Defining Moments

Ted Kennedy has passed away, and despite his many years of service to this country, many people will remember him most for his role in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne.

Kennedy made several bad judgments that night, and no one really knows exactly what happened. He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident causing injury, and pled guilty. He was given a two-month suspended sentence. Many people found this penalty extremely light given the fact that a woman died in an accident with so many unanswered questions.

At the very least, Kennedy should have immediately reported the incident to the authorities. If he had done so, he may have been remembered more for the good things he did for health care, civil rights, and education. Instead, Chappaquiddick will be mentioned alongside Kennedy's achievements in every obituary written about him today, and that moment from 40 years ago will cast a shadow over everything he accomplished since.

Posted by Jennifer at August 26, 2009 06:16 AM | TrackBack

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