their life because of this bad mark on them?</p>
<p>I have been on this forum since 2004 and with this thread we have reached a new low.<br>
I came home from work and asked H if he had heard about Ted Kennedy. He said he had and that it was terrible. I should add that we are, generally, Republicans. I shook my head and told him it was terrible except on College Confidential where a number of people had not forgiven him for past “sins” and thought he deserved the cancer. We are both disappointed and disgusted by the reactions of a supposedly enlightened and educated group of people.
Interesteddad- I cannot even begin to say what I would like to about your posts or I would violate the terms of service here. I do hope you are getting some help.</p>
<p>My brother or sister is not a US Congressman, stoned out of his mind on painkillers, wrecking his car on Capitol Hill.</p>
<p>Look. Nobody wishes ill will on Senator Kennedy as he dies from brain cancer. Everyone hopes his final days are peaceful.</p>
<p>But, that doesn’t mean cannonizing the guy or his dope addict son Patrick.</p>
<p>I’m really taken aback at some of the comments on this thread. Ugh.</p>
<p>I haven’t seen anyone say that he “deserves the cancer”. I certainly don’t feel that way. I think it’s sad news for him and his family and I wish them the best.</p>
<p>I will be glad when he is no longer serving in the US Senate. I don’t believe that someone who ducked responsibility for killling a woman is an appropriate role model in the US Senate.</p>
<p>ID…nobody here is cannonizing Sen. Kennedy! If we WERE discussing our thoughts on his politics or his history, that is one thing. But we aren’t. Yeah, his behavior in Chappaquidick is not good. I could care less about that when I hear someone is gravely ill. I feel empathy. I would feel the same about a drug addict who overdosed. I’d feel the same about a right wing Republican whose politics I truly disliked. None of that would matter when I heard someone was very ill. This discussion is about his diagnosis and not about cannonizing him. Even those who disagree with his politics and with his past actions at Chappaquidick feel compassion for his diagnosis and for his family. You know, some people can do some bad things in their life that should not discount any of the good that they ALSO have done and surely should not cause ill will when someone hears that they have cancer or even die. I do not see cannonizing going on here. I see SOME of us feeling empathy for a person who got cancer and for his family at this sad time in their lives. It has nothing to do with their political leanings, addictions, past experiences.</p>
<p>Reading this thread made me feel sad and dirty. MOWC, it is a new low.</p>
<p>Interesteddad many ‘well connected’ children get high-paying jobs on wall street where they live happily ever after. This is a kid who battled an inherited predisposition toward a horrible mental illness AND got cancer, but still works hard at serving our country. </p>
<p>You just can’t seem to get past ANYONE who has addiction problems. I agree with momofwildchild–you need to get some help and examine your prejudice.</p>
<p>ID…we are not discussing whether Ted Kennedy is a good role model in the Senate. That would be an appropriate topic if discussing his politics or actions as a public figure. I see people here TRYING to discuss his news of his illness. What you think of him as a person, as a Senator, as a father, etc. should have no impact on how you view his illness. </p>
<p>As well, some are taken back by negative names given to people whom you know who have used drugs or alcohol such as “town drunks” or “dope-addict screw-up.” I sincerely hope that nobody you love ever has an addiction problem.</p>
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<p>Didn’t someone say, “What goes around comes around.” (post #41)</p>
<p>So, when someone gets cancer, do you evaluate the empathy quotient as to whether they have ever done anything negative in their life? Like…who cares…that person was a screw up or a drunk…</p>
<p>The topic could be comic books and InterestedDad would find a way to accuse someone of being a druggie or a drunken waste of space</p>
<p>Teriwtt…yes, indeed…Barrons said “what goes around comes around,” implying no empathy because this guy had done something negative in his life.</p>
<p>Besides that, it seems if you do one thing negative in life, you are “marked” and it discounts all the good you have contributed to society. </p>
<p>Geez, I hope nobody you love EVER does anything wrong.</p>
<p>^^ They obviously already did. There is no other explanation for this viciousness.</p>
<p>It is because Kennedy has wealth that he is so vilified. Back in the day very few people were arrested for drunk driving no matter the circumstances. Many people were killed and it was written off as a tradgic accident. Some posts boarder on cruelty, and I wonder if none of them have made mistakes in their distant past including drinking and driving. Loathe the sin, but not the sinner. How about some compassion for a dying man. When my time comes I hope people look at the sum of my life and not mistakes and yes sins I committed especially in my young foolish adulthood. I wish I had the life of some posters that have never sinned, but then maybe I woundn’t have any compassion for others. My prayers aren’t just for people I deem worthy but any human in need and I will pray for Kennedy and his loved ones.</p>
<p>Where’s the outpouring of grief for Senator Spector, who is also dying of cancer?</p>
<p>I feel sadness for him and his family, too.</p>
<p>I hope that none of you who have taken the time to write cruel things at this time about the Senator and his family are planning to become physicians or lawyers-or applying to medical school. This post is very sad.</p>