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Features
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Written by Joe McGrenra
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Friday, 28 August 2009 10:19 |
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In the case of Senator Kennedy there is little that we would have agreed on politically, and that is fine. I think that liberals operate from a different philosophy or flawed assumptions. However, they could say the same about me, and there is nothing to say that liberals cannot be folks of fine and good character.
Over the past few days, what has become known simply as “Chappaquiddick Incident” has gotten sparse coverage. Actually, there are middle aged folks who literally were not yet born when the event occurred just over 40 years ago.
In mid-1969, Senator Kennedy was married with children and a pregnant wife. What is known about the “Chappaquiddick Incident” is that on the evening of July 18th, 1969 Senator Kennedy left a party with a young woman named Mary Jo Kopechne. He was driving a 1967 Oldsmobile Delmont and drove it right off the Dike Bridge into the Poucha Pond outlet. The car went under but Kennedy escaped, left the scene and failed to contact the police until the next day.
Now, let’s leave all the theories aside concerning an affair, whether or not the Senator was drunk and the like and concentrate on just one fact. Senator got out-escaped with his life. He either failed to save Miss Kopechne (his version) or just didn’t try, BUT he didn’t immediately call for help and left the scene.
Believe me I know that none of us live up to our ideals. We all fall short on a daily basis, but very seldom does that result in the loss of a life or lives. The end result of Chappaquiddick was that Mary Jo Kopechne lost her life. She never had the chance to marry and be a wife, mother, and grandmother.
The “Chappaquiddick” Incident” was not a bill or an issue or a debate in the Senate that had abstract outcomes and Kennedy was not a young and immature man, but 37 years old, married, a father and a United States Senator. On a personal level, he came head to head with a test of character and he failed.
Joseph J. McGrenra, CFCM
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