I cannot discount Ted Kennedy’s influence and effort on behalf of the American people however much I may have disagreed with him politically. He fought the good fight for the things he believed in and for that I respect him.
Yet, I cannot grasp how the citizens of Massachusetts could have continued to elect a man who was so unwilling to be accountable for Chappaquidick and his above-the-law attitude. Strange how they would trust him with the policy influence on a nation and yet excuse his circumvention of the law.
In watching an NBC Video about Kennedy, I see a man who led an amazingly bold life of public service which was also so regularly riddled with personal and family tragedy. And yet, I wonder... what level of effort, what measure of acts of good will and service, make up for a life. Then again... in my heart of hearts I know that such a question is God’s to answer… not mine.
So, while Ted Kennedy would never have gotten my vote, I appreciate his contribution to this great nation. I wish his family peace and wish him well as he reconnects with those who went before he did.
As an aside... I had the opportunity to hear him speak at a conference I attended a couple of years ago. It was just a couple of months before it was announced that he had a malignant brain tumor. I was struck by how short he was. I suppose that we see figures like Ted Kennedy as "larger than life" and expect them to physically dominate a room. He did not. But I was impressed by his passion.
Regards,
Kathryn Simpson
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