Virgie Bell's View

Does anyone care about Ted Kennedy's ratings and ravings besides those in the state he represents? I sincerely doubt it. I have read just about every book about the Kennedy's, and I was a great admirer of JFK. President Kennedy was a hero during World War II. He was the captain of a swift boat, and when stranded on an island, led his courageous men to safety. He also stared down Nikita S. Khrushchev when a nuclear launch pad had been established in Cuba, with missiles aimed at the United States. We came within two minutes of an atomic war which would have been the end of civilization as we know it. We as an American people owe much to him.

I don't really know much about his brother, Bobby Kennedy, other than he was the president’s closest confidant. I remember reading much about the two and seeing many pictures of them with their heads together as they tried to lead our nation. Tragically, both were cut down by an assassin’s bullet in the prime of their lives, leaving behind a hero's legend that will forever remain untarnished. Rightly so. There was an older brother that was killed in World War II, Joe Jr., and by all accounts, was favored by the father of the Kennedy clan. He was Jacob’s Joseph.

Joe Kennedy was a boot-legger. Not one across the tracks where you could go and get a pint of cheap booze to tide you over. No, he was right up there in the Godfather league. Rumors that reverberated in his day were vast in report of Joe’s involvement with organized crime.

This family has been consumed with tragedy. The mentally retarded daughter of Joe and Rose, was given a lobotomy, dooming her to life in a mental institution. The main ingredient behind this family was money and tremendous power as well as a deep family bond.

Ted Kennedy was always like a ghostly shadow. It was almost as if his story was a double exposure on the old time roll of film. Ted Kennedy road on his brothers’ coattails, traded on their fame.

A penchant for adultery was as much a part of Kennedy history as pious Rose was. Rose attended mass everyday. I don't blame her. She was able to tell a priest much that women married to such men needed to share, with the complete secret forever buried to the light of day.

Politicians and money movers live in a far different reality than most of us. But still, it is their reality. Government is a big business. We, the people, have only one thing that is of interest to them—a vote—one that matters only once every couple of years at best. That’s their social security. The only thing that matters to our leaders is which palm they can get greased in this or that deal. These are the people we want in the top jobs in our nation. They deal with other leaders just like them. The trouble with that is that some are insane and mass murderers.

My grandfather had a grizzly bear rug, a bear that he’d killed. The teeth on that bear scared me to death. My children were afraid of the whole house. Hey, I’d too scared to do that. I’m too wimpy to shoot Bambi. I'm like most of you; I want my life to run on a smooth course. The only time I display any power is if my way of life is threatened by evil.

When World War II broke out, the first thing that happened was to get FDR's son stateside. Out of harm’s way, so that the Commander in Chief would not be biased; would not fall prey to human trait. Smart move. One I applaud. Of course our children are the defenders of this country and I want the toughest son of a gun in charge, not me. Give me a gun and I will fight for my loved ones and my way of life; otherwise, I would not be the ideal choice. Those which sit in our nation’s capitol are trying to perform a lobotomy on us. Guess what? The Easter Bunny doesn’t really exist.

Ted Kennedy finally came into his own fame when he was responsible for the death of a campaign worker. He reported this incident as quick as he could get things rolling for his protection. He wore a neck brace in public for a few weeks. After a couple of days, the girl trapped in the car at the bottom of the lake was pulled out. Ted hurt his neck trying to rescue the poor girl. Yeah, and O. J. was innocent. Does anyone really care what Ted Kennedy rants and raves about? Not me. He doesn’t SUPPORT THE TROOPS!