Brady Campaign Mourns Death of Gun Control Leader Ted Kennedy
After the passing of Senator Edward Kennedy, one of the nation's staunchest anti-gun violence champions, the Brady Campaign had this to say.“Senator Edward Kennedy was a great friend of the Brady Campaign and of all the activists and victims who have struggled for the last thirty years to bring common sense to our gun laws. He never faltered in his steadfast support. He stood up to the powerful special interests who have blocked progress on gun violence and never backed down. Our love and profound sympathy go out to his wife, Victoria, a former board member of the Brady Center, and to his entire family.”
- Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign
“This morning, Jim and I sat out on our porch and talked about the profound impact on our world made by a single man. One of the proudest honors of our lives was to have had Senator Kennedy as a friend.
“Without Senator Kennedy, there would not be a Brady Law. Through our long fight, he was always there, always ready to do anything we asked of him, never seeking the spotlight, just driven to help accomplish what was right. He was politically wise, remarkably fascinating company, a great storyteller. He and Jim had a special kinship because of their shared Irish heritage, but he was deeply kind and selfless to both of us.
“We are all less wealthy without Ted Kennedy. We have lost a great champion of reason and righteousness and courage.”
- Sarah and Jim Brady, Founders of the Brady Campaign
Brady Campaign Mourns Death of Gun Control Leader Ted Kennedy
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a great champion of ILliberalism, you mean.
My god . The Brady Bunch even tries to capitalize on their ties to SCUBA Ted Kennedy on the day of his death.
I'm old enough to have 'come of age' in the Sixties: I was doing my teaching Internship those days in '68 when Bobby Kennedy and MLK were killed; I shared in our collective revulsion at these acts and, in a limited way, had to help HS Seniors process their feelings in a classroom of young idealists.
It was a short year later, however, with a year of personal growth (of a kind) out in the real world, when Ted Kennedy left Mary Jo Kopechne to drown. I watched, and was astonished, at the naked application of power and money by his father to salvage Ted's political career. In short, it was those actions, and the related manipulations of power, that gave me my first dose of real-world politics , and the beginnings into my insights about good and evil in the world. The lesson I learned was that power trumps rightness.
In his politics, He asserted perverse political power on numerous occasions (seeking the Presidency, and Borking are but two notable incidents) and exploited his family's tragedies with firearms to feed the antigun irrationalism that rose up in the Eighties. The logical extension of his values played out in the eight years of political (il)liberalism and the hatred found in Bu$hiterism.
In sum, he typified the kind of value system I rejected as I matured. The conclusion I have reached I should hug my enemies closer--and keep my strong hand free. This man, after all, remained an unindicted murderer.
- jfh
August 26, 2009 5:54PM
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Ten things The Brady Campaign Would Like You To Forget
1. He was caught cheating at Harvard when he attended it. He was
expelled twice, once for cheating on a test, and once for paying a
classmate to cheat for him.
2. While expelled, Kennedy enlisted in the Army, but mistakenly signed
up for four years instead of two. Oops! The man can't count to four!
His father, Joseph P. Kennedy, former U.S. Ambassador to England (a step
up from bootlegging liquor into the US from Canada during prohibition),
pulled the necessary strings to have his enlistment shortened to two
years, and to ensure that he served in Europe, not Korea , where a war
was raging. No preferential treatment for him! (like he charged that
President Bush received).
3. Kennedy was assigned to Paris, never advanced beyond the rank of
Private, and returned to Harvard upon being discharged. Imagine a person
of his " education " never advancing past the rank of Private!
4. While attending law school at the University of Virginia, he was
cited for reckless driving four times, including once when he was clocked
driving 90 miles per hour in a residential neighborhood with his
headlights off after dark. Yet his Virginia driver's license was never
revoked. Coincidentally, he passed the bar exam in 1959. Amazing!
5. In 1964, he was seriously injured in a plane crash, and
hospitalized for several months. Test results done by the hospital at
the time he was admitted had shown he was legally intoxicated. The
results of those tests remained a "state secret" until in the 1980's when
The report was unsealed. Didn't hear about that from the unbiased media ,
Did we?
6. On July 19, 1969, Kennedy attended a party on Chappaquiddick Island
In Massachusetts. At about 11:00 PM, he borrowed his chauffeur's keys
to his Oldsmobile limousine, and offered to give a ride home to Mary Jo
Kopechne, a campaign worker. Leaving the island via an unlit bridge with
no guard rail, Kennedy steered the car off the bridge, flipped, and into
Poucha Pond.
7. He swam to shore and walked back to the party, passing several
houses and a fire station. Two friends then returned with him to the
scene of the accident. According to their later testimony, they told him
what he already knew - that he was required by law to immediately report
the accident to the authorities. Instead Kennedy made his way to his
hotel, called his lawyer, and went to sleep. Kennedy called the police
the next morning and by then the wreck had already been discovered.
Before dying, Kopechne had scratched at the upholstered floor above her
head in the upside-down car...
The Kennedy family began "calling in favors", ensuring that any inquiry
would be contained. Her corpse was whisked out-of-state to her family,
before an autopsy could be conducted. Further details are uncertain, but
after the accident Kennedy says he repeatedly dove under the water trying
to rescue Kopechne and he didn't call police because he
was in a state of shock. It is widely assumed Kennedy was drunk, and he
held off calling police in hopes that his family could fix the problem
overnight... Since the accident, Kennedy's "political enemies" have
referred to him as "The Distinguished Senator from Chappaquiddick". He
pled guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, and was given a
suspended sentence of two months. Kopechne's family received a small
payout from the Kennedy's insurance policy, and never sued. There was
later an effort to have her body exhumed and autopsied, but her family
successfully fought against this in court, and Kennedy's family paid
their attorney's bill... A "token of friendship"?
8. Kennedy has held his Senate seat for more than forty years, but
considering his longevity, his accomplishments seem scant. He authored
or argued for legislation that ensured a variety of civil rights,
Increased the minimum wage in 1981, made access to health care easier for
the indigent, and funded Meals on Wheels for fixed- income seniors and is
widely held as the "standard-bearer for liberalism". In his very first
Senate role, he was the floor manager for the bill that turned U.S.
Immigration policy upside down and opened the floodgate for immigrants
from third world countries.
9. Since that time, he has been the prime instigator and author of
every expansion of an increase in immigration , up to and including the
latest attempt to grant amnesty to illegal aliens. Not to mention the
pious grilling he gave two Supreme Court nominees, as if he was
the standard bearer for the nation in matters of "what's right". What a
pompous ass!
10. He is known around Washington as a public drunk, loud, boisterous
and very disrespectful to ladies. Jerk is a better description than
"great American".
- JohnH August 26, 2009 7:46PM
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Ding Dong
The Witch is Dead!
I don't drink, but I had a beer Tuesday Night! How fitting and ironic!
- camosoul77
August 27, 2009 6:40PM
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Taht pretty much covers it!
"We are all less wealthy without Ted Kennedy"
Ha, that says it all right there!
If only his parents were as liberal as he was.... We would not have had to endure 77 years of him destroying our country.
If I ever get the opportunity to relieve myself on his grave, I'll take pictures.
- camosoul77
August 27, 2009 6:42PM
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Bought and paid for
The kennedy clan started out on the riches obtained in breaking the very rules of the very goverment that latter they would attempt to dominate, sounds like a good crime novel. Anyway they where taught by their father that the best way to keep your wealth is by hooking up to serve the public while stealling them blind and and don't forget to throw the peasants there crumbs so they will be at your beck and call to do any cleaning up needed. The legacy ended along time ago with Joe, but the ruthless bunch did a lot of harm to our country. Yeah wealthy elitist spoiled brats.
- the car man msncom
August 29, 2009 9:14AM
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An American Hero!
Edward was as much a hero as W. was a fiscal conservative. Teddy rode the coat-tails of his father and brothers. After four decades in the Senate you'd think he would have done a lot more other than abuse the name that Jack and Bobby built up.
His exploits are proof that the People are not judged by the same standards as the Elite.
He was the classic example of the cynical politician, believing he knew what was better for citizens than they do.
- m46607
September 6, 2009 5:45PM
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Who Is More Dangerous...?
I own several handguns and a dozen rifles.
Senator Kennedy owns an automoible.
I have never harmed anyone with my firearms .
Senator Kennedy......
- VonS
September 8, 2009 4:50PM
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