Quote of the Week: A Catholic Priest With Ted Kennedy

Reader Comments

Back to blog

Why is Ted Kennedy so revered? I don’t write this to be judgmental but to expose the hypocrisy of it all. In 1969 he drove his car off of a bridge after leaving a party – leaving his passenger to die and then called the police ten hours later so they could fish her corpse out of the water in the submerged car. What would a normal person be charged with? Aggravated man slaughter? DUI? No, in their hypnotic love affair with this guy he got probation for leaving the scene of an accident. He served no jail time. A year later he celebrated his re-election to the Senate with 62% of the vote.

But wait there’s more. He rarely passed up an opportunity to cheat on his wife. He had sex in public places and sexually harassed women. Abused a lot of drugs and alcohol. Then he voted against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas amid some weak allegations that Thomas had harassed a woman. What the hell? Kennedy would continue to receive endorsements by The National Organization for Women – the same organization that remained consistently silent when Monica Lewinsky, Paula Jones, Kathleen Willey and a dozen others made news

He was expelled from college for cheating on an exam and then drafted into the Army. His father used political connections to keep him out of combat during the Korean War. He was discharged a Private First Class two years later.

He claimed to be Roman Catholic but was an advocate for gay rights, the teaching of evolution in school and was pro-choice regarding abortion – some Catholic.

These are some of his flaws. Why was he liked? He was a consistent liberal vote in the Senate and his last name was Kennedy. There have been other staunch liberals with less popularity. His older brother President John F. Kennedy was probably the most conservative Democrat President in modern times. So why people like the Kennedy family for name sake alone is illogical. I might understand it if the people who liked the Kennedys personally knew them. JFK and Ted were pretty much opposites on policy matters.

Ken Williams of VA 9:50PM August 28, 2009

How sad that others judge a man strictly by his decision to let people make their own choice regarding abortion. Pro choice is misunderstood, and if you take this man's life, and his devotion to the poor, it is easy to see he was a good man. Being pro-choice does not mean one personally believes in abortion.

My first vote was for his brother John, and I saw Teddy grow up. Yes, he made some big mistakes, but the man finally gave up alcohol, and with that, became the most important man in Washington.

He personally contacted every family in Massachusetts who was affected by 9/11 - and kept in touch with them, seeing that they were OK.

I am now 70 years old, and like Ted Kennedy have gone through many stages of my life, but my life will never have the legacy of this man - he was a doer, he cared, he was brilliant, and never stopped working until he took his last breath. His family, all those children and grandchildren of his deceased brothers, whom he became "father" for will dearly miss him

God rest Teddy Kennedy -

Patricia of CA 11:27AM August 28, 2009

God has already judged his immortal soul; our efforts at that are futile. Let's not stop praying for him and all the others who are Catholic or not, alive or dead, that promote, procure, or practice abortion.

U.S. deaths from abortion are estimated at 45 million babies since the passage of Roe v. Wade. Doesn't that look like genocide? The "deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group", almost always fostered by an out of control government...in America's case, an unprincipaled Supreme Court.

The pyschological and physical harm done to the mothers is impossible to know or quantify. We do know some have died, or otherwise been rendered incapable of having another baby, also ,from the effects of abortion. There is a growing group called "I Regret My Abortion".

Many of these children would be paying into social security and would now be loving, responsible, productive citizens.

ellen Simoni of FL 10:28AM August 28, 2009

He mudered a woman, and supported abortion...I thought he was banned from reciving commonion...what a evil man

Todd Pollard of TX 10:15PM August 27, 2009

Mary Jo Kopechne has no comment.

2wellread of DC 8:41PM August 27, 2009

Let us hope Ted confessed his guilt for promoting abortion before going before his Maker.

jim 6:30PM August 27, 2009

I would like to send condolance to all the family and i am thinking about all of them all the way from Alaska. Take care and i love you all.

Freida McCord of AK 6:18PM August 27, 2009

Senator Kennedy likewise. There comes a time for each of us.

As for not knowing Senator Kennedy's private spiritual side? We hear from even his loudest Congressional opponents that he was a nice man. We know his political work was mostly for people less fortunate than the monied class that he came from. Perhaps we do sort of know.

Muser of NM 4:39PM August 27, 2009

Add Your Thoughts
Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

Back to blog

God & Country

U.S. News Weekly

Subscribe Now!

Order the new U.S. News Weekly digital magazine at a special low introductory price!

Dan Gilgoff covers religion for U.S. News & World Report. He is the author of The Jesus Machine: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America are Winning the Culture War, and is a former politics editor at beliefnet. E-mail Dan at godandcountry@usnews.com.

Is increasing access to healthcare a moral or faith-based cause?

View Results

Follow Dan Gilgoff on: Facebook | Twitter | MySpace

Photo Gallery

Faith Photo of the Day

See what's going on in the faith world across the globe every day.

SPECIAL REPORTS

Secrets of Islam

A guide to the world's fastest growing religion.

Sacred Places

Explore the significance, history, and enduring power of places people consider most sacred.

Women of the Bible

The "daughters of Eve" play many roles in the Old and New Testaments.