Okay, first of all, despite the F.U. up there, I think his entire life's work professionally is been beyond reproach. He was a mover, a shaker, a champion of those at the bottom of the ladder.
How-fucking-ever:
Let's just consider how CNN ( my news source of choice ) would have handled certain events had they occurred now. I'm pissed because I feel that CNN and the entire Media Machine ( Fox, CNN, whomever ) has taken a monumental pass on something because it happened 40 years ago. It's a skewed and sickening stance to take.
I'm talking, of course, about Chappaquiddick. Watching the female reporters quickly gloss over that even ( more so than the men ) was just awful. They degraded themselves and lost some cred. " Yes, there were difficult times, some mistakes were made, but this day, this week is about Redemption. " Ohhhh, how many times did I hear the R Word in the last week or two? How many of those female reporters were gagging inside, choking out the necessary and demanded R word, skipping quickly over his criminal act to return to the Glorification Of The Moment? Most of em. It was awful to see and hear.
I've a book- which I don't have on hand but will in a few hours- which gives direct quotes from the police officer on duty the night Ted Kennedy committed an act of either voluntary or involuntary manslaughter. ( I'll dig it out later, provide the officer's name and direct quotes from him on this incident. The cover-up was massive and 100% complete. )
He was never charged with manslaughter ( did it exist as a crime then? ), we are left with a dearth of hard facts but some mighty skeevy and calculated actions, way too late to do Ms. Kopechne any good at all.
Remove the Rose Kennedy-colored glasses. How would this event be covered by CNN today?
Wolf Blitzer in the Situation Room: Coming up next, a United States Senator leaves a young campaign aide to die in a watery grave. Why did he leave her? Playboy and power-broker Ted Kennedy now in the political hotseat, fighting for his career. We're covering all the angles, next in The Situation Room.
Nancy Grace: Good evening, Friend. I'm Nancy Grace and tonight we return to the Pond Scum Politico. This well-bred, well-heeled Massachusetts mover and shaker abandoned his campaign aide after his car flew off of the Dike Bridge in Chappaquiddick. She died and he's dancing, dodging and denying, avoiding all charges. All favors and chits have been called in. We're joined by Forensic Pathologist Kim Hwon Yi, Prosecutor in the Commonwealth of Massachussets Alfonso Storiano and Cape Cod's Nauset Light Beach Lifeguard Chad White.
Anderson Cooper with A.C. 360: Brutal killing or frisky evening out gone terribly wrong? Where WAS Teddy Kennedy for 24 hours after his car skidded off of the Dike Bridge three nights ago? What exactly was his relationship with 29 year old Mary Jo Kopechne? Why did she leave her keys and purse behind when Ted Kennedy offered to take her to the last ferry back to Edgartown? And why did Kennedy wind up on that bridge, since it was not on the way to the Edgartown Ferry? We will investigate the beginning of a watery end to the powerful roiling career of one Edward Kennedy.
And so on. He got to behave in an illegal manner. Camelot was powerful, so was he, and the locals never got a good foothold on the case. Now? He'd be done for. We all know the long list of politicians whose careers have ended for far less than an unreported dead body.
Many argue that Chappaquiddick cost him the Presidency in 1980. Perhaps, but I'd argue it was Carter as much as Kopechne who cost him the election.
So Fuck you, Teddy. You left your plaything for the evening to die upside down in a car Poucha Pond below the Dike Bridge. You ruined a life, wrecked a family and somehow that killing, 40 years later, is reduced to " Yes, he had his moments, yes he made some mistakes, there were problems, but this story is really about Redemption. "
Who's redeeming Mary Jo?
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