by eila in Uncategorized
Posted on August 26, 2009 at 6:03 pm
loading…
I don’t have a personal story on how Senator Kennedy’s office helped me but I’ve heard quite a few astonishing stories over the years that gave me an impression of a truly compassionate public servant. For example, one person’s immigration papers got afu’d (as in SNAFU) and the situation was desperate (despite the fact that it was an administrative error), until Senator Kennedy’s office was contacted. They cleared it up quickly, without any fuss, and without any publicizing. Another story I heard was that someone became ill and “Teddy” actually made a phone call to give them a physician contact – their astonishment was that he actually remembered them from just one small contact years before, heard about the issue, and reached out quickly to provide support and the resource.
Do any Somerville Voicers have personal stories to share?
loading…
May the man rest in peace, but- please – let’s not canonize the guy. His sordid accomplishments include:
1. Expelled from Harvard – TWICE
2. 1964 plane crash – he was beyond legally intoxicated – he was hammered
3. 1965 immigration bill – we was wrong (see his quote below). Dead wrong and we’re paying for it now.
4. 1969 – after driving his car into the ocean and leaving Mary Jo to drown – he “swam” to shore — passed a fire station and multiple houses – and continued partying. Nothing excuses this.
5. From then on he was a one man wrecking ball on our constitution.
The only thing I will give the man is he was pretty consistent in being far, far left and wrong. He never wavered in that – except he was pro-life to start his career and then turned against the innocent unborn later in life. I guess after 1969, and his taking of one life – what’s the taking of millions mean.
“Out of deference to the critics, I want to comment on … what the bill will not do. First, our cities will not be flooded with a million immigrants annually. Under the proposed bill, the present level of immigration remains substantially the same … Secondly, the ethnic mix of this country will not be upset … Contrary to the charges in some quarters, S.500 will not inundate America with immigrants from any one country or area, or the most populated and economically deprived nations of Africa and Asia. In the final analysis, the ethnic pattern of immigration under the proposed measure is not expected to change as sharply as the critics seem to think. Thirdly, the bill will not permit the entry of subversive persons, criminals, illiterates, or those with contagious disease or serious mental illness. As I noted a moment ago, no immigrant visa will be issued to a person who is likely to become a public charge … the charges I have mentioned are highly emotional, irrational, and with little foundation in fact. They are out of line with the obligations of responsible citizenship. They breed hate of our heritage.”
and what would be fitting is that another liberal hypocrite like Capuano replaces him.
loading...
Xumi,
The man just died. Many of us cared deeply about him because he cared deeply about us, whether we were Americans with disabilities or health insurance problems, struggling to earn a living wage, losing children in the war, or just middle-class Americans trying to get by. Despite his privileged upbringing, he did seem to “get it” and fight for his convictions to help us.
It is true that as a younger man he was not perfect (and who among us is?), but notice how far in the past the events you’ve outlined occurred, and how much he has done for his country in the decades since. As a story in the Globe today and as Ella’s comment attest, he also reached out personally and privately to many Mass. residents in need. I myself never had personal contact with Senator Kennedy, and yet my life is better thanks to his work.
Please just desist with the ranting for a couple of days in honor of the dead. And that’s my final comment to you.
loading...
Paula, no ranting on my part. May he rest in peace – wherever his soul ends up. Simple. No ranting.
My point was that canonizing Ted Kennedy is a mistake. Want to get a picture of Ted’s character? Ask Chris Dodd what his and Tedddy’s favorite sandwich is. Hint: google “Dodd, Kennedy, waitress sandwich”.
loading...