Thread: Chappaquiddick incident. May Mary Jo rest in peace now

Originally Posted by JMS

I guess I am a poor tasting bastard then but I am not judging Senator Kennedy as you suggest. I am only laying out the article for anyone who wishes to read it. It is Gods to judge in the final analysis

Mark,

I didn't know you are a bastard. I thought your parents were married. Either way I'm sure, with some fava beans and a nice chianti you would taste as deliscious as any other hypocrite. You see, when you put out something that reads, "I will however post the article here and let everyone judge for themselves." you are inviting judgement by someone other than God. If you really believed what you wrote, you'd stay out of it.

Your Friend,

Brad

The problem with the original post, IMO, is that is violates the traditional notion of not speaking ill of the recently-departed, at least in the immediate aftermath of their death. There's not an educated person in this Country that doesn't know about the Chappaquiddick incident. The Right wing talkers have been bringing this issue up for the past 30 or so years on almost a daily basis. But rather than let at least a few day pass before bringing up yet again, some out there have chosen to focus on it before the senator's body has even assumed room temperature.

Mark often ignites the flame thrower of controversy while simultaneously asserting that he's "just putting it out there". I think the classy thing would have been to lay low and show some respect for a reasonable period of time-at least until the funeral and mourning period passes and then, if you felt compelled to do so, resume your practice of dredging up the dirt you are so fond of flinging against a political opponent.

1) Horrible event, handled horribly. Did he NOT serve jailtime because of his last name? Perhaps. Did he go back inthe water after her? I have no idea. I'd guess no, but it would be a guess.
Could I have just as easily caused the death of my companions as a stupid young man? Absolutely. Would I have done whatever I could to avoid jailtime? you betcha. Would I then be able to get into national government, well, probably not...and for more reasons than just for that.
But it is one event. For all the reasons for the Righties to dislike Senator Kennedy, this truly does ring the least true. We are talking about him because he served this country for over 4 decades. Plenty of people commit vehicular homicide and never get mentioned again.

2) Don't pretend to care about this young woman. There are thousands of tragically killed people out there...where is your concern for them?
Pretend the victim of this awful accident was a single mother of three. She is working two jobs, neither of which provides health care. She can not afford to go to the doctor, she gets pregnant, gets sick, and she is fired. She can not go to the doctor, she can not put food on the table, and she loses her home. She dies from a treatable condition that would have been treated ina country with great wealth AND a healthcare system that supplies all with their basic needs. Her children become the wards of a state that can not afford to give them the services they so desparately need. They turn to the people around them in the underfunded system, and act as they see. They become criminals, they do drugs, and they do not get an education. They also do not get good jobs or healthcare. God help them if they are also non white. And it's ALL THEIR FAULT. "PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILTY" people scream. Accountability is a fine thing. A fine thing indeed. if we as a society can give all people the tools to be accountable, and something WORTH accounting for, I think that might make a difference. THESE issues happen every day, and the stupid, tax and spend take-your-money and know better than you what to do with it liberals want to actually DO something about it.

Now, if THIS was Mary Jo, my dear, furious hatred spewing "conservative" friends...all of a sudden, do you care for "justice?" What if Mary Jo died not from a horrible car accident, but from a system that is broken, and could be FIXED if we all just decided to fight hard for it?

I'm just throwing it out there...make up your own minds. But, I do know of someone who came from privelege, and didn't need to work so hard for them, who did care deeply, and fought valiently for this type of person. Because he knew it in his heart to be the right thing to do.

Let's try to judge him for that, shall we? If we may not, let's at least temper our hatred withthe fact that he followed what his heart told him was right, and acted accoring to his principles.


I have no idea if anyone is still reading this stream of conciousness drivel. I haven't proof read it, and have no idea if it makes any sense or if it is a single incoherent run on sentence. If it is, please disregard and assume I am drunk, or maybe stupid. If it makes any sense, just give it a thought.

Hate the man for his liberal ideals, I get that. I don't agree with it, but I get it. But respect the fact that he served his country in the way he saw fit. there are plenty of people who respect service even if they don't agree with the way it is carried out. And I think we should all show that respect. I know I would, even if Bush V1 or Bush V2 died today.

I am not, and never have been a fan of any of the Kennedy clan. But, I also believe that it is time to let Sen. Kennedy rest in peace and move on.

Some people haven't had the time to read his original report.

He suddenly suffered of SMS (Selective Memory Syndrome), he didn't know how he got out of the car, forgot to tell his friends about the accident, and forgot to report the accident until the car was pulled out of the water.

If Mary Jo had been a black woman, perhaps things would be read differently.

Originally Posted by billyjeff2

The problem with the original post, IMO, is that is violates the traditional notion of not speaking ill of the recently-departed...
Mark often ignites the flame thrower of controversy while simultaneously asserting that he's "just putting it out there"...

Man I would expect more from a "Mentor". Sheese Mark you really let us all down here.

Hey SL1 - I think you did a pretty good job!

I didnt know that throwing Mary Jo under the bus was a good thing, I stand corrected, thank you SL1. Also not once did I attack the Senators legislative record, not once did I allude to his drunkeness, not once did I mention his infidelity or publicly lewd/rude behavior. I did not turn this into a political thread and niether did Mark.

Furthermore, while none of us is perfect we all must strive to be better, if not the standard is lowered continually and true civility will be lost. There must be a standard, even if we cant reach it, that is what keeps us from the depths of savagery.

So why all of the wailing and gnashing of teeth. If Mary Jo's death is a good thing then so be it.

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

I didnt know that throwing Mary Jo under the bus was a good thing, I stand corrected, thank you SL1. Also not once did I attack the Senators legislative record, not once did I allude to his drunkeness, not once did I mention his infidelity or publicly lewd/rude behavior. I did not turn this into a political thread and niether did Mark.

Furthermore, while none of us is perfect we all must strive to be better, if not the standard is lowered continually and true civility will be lost. There must be a standard, even if we cant reach it, that is what keeps us from the depths of savagery.

So why all of the wailing and gnashing of teeth. If Mary Jo's death is a good thing then so be it.

I'm sorry, I understand and agree completely with your second paragraph, but I really don't see the point of either the first or third.
I think trashing the name and memory of a very recently deceased and much beloved politician of a political party is most decidedly making this a political thread. That political party sees him as one of the faces of the dream of America with its best days still ahead of it.

I'm not sure what you mean by her death being a good thing, nor do I understand what you mean by throwing her under the bus. Like I said, assume I am either drunk or stupid. Her death was tragic. It seems like a terrible tragedy to me. I'm sure it did to Senator Kennedy as well. His actions were/are reprehensible. His lack of punishment unequal treatment. But to bring it up as the basis for discrediting his memory, when that memory is being honored now for his decades of service seems to be in bad taste.

As to the bold, well, you did now.

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

I didnt know that throwing Mary Jo under the bus was a good thing, I stand corrected, thank you SL1. ... So why all of the wailing and gnashing of teeth. If Mary Jo's death is a good thing then so be it.

In the (slightly bastardized) words of Bill Withers: "Dadgummit ...
Who is she, and what is she to you?" Donate some money to her memorial fund, and let it be. Or don't.