[QUOTE=The Second Stone]
Being born in the early 60s I always thought that the stories friends (even Republican ones) told me about how people said they didn’t care or even approved of when JFK or RFK were murdered must have been misremembered. I see that once again I am probably wrong. I’m going to download this whole thread and save it. This thread is the saddest thing I have ever read about my country.
Every piece of legislation that Edward M. Kennedy authored and got passed and signed into law, and he did that more than any other legislator in this nation’s history, was passed by a majority of the House, a filibuster-secure majority in the Senate and signed by the President into law. A piece of legislation secure from filibuster represents a super-majority of at least 60 or 66 percent of the States, and often a great deal more of the population. To see people be so contemptuous of all the people’s representatives as to say that Kennedy did great damage to this country through his service to use as a Senator is most unfortunate. As for his most unfortunate accident in which Mary Jo Kopechne lost her life and Kennedy failed to report for far too long, the story related above that he never was convicted is untrue, he pled guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and received a two month suspended sentence. I hope that this never happens to anyone we know. It is also untrue that he has never apologized to the public or the family, he has done both as reported in the New York Times on July 18, 1994. The Kopechne family also received a settlement. Yes, Kennedy’s disease of alcoholism caused this accident in my opinion. I suppose what really disappoints me the most is that I get the distinct feeling that people who dislike Kennedy’s politics relish that this tragedy happened.
When a certain conservative writer died earlier this year, I certainly did not relish that he had a long heroin habit (which he was perfectly happy with having and as he and I might both have agreed is none of my business), but I gave him the respect that a learned opponent who contributed (in ways I wish no one had contributed) to our political process.
Are we really so immature that we do not give room for differences of opinion and for real human nature? Apparently so. And it bespeaks the danger to our republic when we cannot acknowledge when the other side has won majority votes, or when an opponent is mentioned the ad hominem is the first counter mention, even though four long decades have passed, and it truly was an incident as tragic to Kennedy as the murders of his brothers.
I continue to be nonplussed by not just the lack of charity by people allied politically with Christians in situations like these, but it shocks me to see the lack of civilized behavior by and large. When Nixon died, I reflected on his accomplishments and what could have been for such a gifted man, I certainly did not go out and publicly post for the world to see my lack of manners in mentioning how much I disagreed with his politics – after a civilized mourning period, I have the rest of my life to do that if I feel the need.
It’s not that I didn’t know that people felt this way about Kennedy, I always have. I am just so disappointed that so many of my fellow Americans are so poorly raised.
[/QUOTE]
Welcome to the straight dope message board and thank you for posting that thoughtful reply. But when you mentioned a conservative writer w/ a heroin habit, who are you talking about? Though I might have an idea. Not that it matters, much. but still… wow.
