Somebody posted a link to that thread and from what I recall there were very few. Another poster already addressed this but we don't really know all the facts of the situation. I think Dick Cheney's 8 years of VP was public service along with the several years he served as Cabinet Secretary and as Representative of Wyoming. I don't agree with his politics and what he did but that doesn't change that he was in public service. You are entitled to how you feel but I don't think we should ignore a long career in public service to only focus on one incident, fully acknowledge it was terrible, in their youth. Whether you think it is good or bad there is much much more to Ted Kennedy and its a disservice to him and history to only focus on one thing.
I'm of the impression these days that none of them are. Some may share a few of like-minded opinions, but in the end, I'm pretty jaded on politics, in general.
Don't restrict your self to currently serving senators. Can you list two or three senators you would consider "good" and a couple of reasons why.
As pouhe alluded to, Kennedy claimed to have dived several times to try to rescue Kopechne from the crashed car, but was unable to rescue her. There were no other witnesses, so there's no reason to believe or not believe him. But yeah, other than that, I can sympathize with and think I understand your viewpoint even though I disagree with it. I think people bring up "public service" with regard to Ted Kennedy because all three of his brothers, who largely shared his ideals and passions, gave their lives in fulfilling them. His eldest brother Joe, groomed to be the politician in the family, died in WWII in an incredibly risky, kamikaze-like bombing run. Both middle brothers were shot by assassins who disagreed with their political positions. You can argue, easily I guess, that Jack & Robert Kennedy were merely accruing power for power's sake, that e.g. civil rights legislation was just a sop to ensure votes among minorities, and all their rousing speeches were mere sophistry. I prefer to think that they could have found ways to rule more easily, without advancing the lives of so many people, if that was their intended aim. For better and worse, his brothers' sacrifices have colored the perception of Ted Kennedy. He could just as easily have quit politics after JFK's death, after the plane crash, after RFK's death, after Chappaquiddick, after his divorce and after 1980 when it became clear he would never achieve the utmost power. He had his father's money, more than he could ever spend. But he faced the very real risk of his own assassination, and though he did attain a great deal of personal power, he also empowered millions of Americans along the way, eased the lives of many of our nation's downtrodden, when many who have achieved the same perch have been more than content to sell out minorities and the poor, and found their campaign coffers more easily replenished by doing so. That, at least in part, is why I so respect the man's memory. I'm a bit younger than you, I believe. Nevertheless, Ted Kennedy & Chappaquiddick were in my Texas public high school US history text, and they were covered by my teacher. Not in depth, but it was covered, because we went through every presidential election, and discussed the platforms/issues/primary losers involved. Not that big a deal; we were following the standard curriculum. We had nine months to play with, 50 minutes a day, and the teacher could only check out the VCR for Glory repeats so many times before the assistant principal started getting nervous. Maybe you had a clock-watcher for a teacher, or were home- and/or private-schooled. Even so, I find it hard to believe that you took any sort of university-level, modern American history course in which Camelot writ large, and specifically Ted Kennedy and the repercussions of Chappaquiddick, were not at least touched upon. Not that big a deal, if you missed out up 'till now. More to the point, your history teachers failed you if they did not teach you any of T. Kennedy's legislative history, because outside of the generalities and invective you've espoused here, you haven't actually expressed an opinion about the man as a leader and politician, and don't seem to have an appreciation for what he actually achieved in life. "Oh, babies. There's so many of you. Just be cool down front now; don't push around. Just keep still. Keep it together. Oh yeah..." [I've never heard of these things either. Ergo, must not be worth knowing...] "I wasn't born yet, so I don't know." "I wasn't born during the French Revolution, but I know about it." <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VmfosxhUSlI&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VmfosxhUSlI&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Took history at Bellaire and at Texas Tech. Granted, the last history class I took was my sophomore year in college; the American history class post industrialization. But I can say it wasn't in either book. And while I may have missed it, I doubt it. I got the highest grade I ever received in a class. Their were always a few bonus questions at the end of each test that we could voluntarily answer. I specifically remember going into the final and having the teacher tell me I needed to make a 26% or better on the final to receive an "A" in the class, so it's not like I wasn't interested in the class. (First to make the Texas Tech joke wins a prize.)
because it's Tech for god's sake! Borat's r****ded brother Bilo would be able to pull off an A in quantum mechanics!
Gender Equity: Kennedy saw the Senate of the Equal Rights Amendment in 1972, which aimed to make men and women equal in the constitution. He reintroduced the legislation again this congressional session, but it has yet to make it into the constitution. Kennnedy championed Title IX of the Civil Rights Act in 1972, which prevented educational institutions from discriminating against women (afterward, colleges and universities integrated, paving the way for women like Sonia Sotomayor and Hillary Clinton to attend Ivy League institutions), as well as requiring equitable athletic opportunities. Civil Rights: Kennedy saw the passage of the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1988 as committee chairman, which strengthened the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Afterward, then-executive director of the Leadership Council on Civil Rights Ralph Neas said, "Now you see what happens when you have a civil rights champion in charge of the committee." He was also chief sponsor on the Civil Rights Act of 1991, which addressed intentional discrimination and harassment in the workplace. He was also a key sponsor of legislation by the same name in 2008, which sought to restore civil rights protections stripped by Supreme Court rulings in recent years (like the Lilly Ledbetter case). Pay Equity: Kennedy worked on the Fair Pay Restoration Act, which sought to restore the rights of women to sue with each discriminatory paycheck, overturning the Supreme Court ruling in Ledbetter v. Goodyear. Voting Rights: Kennedy worked on the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which allowed equal access to voting as part of the Civil Rights movement. He also worked to add amendments in 1982 that expanded voting access to Native Americans, Latinos, and others who required language assistance. Affirmative Action: Kennedy helped defeat legislation that would have ended federal affirmative action in 1998 and joined his colleagues in the Senate in filing a brief urging the Supreme Court to uphold affirmative action in 2003. LGBT Rights: Kennedy has been the chief sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act since 1994, which would make it illegal to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation in the workplace. The bill has yet to pass. Hate Crimes: Kennedy worked on the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2007, which would implement more severe penalties for crimes against women, gays, lesbians, and transgender persons. The bill was vetoed by President Bush in 2007, but the legislation has been reintroduced in the 110th Congress. HIV/AIDS: Kennedy introduced what became the Ryan White CARE Act, which addressed thirteen cities hit hardest by the HIV/AIDS crisis in 1990. When it was up for reauthorization in 2000, it provided nearly $9 billion in HIV/AIDS services over the following five years. Domestic Violence: Kennedy worked with Vice President Joe Biden on the 1994 Violence Against Women Act. He also worked on its reauthorization in 2000, which allowed immigrant women to apply for permanent status in the United States without their abusive partners. Disability Equity: Kennedy worked to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, which provided much-needed accommodations for those with disabilities. Minimum Wage: Kennedy worked with Congress in 2007 to pass the first hike in the minimum wage in more than a decade. Women disproportionately make up the population low-wage hourly workers. Women in Combat: Kennedy championed the repeal a ban of women in combat in 1991. Women are still technically barred from fighting on the "front lines," such stipulations are meaningless in modern combat. By working for legislation that repealed archaic legislation, Kennedy helped women achieve more equality in the military. Military Child Care: In 1989, Kennedy saw the passage of the National Military Child Care Act, which established the Department of Defense's child care program. This allowed working spouses of military members and women who were enlisted themselves to have access to high-quality, federally funded child care. Health Insurance for Children and Pregnant Women: In 1997, Kennedy co-sponsored the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), allowing families to have access to health care that previously didn't. Kennedy also introduced legislation that has yet to pass, Affordable Health Care Act, which would expand Medicaid and SCHIP coverage for children, pregnant women, and the disabled. He saw the passage of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act in 1978, which made it illegal for employers to fire women for leave taken due to pregnancy. We still don't require employers to provide paid maternity leave. Minority Health Care: Kennedy championed the The Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education Act in 2000, which provided funding for research for how to reduce disparities in cancer, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and other severe health problems that are found to be significantly higher in minority populations. In 2006, he introduced the Minority Health Improvement and Health Disparity Elimination Act, which would address inequalities in health care access and treatment if passed. The Inclusion of Women in Scientific and Medical Research: Kennedy co-sponsored the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993, legislation that called for the inclusion of women and minorities in federally funded clinical research. http://jezebel.com/5345863/the-lion-sleeps-tonight-ted-kennedy-leaves-long-impressive-legacy
You know what? Post a reply in the healthcare response, and I'll bother with this. I honestly had no idea you were as much of a troll as others, but it's certainly hard to disemminate in this forum these days. Just an oddly skewed forum, especially in Houston. I'm a moderate, but y'all sound like PETA folks at times with this nonsense.
moderate? hardly! you're not even a conservative. I think the best word to describe your affiliation is "ignorant". You clearly lack any knowledge of Ted Kennedy's accomplishments aside from the Mary Joe incident, and then you come in and say "good riddance" in a thread paying tribute to a great American who played an important role in shaping our country as we know it today. PETA folks? not really. It's just that us normal people tend to get sensitive when you make such a classless comment in an R.I.P thread, especially if it was someone we really care about.. heck, I don't care if it was a Farah Fawcett thread, typing out "good riddance" is uncalled for and could only have 1 explanation: you're trying to piss people off on purpose so they can react to you because that's the only way anyone pays attention to you on the interwebz. pretty sad, really..
Ah, the good 'ol 3:00 a.m. rant. I've already said you're not PETA. You're this guy. I've already stated that he was nothing more than a grandstander and his "accomplishments" were certainly not his brainchild. As I stated earlier, the things you're so proud of him doing would've occured, regardless. Lol. Ignorant? You're the one who believes a career politician was authoring all of these things. Quite cute, actually.
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