Yesterday, Saturday, I woke up early. Around five. I did my morning chores. I cleaned the cat box and I cleaned up outside where the dog does his business. I swept my porch of all the leaves that had floated in during the night. I fed the animals. I made my bed. I sat down to rest for a while, I turned on the TV and I never left my chair until what seemed very late. I had happened to turn on CNN and it happened to show the Kennedy funeral. The cortege was leaving the church in Boston and the long, slow journey to Arlington had just begun.
The outpouring of love at every stop was astounding. Tears came to my eyes often, and to the eyes of many of the people standing waiting on street corners along the route. And they were so quiet and so respectful. Thousands of people lined the streets when the trip reached Washington DC. I was so proud to be an American. And I was so ashamed when I heard people referring to Chapaquidik.
In my mind's eye, I can see what happened the night of that tragic event. The office party was in full swing and the unfortunate girl who was lost that night, felt ill and made her way to the nearest car, where she laid herself down on the back seat, and fell asleep. She didn't know who owned the car. Moments later Ted Kennedy decided it was time to leave. He knew he had had too much to drink but decided to test his luck. He never knew that he was not alone in the car. The accident happened and he quickly recovered his senses and opened the door of the car and swam to the nearest friendly house.
Meanwhile the girl in the car became aware of her situation. She tried the back doors of the car and could not force them open. It was dark but she discovered that there was a pocket of air left close to the ceiling above the dash board and again she crawled over the front seat and drew several big breaths of air. Consequently she was found in the front seat of the car next morning.
There is no way ANYONE could have left someone in a sinking car. I do not believe that Ted Kennedy could have done it. And if his name had been Joe Jones he would not have had to suffer from so many reminders of the tragedy. Thank God for the Catholic Church which has the power of redemption. He knew that he was forgiven by God and became so ferocious in his work for people who needed him. Maybe now we can have a better medical situation with fairness for children and people of lesser means.
16 comments:
I also saw on TV yesterday the very moving funeral at the church in Boston and was amazed and in tears by Ted Jr's speech. Patrick's also was moving and personal. Ted Jr's speech is on You Tube and worth listening to as was President Obama's eulogy if you did not catch it .
I never anticipated watching it or wanting to, but my husband told me that he was getting up early on Sat. to see it at 9am which would be 7am your time. I woke up at 8:30am with my alarm and joined him. I had stuff to do so I turned it on in the bedroom and multi-tasked except during President Obama's eulogy. It was a very moving memorial on Friday night and a moving funeral on Saturday. I didn't know so much about him except a bit even though I'm a Democrat (who is misplaced in Texas).
Very interesting about the real story - I'm 41 and I never heard that she had just gotten into his car! Media only shows the public what it wants to. Thanks for this!
I only wish that was the way the accident happened, but I'm afraid it's not. You can go online and see the story. She was in the front seat.
It was a very sad story and we are all only human. He made a terrible mistake in not reporting it sooner.
In his service to all in his later life he redeemed himself.
It was a lovely service and a very heavy loss for us all. I only hope someone will arise to try to become as strong a leader in the Senate. God knows we need someone else like him.
Keitha
How pathetic! Gag me! I suppose fairies exist too?
Svensto, don't trouble yourself to respond to the anonymous comment about fairies. The internet is a rude and intolerant place, I value your blog as we never have this kind of negative intervention here please delete that comment and we'll get back to where we were. Please don't let this blog change
Chris in the UK - not anonymous -
Ditto Chris's remarks.
Can't imagine how anonymous even found your site. He obviously doesn't know who you really are.
He needs gagging!
"I'm 41 and I never heard that she had just gotten into his car!"
That's because it didn't happen that way. We know this because Kennedy's OWN WORDS at the inquest tell us that this is not what happened.
This lie of a story is a sad attempt to rewrite history because it's very hard to worship a man who held such disdain for any life other than his own.
I expected better from you, Svensto. You're old enough to know better. I guess there's no need to keep reading this blog.
"He never knew that he was not alone in the car. The accident happened and he quickly recovered his senses and opened the door of the car and swam to the nearest friendly house."
Yes, that's exactly what happened. *sarcasm*
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,878212-2,00.html
"He was even more specific on what happened after he surfaced and caught his breath some 30 feet downstream from the car. According to his account, he dived down to the car seven or eight times during a 15-to 20-minute period, trying to reach Mary Jo, then spent another 15 or 20 minutes resting on the bank before starting down the road to the cottage."
He dove down to the car 7 or 8 times because he believed he was alone? Maybe he was really looking for his cell phone and not a drowning woman?
Yes, I know there were no cell phones in 1969 but if you are stupid enough to believe that he thought he was alone in the car, you're stupid enough to believe that they did exist back then.
FYI; this sort of stupidity is COMPLETELY VOLUNTARY on your part.
You know, everyone is allowed to their own opinions... but no one except the people involved really know, 100%, what happened that night.
I think that believing the best in people is definitely a remediable quality to have.
Talking down to someone you don't know, on the other hand, is not.
Like I said, everyone is entitled to their opinions but there is no need to be so "violent" and negative when expressing them, "Mary Jo". All that does is reflect poorly on you.
Ditto TM Photography's reply. The world doesn't need any more negativity. Svensto, I love that you look for the best in people, and I look forward to reading your blog for a long time to come.
Diane (who is grateful for all the positive changes brought about by Kennedy)
Wow, I never thought I'd find such a hater amongst the readers of this blog. How nice it must be to sit in such a high place and pass judgment on others! And I'd thought that job was already taken. Oh well, off she goes to pass it in the comments of someone else's blog.
Grandma Svensto, please keep sharing your stories and thoughts with us. I appreciate your point of view.
Dear Svensto, please don't allow one or two negative people discourage you from writing what is on your mind. There are more of us who enjoy your blog and we come here to read what you have to say. Please keep writing for us.
Yep, the drunken sot is gone and the country is better off without him.
Self-serving, egotistical murderer who left Mary Jo Kopechne not "that girl" to drown. At least call her by name - she had a family.
It is nice to know that the Catholic church has "forgiven" him - do you feel that way about other people that kill with their cars?
Your naivety is astounding and renders me speechless.
Keep your head buried in the sand if you can't tolerate the truth, but don't spread your rewritten story.
Try reading Ted Kennedy's own testimony.
Post a Comment