Ding dong the dick is dead.... I never would have guessed cancer would get him. I thought his liver would have failed long ago.
A lifetime of dedicated service to one's country deserves respect even if you don't agree with his policies. It's very easy to be apathetic and critical when most the people here will never do anything for their country other than voice blind, partisan disdain for government without ever taking any action to improve things themselves. This guy did; he's earned my respect.
I really have to hold back on this one.............Living on cape cod, I can only imagine how many more things will be named after him. Christ-the ship at my old school -mass maritime academy was named after him (the Kennedy). Why name a ship after a family that has had so much tragedy at sea??????? I don't even want to open the papers around here b/c it will make me sick to my stomach! I guess all I can say is rest in peace.....
You do realize that the Senate is not voluntary work right? They are making huge salaries with benefits we could only dream of. Let's not forget that most people here are veterans and many are war veterans also. That's some serious service to your country. I respect panthercity's service to our country more than anything any Congresman has done just by being in Congress. Same with Stefan, Doug and many others in here. It's not being a Congressman that make the man(or woman) it's what they do while in Congress that speaks for their character. Not everything Kennedy did was bad by any stretch but leaving a woman to die in a river because you are driving drunk and don't want to get into trouble is a pretty big hit against your character.
Remember, he left a women trapped in a car that he crashed into the water for hours prior to contacting anyone. That deducts huge amounts of "respect" points in my book that he can never gain back into a positive column. He also was hypocritical regarding the wind farms off the east coast that he felt was going to interfere with his sailing. The consumate NIMBY.
+1 but yet he's earned a lot of ppl's respect. Anyone else, they would had done some major time for that. Considering how wealthy that family is, he might have earned a smidgen of respect from me if he had worked for FREE but hey he's a great guy who served his state for 47 yrs. Wonder how they'd feel if they were related to Mary Jo? I guess some ppl can do no wrong in some ppl's eyes.
So if I kill a woman tonight while drinking and driving...you'll still respect me if I adopt a roadway and pick up some litter or paint the merry-go-round at the city park?
Hardly JUST voluntarily. There is the issue of needing public support to get voted into office. There are benefits to being a senator to be sure, but there are sacrifices too. But most of all there is profound love and respect for The United States of America that must exist for someone to want to volunteer for such a long-sustained role in America's government. Again, for this he's earned my respect.
And here I thought staying in political office that long was just due to a desire to shape things to one's own agenda......
Kennedy was an IRA supporter (to appease the Irish American vote) and an outspoken critic of the UK in Northern Ireland. He ignored the fact that democracy exists in NI in favour of the lie that NI is an occupied territory. He also attended fundrasers for the IRA despite the IRA killing both Catholics and Protestants and never once condemned them. His family came to wealth and power by bootlegging whisky. He had the luxury of engaging in politics as more of a hobby. "The Hero of Chappaquiddick and an IRA supporter." A suitable epitaph.
Of course it is. To who's agenda should a politician be shaping things? Someone else's agenda? Maybe the agenda of one's constituents? He was voted into office 9 times, so I'm pretty sure his constituents were satisfied that he was representing their agenda too.
For him, US Politics is the family business. Being one of the Kennedy brothers guarantees the support needed for a run at a political office. Sacrifices...when you're as wealthy as any one of the Kennedy's, that word doesn't actually come into play...ever. As stated before, his long participation in our Government to me speaks volumes about the silliness of the Massachusetts voters. The fact that he held his senate seat after the DWI killing was simply stunning. Will you respect Barney Frank if he stays involved for another 30+ years? I believe he's an idiot now...30 more years of him will cement my theory that people in MASS need a reality check. I admit that Teddy is the end of a political dynasty, but I for one am glad its over. America will be a better place without him. Its up to God to have mercy on him...not me.
