NO TEARS FOR TED

First, I want to apologize for not keeping up with my usual one-post-a-week. I've been on a vacation this past week with my wife and I will be in Colorado from September 10th to the 20th mule deer and elk hunting with my unofficially adopted son, Aron. Those of you involved with PETA should say a prayer for those animals, I promise only as quick a kill as I can possibly deliver and to give the reverence and respect that all my prey deserves.

Secondly, I want to apologize for what I'm about to say about Ted Kennedy, but damn it, someone has to say it.

Senator Edward Kennedy died this week and for his service to this country (USA), he has my thanks. However, as most of you know by now, I'm not the kind of guy who believes that if you work in a mission or help the elderly it gives you forgiveness for what you've done in your past. To truly get forgiveness in my world you have to follow the three "R's" of asking forgiveness. First, you have to 'Recognize' what you have done wrong. That means coming completely clean about the details of your mistake and admitting you were wrong. Second, you have to 'Repent". That means you have to stop whatever it is that you were doing wrong and do it no more. And thirdly you have to 'Repair'. That means you have to make it up to whoever you did wrong. A good example is; you steal something from a store. You admit to the owner what you have done, then you ask his forgiveness and promise in return to never steel again (and you honor that pledge) and finally, you pay for what you stole and offer to do some work around the store to make up for your actions.

Ted Kennedy has not completed those three R's when it come to Chappaquiddick and the death of Mary Jo Kopechne.

For those of you unaware of what Ted did on that fateful night of July 18, 1969, let me remind you. Ted threw a party for what was know as the Boiler Room Girls (young girls who had worked on his brother Bobby's campaign). At the party, was a noticeable absence of the wives of any of the men in attendance, including Mr. Kennedy's. After several hours of drinking and carousing, Ted offered to drive young Mary Jo Kopechne home according to his own testimony. Upon reaching the bridge leading across a bay, Ted misjudged a turn and drove into the water flipping his car on it's back. Ted managed to get out of the car but poor Mary Jo was left to die. There are sooo many things wrong with the many versions of that night that Ted gave that I can't even list them all, but here are a few.

1) Despite the fact that the car was in only six feet of water, Ted claims he couldn't get Mary Jo out. This despite the fact that he got out himself (which means a door or a window was open) and was such a good swimmer that he claims to have panicked and then swam over 500 yards to the other side.

2)Ted waited until the next day to report the accident (after he discovered that the car had been found) , despite that he conferred with several people about the accident.

3)He used every one of his connections to attempt to silence the story and fought the release of his testimony.

It should be pointed out here that the rescue swimmer, John Farrar, later testified at the inquest that Kopechne's body was pressed up in the car in a spot where an air bubble would have formed and may have lived as long as two hours after the accident.

I know that this all happened a long time ago, and only God and Ted knows what truly happened on that night. But one thing is certain in my mind. Ted Kennedy never gave Mary Jo Kopechne's family or the American people the truth and he certainly never followed my three 'R' rule for forgiveness. Ted would routinely ask other Senators if they had heard any good Chappaquiddick jokes and even named his dog "Splash". Ted never took full responsibility for his actions and for that he get no tears from me. I save my tears for the victims of men in power like Ted Kennedy. It took all of you approximately 5 minutes to read this post. I want you to stop and think what it must have been like for Mary Jo to struggle for air for 24 times that, all while pinning her hopes on a man that she greatly admired and was certain would save her while he plotted how to save his own ass. A man who wouldn't even come clean on his death bed. H.C.