Teddy Kennedy's Search for Meaning

Watching George W. Bush at the funeral of Teddy Kennedy on Saturday was, to say the very least, amusing. It's always great fun to witness the members of the vast right wing conspiracy confronted head-on with the theological flaws that are inherent in their philosophy. Watching that event with my pal, Kevin Swanwick, we both were mesmerized and just slightly overjoyed to be reminded yet again that the basic tenets of Liberalism are in perfect harmony with our Christianity - our Catholicism: feed the hungry, shelter the poor and clothe the naked. Oh, how I wish the camera would have cut to Bush's face the moment he was confronted with the most famous line (and justly so) from the Gospel according to Matthew:

"I tell you this: whatever you did to the least of these brothers of mine, you did to me."

Jesus of Nazareth

One can only imagine how uncomfortable that passage from the scriptures must have made him feel. Or how about the Sermon on the Mount?

"Blessed are the peace makers
For they shall be called Sons of God."

I imagine being confronted with the words of Jesus Christ might make old George just a tad uneasy. The prayers that were offered up by the youngest members of the Kennedy clan, in Teddy's own words, were the most touching part of the entire day:

"That human beings be measured not by what they cannot do. That quality health care becomes a fundamental right and not a privilege. That old policies of race and gender die away. That newcomers be accepted, no matter their color or place of birth. That the nation stand united against violence, hate and war. That the work begins anew, and the dream lives on. We pray to the Lord."

Lord hear our prayer.

After the mass had ended, and Kevin and I headed into town to get a cup of coffee, I was almost stunned by the good cheer I felt. Ted Kennedy's funeral was truly a joyous event. Truth be told, it was damned-near therapeutic! The politics of joy as opposed to the politics of fear. There ain't nothin' like it in the world, Baby!

The stark contrasts between the ideals of the Progressive movement and the right wing's backwards and greedy ideology were out in public Saturday for all to compare and contrast at Our Lady of Perpetual Comfort Church in Boston. The differences were so obvious, you could not have missed them had you tried.

http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com

Tom Degan
Goshen, NY

"Certainly the murders of Jack and Bobby Kennedy were devastating and life-changing for Teddy."

Just like the murder of Mary Jo, an only child, a young woman of great promise, was "devastating and life-changing" for her parents, who only died in the last few years. Pity they didn't live to see this day. More of a pity that they never saw their daughter's success in life, never thrilled to a grandchild's laughter, never had their daughter to comfort them in their old age, because Teddy drove off a bridge with her in 1969.

I hope and pray that times have changed enough that never again will a prominent politician be able to get away with such a thing.

Growing up as a clergyman's daughter, I developed a fascination for observing people, always seeking out true examples of godliness. From my experience, people like Sen. Kennedy who may have had sins that were more obvious, thus easier to throw stones at, were often far more spiritual, kind and compassionate people than those whose sins were not immediately perceptible. Sen. Kennedy to me represents a joyous example of redemption, using his position in life to be one of service and generating legislation to better the lives of those without privilege. On the other hand, many who can self-righteously claim they never committed adultery or drove drunk with a vulnerable young woman in the car - some those "saints" can exhibit the cruelest of souls, capable of hate, oppression and crushing the spirits of whomever is weaker then they are. Sen. Kennedy showed more goodness and mercy in his life than those who so generously trash him.

we all dont have our Chapaquidicks RIP Mary Jo

Had Teddy been an evangelical he would simply have said that Jesus forgave him. As a Catholic he knew he needed to do good works, and he certainly did. Salvation by faith is for selfish and anally handicapped people.

People like Teddy and myself, who carry too much personal baggage, should stay out of politics.

Observing politicians over the years, I think that many males set "pro women" policies with the knowledge that it will be their defense if they get caught.

We all have our good points and our bad. Please don't get too soppy, because we will have to live with the aftermath of his policies.

And there was not another leader in Massachusetts who was just as able or maybe even better than Ted "Silver Spoon" Kennedy ??

Again, Ted Kennedy was drunk, drove his car off a bridge and his passenger drowned. A clear case of vehicular homocide. But of course, the person who drowned was a woman and women were/are simply play things to the Kennedy boys!!! Ditto for Newt, Sen's. Vitter and Ensign , and Gov. Sanford.

"Meaning" starts with the heart.

No, not with the church. That is a messy, exiguous, sophistic substitute for what the heart can be.

The true heart is the master, in full, of religion, worldly and personal love, and human direction.

"The slug was a cheat, a lush, an arrogant hateful hypocrite, ..."

Gee " LarryG62", with the recent record of Republican misbehavior (Newt, Rush, Sen's Ensign & Craig, Gov. Sanford, or Rep's Vitter & Foley - all of them "holy and righteous" protectors of family values), one might want to reconsider before throwing stones at at Ted Kennedy's flag-draped coffin (yeah, he was a veteran, an enlisted soldier).

No one is perfect; when a person make mistakes in judgment they need to acknowledge and learn from those mistakes, try to make amends, and then move. I think this is exactly what Ted Kennedy tried to do after his grievous mistake in 1969.

As far as saying he was a "spoiled little rich boy", name calling is best left behind in grade school.

Hmmm, "brucerealtor@gmail.com" just set off the alarm on my probability wave detector. Any one get a similar reading??

Its now almost 10 minutes since I posted my first comment.

I have it on good authority that the CIA has approved it and you can now post it.

Well, its now 5 minutes after supposedly posting my comment and it has yet to appear.

Abrakadabra

Let the censor no post the comment.

Whatever his personal devotion to his faith, the evidence is that he followed basic tenets of his Christianity and his Catholicism that taught him to serve others, and that is what gave his life the meaning he had been seeking for so long.
--------------------------------------------
Well just maybe he learned of an event attributed to Elijah in the Talmud.

That event addressed Messianic Consciousness and occurred long before the advent of Jesus Christ.

One day, the story goes, a Rabbi Joshua approached Elijah and he asked the great prophet "When will the Messiah Come," to which Elijah responded, 'why don't you ask him that for yourself."

Rabbi Joshua responded, "Wait -- for as you spoke, I also heard the voice of a 3rd one, but he spoke falsely, for he said that he would come today and yet he has not come."

Elijah responded, "this is what you heard: he said that he would come today IF you would hear his voice."
-------------------------------
While many Christians await the Second physical coming of Jesus [the first coming in their personal lives] this strongly suggest that such an interpretation of Christian doctrine is erroneous -- that the Second coming occurs once one is willing to hear 'his' voice and no waiting is ever necessary for a physical rebirth of Jesus. Indeed, there is absolutely no suggestion whatsoever, that either Elijah or Rabbi Joshua were referring to the future coming of Jesus at all, though the ministry of Jesus and also of John the Baptist for that matter and of ALL 'who hear the voice' [of Heaven] will be in the presence of the Messiah.

Be it in church, or elsewhere, after Kennedy was put to the test[s], it appears that he too heard the voice of the Messiah and changed his life and the lives of numerous others thereafter.

May he rest in peace.

Okay, LarryG62, CCNL1, and all others who want to dwell exclusively on Chappaquiddick, this is your mission: when Laura Bush dies (and I hope she lives a long, happy life), you must jump onto the web and comment, after every article that praises her good works and stature in society, that she killed a young man after running a stop sign when she was 17. The young man she killed was her former boyfriend, who was also 17, and his poor father had to witness his son's death from the vehicle he was driving (he was following his son in another car). Laura was chatting with her girlfriend, you see, and she wasn't paying proper attention to the road. True story.

This is what everyone should remember when Laura Bush passes on. It is the defining moment of her life, and neither her horrible grief, nor all the good she did afterwards for her fellow Americans should not count, under "Kennedy" rules.

Right?

Basic tenets of Christianity?
How outrageous.
The slug was a cheat, a lush, an arrogant hateful hypocrite, pro abortion liberal(real Christianity there) and someone who should have served time for manslaughter.

He was a spoiled little rich boy, thanks to his old man's bootlegging, whose daddy got him out of a four year enlistment in the Army in half the time.

Christianity?
Surely you're
lying or you live in a cave. I suspect the former. What a pile of manure.

How shameful for the author to use his death as an opportunity to sell a proposal in a bill that, I suspect, a majority of his own party won't support, because, like Teddy, politicans are accomplished at one thing above all others -- counting votes. His an interesting study in failure and redemption (maybe). Let's see how history treats him.

Ms. Quinn,

Thank you for a thoughtful, uplifting and heartfelt look into your experiences with Senator Kennedy.

Few knew him personally as you did, and your recollections allow your readers to share aspects of the Senator's life that we would otherwise not have been able to glimpse. I am grateful to you for sharing your insights.

Many of us conduct a search for meaning and, if we are lucky, each of us finds the niche in which he or she takes interest and excels. We are all the richer that Senator Kennedy choose to focus on the cause of universal health care for Americans. The best and most fitting memorial that we could construct for Senator Kennedy would be to devote our efforts to completing his unfinished work by supporting a health care reform bill that included a meaningful public coverage option.

Because the August 11 death of Eunice Kennedy Shriver so closely preceded Senator Kennedy's passing, we have been given an opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with the Kennedy family. The family's record of public service is extraordinary and it is worth reminding critics that the Kennedys, whatever their flaws, could have retired to lives of luxury and ease. Instead, JFK, RFK, Ted Kennedy, and Eunice Shriver compiled substantial public service records that are deserving of respect and gratitude.

I am comforted that Senator Kennedy gained in wisdom and found personal satisfaction in his later years-- a status to which we all should aspire.

Every time I think I'll give up reading the postings because I can't bear the negativity of far right and far left, I'll give in and try again. This time was worth it - for Ms. Quinn's words - and for those of you who remind us not to throw those stones out of our glass houses. And again, I'm glad I'm a moderate. Naive, maybe, but there's got to be more Senators and Representatives that can forge something like the "middle of the road." Compromise - please - in his memory.

Jesus taught his disciples the Beatitudes, and one of them was "Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall inherit the earth, and another one was "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.

At one time or another we all have had our Chappaquiddick. So, maybe we didn't kill anyone in a car accident, but there have been other instances where we slandered, or killed somebody with gossip, and malicious statements, commmitted adultery or fornication, etc.

Each one of us need forgiveness from the Lord who is a merciful God, and we should be asking Him for that mercy rather than speaking ill of the dead.

For one day it will be our turn to walk that lonely road toward our final resting place, and I for one want to know that I have made my life right with the Lord. The rest of you should be doing the same.

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
These posts tell me more about the writers than about Ted Kennedy. We are all flawed one way or another. I've had an overdose of hypocritical Christians almost gleefully viciously judging others, true "born again" believers, who recite sins long past, (while the God they profess forgave Ted those sins before he even committed them, and doesn't even see them,) and overlook the good of this man's life. I didn't always agree with Ted Kennedy, yet I admired him.

A practicing compassionate Christian really shows up those pretenders who aren't.

And there was not another leader in Massachusetts who was just as able or maybe even better than Ted "Silver Spoon" Kennedy ?? Again, Ted Kennedy was drunk, drove his car off a bridge and his passenger drowned. A clear case of vehicular homocide. But of course, the person who drowned was a young lady and young ladies were simply play things to the Kennedy boys!!!

Don't ever expect them to say thanks. They just expect it. That's what was missing, so says Joe.

At one point in our lives, we can have our Chappaquidick. That's between Ted Kennedy and God. He did many good things to atone (for his trespasses) and that's good. The political leaders of the other Party have sins of their own - you conservatives who are making snide comments should shut up. Bush's WMDs and Iraq invasion are sins of the highest order - his lying led to so many deaths.

It's amazing that bloggers here can manage to define a person's entire life through one event - and generally one of which they know nothing. It seems to serve their purpose of discrediting one of the greatest public servants of our time, however. Let's hope they are not judged so cruelly when their time comes.

Back in the days of JFK and Bobby Kennedy, Teddy was seen as the "party boy," the lesser light of the Kennedy clan, always walking in his brothers' shadows. He did not come into his own until after Bobby's death, and then many thought it was more devotion to the family tradition than personal conviction.

I,too, remember when he made his run for President. It seemed to be more a matter of honor than of conviction, and many wondered whether some nut-case might try to take him out as well, making it "three for three". Many sighed in relief when he dropped out. He may have been one of them.

In his later years, he seemed to find himself, devoting himself not only to universal health care, but to care for the least among us. Those who knew him, knew him to be tireles in these efforts, but also one who would work across the aisle. His first loyalty was not to party, but to the "little guy." His name ranks as one of the top statesmen this country has ever produced. As a Christian, he is the finest example of what James, Jesus' brother, said: "be doers of the word, and not hearers only."

Senator Kennedy will be missed by all who care for "the least" among us. The rest at least owe him some silent respect.

These uglies above are working sooooo hard
to try to make Kennedy look bad.

But the continued lion-izaton today by those who knew him, worked with him...

or even those who kept up with American history and politics and/or the senate,
tells a whole different story.

There are so many know nothing,
tiresome brats on these posts. They apparently think they tell a new story. Noboby's heard it.Their sweating
and screaming means not a thing.

It's so sad to think that Sen. Kennedy may be among the last of the liberals to be of faith in this great nation.

Give me a break. The only thing Teddy spent a lot of time "searching for" was his next drink. I sincerely hope his children don't grow up to be like him.

From Wikipedia:

In addition to the working telephone at the Lawrence Cottage, according to one commentator, his route back to the cottage would have taken him past four houses from which he could have telephoned and summoned help; however, he did not do so.[8] The first of those houses, referred to as "Dike House", was only 150 yards away from the bridge, and was occupied by Sylvia Malm and her family at the time of the incident. Malm later stated that she had left a light on at the residence when she retired for that evening.[9]
Earlier that morning, two amateur fishermen had seen the overturned car in the water and notified the inhabitants of the cottage nearest to the pond, who called the authorities at around 8:20 am.[14] A diver was sent down and discovered Kopechne's body at around 8:45 am.[15] The diver, John Farrar, later testified at the inquest that Kopechne's body was pressed up in the car in the spot where an air bubble would have formed. He interpreted this to mean that Kopechne had survived for a while after the initial accident in the air bubble, and concluded that
“ Had I received a call within five to ten minutes of the accident occurring, and was able, as I was the following morning, to be at the victim's side within twenty-five minutes of receiving the call, in such event there is a strong possibility that she would have been alive on removal from the submerged car.[8]
”
Farrar believed that Kopechne "lived for at least two hours down there."[16]

The comments referencing Senator Kennedy's tragic accident reminded us of the power of forgiveness. What a waste it would have been for him to have spent 20 years in jail.

While I did not share a lot of his politics, I can not help but stand in awe of what he accomplished. He did work towards the good, as given the power to perceive the good. I hope when I die, someone will say the same about me and forgive my trepasses.
Ms. Quinn, nice article.

One word summarizes Ted Kennedy's life, "Chappaquiddick". He committed vehicular homicide i.e. driving and crashing while drunk and his passenger died. Anyone else would have spent the next 20 years in jail.

"Gone were the wild parties and late nights of his earlier years. He became a real homebody, almost reclusive. One rarely saw him out on the Washington social circuit. He was famous for fly-by's where he would come in and go out, celebrate whoever was the guest of honor, and be gone in half an hour. He began taking painting lessons and took great joy in that, his face lighting up when he talked about his art. "

Memories of driving off a bridge with your passenger ending up drowning will do that to you!!!!

"Gone were the wild parties and late nights of his earlier years. He became a real homebody, almost reclusive. One rarely saw him out on the Washington social circuit. He was famous for fly-by's where he would come in and go out, celebrate whoever was the guest of honor, and be gone in half an hour. He began taking painting lessons and took great joy in that, his face lighting up when he talked about his art. "

DUI memories of driving off a bridge with your passenger ending up drowning will do that to you!!!!