One can completely atone for a sin that is not truthfully confessed. You forgot to mention that someone died at Chappaquiddick because of Kennedy.

Like always, your comments are very eloquent. I couldn't vote because I was indifferent. For me, it's always hard to separate good honest politicians ... Tragic or not, we reap what we sow.

I think you are buying into the smoke being put up by the liberal Democratic machine. Ted Kennedy was a corrupt and vile man whose excesses, including the death of a young woman, was excused by his money and family influence. He was gracious because it cost him nothing. He would have made a fine example of a feudal lord, whose excesses with his peasants are excused because he spreads a few gold pieces around. Is our opinion to be bought so cheaply? What he "fought" for would have cost him nothing; he expected us to pay for it. His "courage" was a politician's courage. In other words, he was only risking his political office. But in his case this was not true. His family money and influence all but guaranteed his re-election. His "courage" was on display when he swam away from a car and returned to his hotel room afraid to report the accident because of the damage to his marriage and (probably more important) to his political career. He never risked his life for another, and by his actions showed how little he cared for his and his family's reputation.

Several of his opponents said that "Politics was never personal and he could be your friend after disagreeing with you." Well, I heard the things he called people who opposed him, and in my world those words are personal. Funny how politicians see things differently.

Many conservatives are accused of having been born with a silver spoon in their mouth. A thing that was never more true of the Kennedys, but of which they are never accused of.

His mea culpa confession was another political act, an attempt to garner support in a run for higher political office.

Ted Kennedy was, in the end, simply a study in how the media treats conservatives and liberals. The media and the liberal (democratic) party excuse Ted Kennedy for every wrong by pointing out how much good he did with his legislation. No conservative would be granted that pass.

In closing, I think you should reconsider the precept of your editorial. Hitler, Genghis Khan, Caesar and thousands of other tyrants great and small committed many acts of kindness, enacted legislation (or what passed for it) that provided relief, laughed and were jovial good company upon occasion (some moreso than others). But do we excuse their excesses? We do for Ted, not because he was great man, simply because he was a rich man with influence to peddle. Oh, and a huge number of people who wanted to stand in the shadow he cast and are willing to spin and twist the truth so the shadow is not seen as the blackened foulness cast by a wastrel of man who squaundered his life.

It will be hard to top the eloquent analysis of Kennedy by Kikmor. All I can do is add some additional perspective.

Besides being remembered for his excesses, Kennedy will be remembered in history as possibly one of the most treasonous Americans who ever lived. To his death, he, possibly more than any other politician in the past 50 years (maybe ever) exerted his power to influence a continuously escalating federal debt in support of entitlements that will bankrupt the country both financially and morally. Any clear-thinking person with a fifth grade education and even a modicum of thoughtful reflection would understand the magnitude of the fiscal Armageddon on the near horizon for America. Estimates of the total unfunded liabilities now exceed 100 trillion dollars, yes trillion! Approximately 58 trillion of that is in Social Security and Medicare, which is the larger of those two.

Worse yet, he is personally responsible for an even more disastrous entitlement we’ve all come to know as illegal immigration. Ronald Reagan offered this corrupt man, Kennedy, a compromise offering amnesty to approximately 3 million people living within our borders illegally in order to put an end to the practice. Instead, before the ink was even dry, Kennedy championed seven additional amnesties cloaked in various legislative subterfuges that provided amnesty to an additional 3 to 4 million more illegal aliens; many of whom were not very upstanding. And it didn’t end there. Over the past 30 years, this most corrupt politician blocked every attempt to mitigate ongoing incursions along our border and for private sector companies seeking cheap labor with negative consequences that will last for decades to come. But here are a few of just the most obvious. Twenty million people living illegally in the shadows and even openly within our borders. Some of the costs include $300+ billion in remittances wired to Latin America since 2001; almost 400 billion in cost of social services for Illegal Immigrants since 1996; 4.8 million children of illegal parents in our schools at a cost of $14+ billion dollars to K-12 schools since 1996 (and that’s on the very low side of estimates. Annual cost estimates for the state of California range from $8 billion to as high as $28 billion annually, and that doesn’t count the nearly $450 each anchor baby receives as an American citizen born to a mother who sneaked into the country for exactly that purpose. Mr. Josephson, that is theft! And there are 400,000+ illegal aliens in our prisons at a cost of $1.45 trillion to Incarcerate since 2001. And illegal aliens have overwhelmed our healthcare system to the point of collapse from their use of emergency rooms as free clinics for birthing and primary care. No matter how you slice it, all told, that’s a lot of money. And an estimated 60,000 American citizens have been killed since September 11, 2001 (half of those were murdered, the other half killed on roads and in other accidents). Now if you’d like to argue that Congressman King's figure is unreasonable, what if it was just half that or even a quarter? And what of the impacts to all of these people's families?

Now you’d think it couldn’t get worse than that. Well it does. The U.S. population is growing at an unprecedented rate, and balkanizing into subcultures out of which chaos will eventually erupt like it has on our border with Mexico. In fact, it’s already happening and will only escalate. By mid-century the country will add roughly another 150 million people, bringing the population to nearly 460 million people. What’s more, America’s population is expected to reach over 1 billion by 2100, and almost all the increases are directly related to immigration. The systemic impacts from this kind of growth are enormous and unsustainable as our resources are depleted and infrastructure continues to deteriorate.

Yes, Kennedy the compromiser was one of the primary influencers in all of this insanity.

Michael, your missive on Kennedy began with a principled tone, but ended justifying the unjustifiable. Kennedy was never a good man any more than Madoff was; the appearance of impropriety was ubiquitous under a narrow façade. Madoff will be a minor figure in the grand scheme of American corruption compared to Kennedy.

Michael, you know full well the implication in regards to ethical standards from even the appearance of impropriety. Michael, Senator Kennedy was virtueless and without redemption.

In the end, he left a legacy of unimaginable costs to future generations. As with Benedict Arnold, Kennedy will be remembered for being the scoundrel he was with unchallenged faults and few virtues.

Michael, if you want something that is worth writing about, look at www.thehonorrun.com, where you will learn of real heroes, many of whom will, like Lincoln said, be little remembered, as cowards and traitors take up the spotlight.

My feelings are similar to yours, but he seems to have become more than a good man. In fact, the media accounts make me look at how superficial my judging mind was in dismissing him, failing to see how he has redeemed himself.

I regret my feminine bias and see the lesson in this as, as it is always, a teaching in how difficult it is to see beyond one's stale habitual responses and how rewarding it is when old prejudices fall away and the heart cracks open.

Not many of us could go to our graves without making a few mistakes. I've made my share. But I hope to be remembered for all the good I tried to do and teach. Senator Kennedy gets my vote too for "A Life Well Lived" and my thanks for fighting for all of us who aren't rich, just hard-working Americans who are grateful.

I never liked Ted Kennedy. I did admire his brothers. I am glad Ted has to face God and Mary Jo once again.

Ah, they speak as the Prodigal's older brother...angry that all can be loved, regardless of behavior.

That all can be loved....What a concept.

Humility, it appears, is unknown to the arrogance of the judgmental. Morality often fails to make one compassionate. It is so much safer to be smug and hide meanness under the cloak of moral judgment.

Michael - you're brave to have commented on this and to invite debate. I'm glad to know your thoughts.

I am absolutely confounded by Ted Kennedy, what I know of his past, what I know of his life and what I've learned since his death. I'm not sure what to make of it - except that there is an unbelievable amount of vitriol and hatred toward him (and the Kennedys in general). It leads me to look at a public figure I vehemently dislike and distrust - and I think, do I hate him with all my heart? Do I wish horrible things for him? Will I be happy when he's contracted cancer and dies a painful death? And the answer is no. What's the point in that? As much as I think he's despicable, wouldn't my energy be better served at making sure someone like that isn't elected?

I think of the energy people expend to react vehemently to someone or something, and I've come to the conclusion that it's easier to spew hatred than do something constructive about it. People with so much hate inside are likely not volunteering to change the system or take the time and energy to make calls or pound the pavement in a political campaign.

With the negative and criminal events in Ted Kennedy's life, I just wish they hadn't happened, but of course, they did. And we all sit in judgment of him.

I wish I knew what to think. But I do know I feel sad for the life taken at Chappaquiddick, for the tragic deaths of so many Kennedys and for all of the hatred toward Ted Kennedy. I cannot imagine he didn't spend the remainder of his life with the torture that must come from having caused a death. People take lives all the time - while driving drunk and making calls or texting on cell phones. And they go (relatively) unpunished. Those of us who do either of these things put many people at risk and can easily and randomly take a life.

I saw and heard tangible proof that a lot of good came from Ted Kennedy's life. The hatred toward the Kennedys is deafening. Enough already.

Ted Kennedy was the torchbearer of the type of leaders our society has come to accept. Leaders who talk the walk, but do not walk it. He and scores of others in politics and business are attempting to motivate and move their charges with words, policies and entreaties that they, themselves, make no effort or entertain any intention to actualize in their own lives. Count Al Gore, Eliot Spitzer, Mark Sanford, Kenneth Lay, John Kerry, Nancy Pelosi, Larry Craig, David Vitter, and add your own favorite.

Yes, we are all human, and yes we all have secret crevasses in our souls that we harbor, but not all of us purport to lead flocks of humans while we cavort with the wolves.

To me, as a Christian, repentence and forgiveness are important. I did consider him the weaker, younger brother until I learned what he accomplished for others, in service to others after his repentence. He repented and asked for forgiveness. If we cannot forgive, we will not be forgiven.

We could all learn something from the description of his ability to find something positive about others; and even more from his ability to be able to disagree with someone and separate the disagreement from the person, ie., you and I might disagree about this issue, but I still like you

Blessings.

Michael, your commentaries are almost always excellent. In this one case, I think you've let charity get the better of criticism. Ted Kennedy was not the only human being with tragedies. The majority of people in the USA, especially older people, are now living a tragedy that was aided and abetted by Ted and his choice of friends and enemies whether public or private. As for us seniors, we have seen leader after leader promise us heaven and deliver only hell, including purges of seniors like Mao's Cultural Revolution by young Communists and now Obama's purge of seniors because we don't buy into "young leader" hedonism-power obsession.

Comment for David: I agree with Michael Josephson. Who of us could be found wanting when the scales of justice measure the good and bad of our lives? The vitriol of your comments seem overdone in comparison to his misdeeds. I consider people like Paris Hilton a wastrel, someone who has wealth but only indulges themselves and are famous for being famous. Ted Kennedy did devote himself to a life of service and to liken him to Hitler and Genghis Khan? Senator Kennedy was a man like any man or woman with both good and bad, just more public. I wonder how you would measure up if your private life was spotlighted like his was. I can't remember the exact quote, but Maya Angelou said "The dog that yelps when you throw a rock into the pack was closest to the rock." What is your personal life like?

Ted Kennedy was expelled from Harvard for cheating. His father, Joe Kennedy, got his enlistment in the Army reduced to 2 years. He served in Paris during the Vietnam War. He was responsible for the death of a young woman. While he should have been charged with manslaughter, his family managed a cover-up. He cooperated with the Soviet Union during the Cold War in an effort to reduce or eliminate the missile defense of Europe. In earlier times this would be called treason. He was an alcoholic and womanizer of the worst sort, taking advantage of his Senate position. And he led the movement to turn the U.S. into a fascist state, always protecting his elitist position. He was an evil man.

I see Ted Kennedy as someone who was striving to do something for others and to become a better person. He had weaknesses and made some mistakes but he faced up to the consequences and tried not to repeat the mistakes.

Being as wealthy as he was, he could have chosen to retire and live the good life, but he chose to continue doing what he believed to help others.

How much time have each of us really given for the good of others? I do not put him or any human on a pedestal, but before I judge someone I want to know more about them, not heresay or what is written in newspapers only.

There must be more to this person when so many people who worked with him and knew him came to show their respect for him as a man.

It's not only the great things we do, it's the sum of the little things we do. He did a lot of little things as he struggled to be a better human.

Agree with Kikmor response!

We all make mistakes, and ultimately it is up to God to forgive the shortcomings we possess. I believe Ted was truly sorry for what happened. We don't have to like him or what happened that night so many years ago.
I truly feel sorry for those who feel the need to carry hatred around on their shoulders. It's a heavy and useless burden.

The comments posted by David compare Ted Kennedy to Hitler. What a travesty. It makes a mockery of the suffering of the people who died in the Holocaust and is a prime example of toxic thinking. It is also irrational thinking. Nothing Ted Kennedy ever did in his entire and complicated life could compare to what Hitler did.
Get real.

Ted Kennedy was a man who made mistakes. He endured enormous trauma. He was also a man who did a great deal of good. A rich man, he did more for the poor and downtrodden in America than most other politicians. I, for one, am sick of conservative politicians who preach high moral values and do not live them. Living them would mean rethinking their approach to the poor and needy.

Michael, I think you are to be commended for your willingness to look honestly at the life of Kennedy and reevaluate your thinking. The world is filled with people who are not as thoughtful or courageous as you are. Keep up the good work.

I will remember Ted Kennedy as a human with many flaws as well as good attributes who, despite his many shortcomings, tried to the very end to fight the good fight and redeem himself. I didn't always agree with him, but at least I always knew where he stood and I would say that said something about his character. I think he finally caught on that he was the only one responsible for the many poor decisions he had made in his life. There is not one of us who won't have that decision to make sooner or later.

As I along with my students researched the legacy of the Kennedys from their parents, collectively regardless of their inherited political greatness what an amazing family to dedicate their lives to helping others.
Most people who experience a loss or continuous family tragedies do not rebound and keep giving to others.
Regardless of personal sins which we all have, these people are highly respected and loved. They gave all they could for the good of the cause. They opened their hearts and money to help others less fortunate.
God will judge their earthly sins, not us. I cried as they eulogized another great man called home.
If you have nothing to say positive about a deceased person, then keep your mouth closed because they are not here to defend themselves.
Rest in Peace TED you are with your family.

Missed the boat on this one, Michael.

Serving your country implies sacrifice. Senators (especially those who make it a career) do not serve this country. Just the opposite. The country serves them with exceptional salaries, retirement, deference, and general kissing up. To say Kennedy served his country is a slap in the face to those men and women who truly do.

Ethics and morals are very important. But who are we to judge but ourselves with our own conscience and our own principles and values? We all make mistakes. We seek forgiveness and redemption. We move on. In the end, we only have to ask: have we done the best with all the gifts we have at birth? President Reagan once said: "Been there, done that." Senator Kennedy does not have to answer to us. President Ronald Reagan does not have to answer to us. Polls do not matter. Opinions do not matter. What is important perhaps is: Have we made a positive difference in our very short stay on earth? Personally, I think it is wrong to put labels on others. Please, enough said. The world will be a much better world if we all have humility and have respect for others, may they be liberals or conservatives, red or blue, black, white, or yellow.

I remember Senator Ted Kennedy as a very loving family man and a statesman who many Americans are proud of.

Deepak Chopra said "Those we are attracted to and those we are repelled by are both mirrors of ourselves." Like Michael, I mostly thought of Senator Kennedy with regard to the troubles in his life. However, I was significantly influenced by how he went about redeeming himself through his relationships with friends, family, colleagues, and achievements in the US Senate.

Michael's previous commentaries often imply that if a person engages in acts of poor judgment or moral weakness, the person has no chance of redemption or recovery. Ted Kennedy is an example of how this viewpoint can be overturned through good works and forgiveness.

Growing up in our home during the early 1960s, no family was more revered than the Kennedys; Jack and Bob taken from us by mad men, driven by hatred and fear of others' ideas. Until that fateful day in November of '63, the Vaughn Meeder album "First Family" was a favorite in our Hi Fi collection. Through the skillful work of comedic impressionists, we felt as though we were laughing with the family, not at them, and I still suspect we truly were.

It was probably four years after President Kennedy's assassination that we were able to bring ourselves to listen again and remember when. Then Senator Robert Kennedy was similarly murdered for his political views, his sense of responsibility to apply his privilege. These were two of the darkest moments in modern American history and as tragic as anything the Kennedys would face.

It would seem that the close proximity deaths of Martin Luther King, Jr and Bobby Kennedy all but closed the book on liberal ideologists who were willing to risk it all for the benefit of those they served. What we see today, even more so than we began to see back then, are elitists who use the less privileged for political and financial gain. No longer idealists, today's liberals have become catalysts for big government, big programs, big spending, all designed to increase the dependence of their constituents on a government that prefers to manipulate rather than protect and dictate rather than serve.

From my view, Senator Ted Kennedy typifies this latter public servant, not the former who were known by the courage of their convictions and their selfless acts that defined us, not just them.

As an adult, I moved to a conservative perspective, believing that true social leaders don't need financial or political gains from their service. They're able to serve from a place of contentment with what they already have and an abiding appreciation for what others did to make it possible. I see that in our founding fathers and long for someone today who would model their example for future generations. God help America!

I have to agree with David. For all the talk of Kennedy becoming a "better man," what kind of character is shown by someone who, after voting for the war in Iraq, does a complete 180 and accuses the President of "lying us into the war" simply because it becomes politically advantageous? Kennedy was never above saying or doing anything (true or false, honest or dishonest) in order to achieve his goals. For him (as with so many politicians) the ends always justified the means. If this exemplifies character, then it is clear that politicians use a dictionary of which I am not familiar.

Gibran writes in the Prophet, "...oftentimes I have heard you speak of one who commits a wrong as though he were not one of you, but a stranger unto you and an intruder upon your world..." Another way of saying clean up our own front porch before we cast all manner of judgment against others, I think. It might be good if all of us would cease making demons of each other and just agree or disagree based on whatever belief system we possess. And hold up on the judging and bashing. Or, as another well-known prophet said, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

Can’t the same be said for Michael Jackson? He was a pedophile who could afford to pay off his victims so he was never convicted. Yes, he did many great things, but he also did some very bad ones.

It always amazes me that people compare an individual who may not have been perfect to those who committed such horrible acts of inhumanity. How someone can mention Ted Kennedy in the same breath as Hilter is dumbfounding.
No, Senator Kennedy was not perfect. Do we really know what was in his heart or how he truly felt about his faults? We all have separate lives. Could we stand up to the same standards we are holding Senator Kennedy to? In the face of so many painful losses that were made so public, how would we hold up?
Yes, Senator Kennedy had flaws, but I need to look at myself in the mirror and watch the log wedge in my eye before I become overcritical with another individual. I am glad those individuals are not God.
We have many examples of great individuals who have flaws but have accomplished great things. Senator Kennedy persevered in the face of a very public life. His name is associated with legislation that cut across class lines. I did not always agree with everything and prayed for him in personal struggles, but I also smiled seeing him there doing battle. Rest in peace, Teddy.

There is an old Native American saying that needs to be remembered at times like these: do not judge a man until you have walked a mile in his mocassins. For over 20 years I taught a college leadership class and always tried to incorporate questions such as this into the discussion and written assignments. Let me also quote Scripture: let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

Ted Kennedy was a deeply flawed individual who spent the greater portion of his public life working for causes of social justice including universal healthcare. Would I suggest that his private life should not be taken into account in any thoughtful evaluation of his life? Of course not. Many of his personal actions were not only deeply repugnant, but also detrimental to others in the ultimate. But let us also remember that he saw all three of his older brothers die violent deaths, two in very public assasinations as well as having a sister lobotomized. That does not absolve him of the responsibility for his actions, but it does cause me to ask how would any of us now sitting in pious judgment would react.

As the Civil War was drawing to a close and the outcome was just a matter of time, President Lincoln's counsel regarding the soon-to-be vanquished Confederacy was "Let 'em up easy." We find ourselves living through a time of tragic deep divisions that go beyond any laws of truth and logic of which I am aware. Willingness to even attempt to perceive any question from a perspective other than our own brands us as traitors to whichever political tribe we belong. I might suggest that reading The Peloponnesian War by Thucydides would be instructive.

I am glad that I read your enire commentary. As mortal beings, we are all prone to errors in judgment and weaknesses. Even wealthy people struggle with their personal demons. I had respect for Senator Kennedy for the man he was, flaws and all. There are no perfect people. In assessing the man, I choose to gaze longer at the positive rather than the negative. Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks into our hearts. There are people who are killed daily, but because there is no body to bury, we somehow overlook the living corpes among us.

I think it would be interesting if blog poster David were to end up in a car accident late at night that resulted in his vehicle plunging into the water. He would not be able to see well and would quickly become disoriented. Apparently he thinks he would be this big hero who would stay in the water trying to locate and free his passenger. Yes, we all think we would act that way until it happens and we find that we do not. Especially when we are dazed and confused after an accident and the instinct for survival takes over. Senator Kennedy never did remember much about that night; most people would not have either.

However, the so-called little acts of kindness he performed include Title IX (giving girls equal rights to money for sports), every other piece of civil rights legislation and every piece of legislation pertaining to improving healthcare in this country, among many other important items passed during the years of the Senator's tenure.

How many lives may have been saved by the legislation he managed to get passed?

Many politicians speak vehemently against their counterparts on the floors of Congress, but then pat each other on the back and go out to dinner. Most who are not in politics are unaware of how easy it is for these people to separate the political from the personal.

But Ted Kennedy made that difficult. Sure, to those constituents who needed his compassion or assistance he was there. But to many of his rivals he spoke evil. If you could advance his career, he was there for you. If you were against his policies, he would try to crush you. He espoused many charitable acts, but tried to do it with other peoples' money. I have listened to his speeches for years on TV and the Internet, and he was a gifted and eloquent speaker. But at that level, virtually all are. They have very talanted speech writers, and they can read them well. I also heard him ad lib, and he often spoke gibberish. He destroyed his private life with his drinking, womanizing, and by placing his fun ahead of his partner's welfare.

When Massachusetts had a Republican governor and it looked like John Kerry might win the White House, Ted Kennedy proposed that they change Massachusetts law to allow the people to vote on the replacement for a Senate vacancy. Now that they have a Democrat governor and he saw he would leave a vacancy, he wanted that law repealed so he could be assured a Democrat would get the seat -- you can't be too careful when the electorate might vote for the wrong party. I call that hypocrisy, but something I find totally in character for Ted Kennedy.

It is always a shame to see someone succumb to a terrible disease, and I feel sadness for his family. But I will not miss his politics in any way.

I find it disappointing and sad when people choose to view others as always good or always bad or a waste of energy because of past mistakes or beliefs that are different than our own. Let me start by saying I have voted both Republican and Democrat and consider myself a middle-of-the-road conservative who has never been a huge fan of Kennedy, lest the individuals who claim partisanship have doubts about my comments. Ted Kennedy, like every one of us, was an imperfect individual who made mistakes. Some mistakes truly are more monumental and devastating than others in their consequences and are more difficult to forgive, but his actions in later years demonstrate that he wanted to do what he believed was best for the people he served and that he regretted his past actions. I think I'm like most people in that I have always tried to be a good person and do my best, and even consciously thinking about it every day, I sometimes fail, even though I consider myself (and believe others to consider me to be) a good person. Fortunately, there are enough people in my life who love me and forgive me and give me another chance on those occasions, and hopefully, my mistakes get fewer and smaller as I grow older and wiser.

Just last week my childhood "nemesis" died. She was my neighbor and schoolmate beginning at age 8, and was one of the meanest bullies I ever knew. She picked on my younger sister, always had a smart-aleck, taunting comment to me, and she continued to be this way through our high school days. We even had a physical altercation at age 11 when she stole something from my sister and I, in my sister's defense, punched her to get the toy back. She is the only person I ever raised my hand to in my life, and I regret that incident to this day. I heard from old schoolmates who remembered her as a bully, too--none had a positive remembrance of her. My mother--the sweetest person I have ever known--even called me to see if I had heard the news and commented that she had been "such a bratty and mean kid" but we both felt empathy for her family and sorry that she lost her life at age 47, before she was ready to give it up. I was truly surprised by the glowing and loving comments left online by mourners who signed her guest book. By her death, I got to see another side of her--the loving mother, helpful friend and sister, and unforgettable co-worker who would do anything for anyone. This was not the girl I knew, but I was glad to know she had grown into such an exceptional woman and had made such a lasting and positive impression on so many people. It was a good lesson and humble reminder for me that we shouldn't judge others based on our limited experience with them or understanding of who they are.

I noticed many referred to Teddy Kennedy as an extraordinary man because of his service. I have disagreed with him over many things throughout the years and am not a fan of his. However, I admire his devotion to his family and those in need. I was glad it gave me the opportunity to talk to my students about the meaning of the words extraordinary and mediocrity.

To like or not to like is not the question. It is: did the man do a credible job for his constituents and for American citizens? I would have to agree with David that his family bought him out of a lot of turmoil. Just? No. But politically he and other ultra-liberal people have taken and are taking this country to a place that the founding fathers never intended nor could have imagined. Ours is a country built on individual liberties, freedoms, and responsibilities. Government was to be a small part of who we were and are. Kennedy, like many others, believed government existed as its own entity; therefore, it should be the most important in the governing of the country. He forgot who hired him...We did, the American public. Abraham Lincoln said it best: government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Kennedy didn't believe that.

David, what an excellent post. To be honest, there isn't an adjective strong enough to describe your comments. Very insightful and profound. I agree with you 100%.

I believe the best information you can glean about a person must be gathered from their closest friends. Opinions of abstracted talking parrot heads, with an obvious agenda, may be factual but not honest. Our memories can take the high road or the low road. I choose the high.

Mr. Josephson, I must respectfully disagree with the majority of your take on the late Senator, and I could not disagree more with David's previous comments on Mr. Kennedy. His obvious hatred for Democrats clearly clouds his and many of his Republican friends on what makes this country so great....and that would be those of us, Democrats, Independents and even a few Republicans who somehow manage to plug along when it would be so easy to give up.

I believe people who have truly redeemed themselves deserve to be held in high regard. Now it's very possible the Senator doesn't deserve all the praise and distinction lavished on him over the last couple of weeks. Truth be told, none of us truly knows what happened at Chappaquiddick or in many of the Senator's other failings. What we do know is this....To be the youngest of 9 Kennedy children couldn't have been easy. To lose a brother in war, a sister to an airplane accident shortly after and the two older brothers he admired so much to violent acts would have been enough to send most of us packing, looking for a place to hide. The Senator did not. He persevered and accepted his role as the family patriarch of one of the most famous families in America. He raised his own children along with the long list of nephews and nieces who were made fatherless by evil acts against two great Americans who wanted to make this country better. The Senator took all that, loaded it onto his broad shoulders and for the next 40+ years carried on with their message. No one would have blamed him had he decided to quit and become that recluse that most of us would have become. In my judgment, that alone, along with the great character Mr. Josephson listed in his critique, is enough that we should all be signing accolades about his character

I just want to close by saying this county needs more Teddy Kennedys. The Senate will not be the same and our country has a huge void to fill, and until someone of equal stature, eloquence and convictions can fill his shoes, we will have to continue watching the dysfunction and malaise that plagues our political system.

David S.

It never fails to amaze me. The far-right extremists, like cobras
spitting venom, need to tear down Senator Kennedy. Do we really expect our leaders to be perfect? Yes, he had flaws and imperfections, but he tried to become a better man and spent his life in public service trying to help the little guy. I expect the same will happen when we lose Jimmy Carter - only his failings will be mentioned by those who hate so well.

I have very mixed feelings about Ted Kennedy - much the same as I do about Bill Clinton. Both will probably be defined, for better or for worse, by a singular event - Kennedy for Chappaquiddick and Clinton for Lewinsky. Without these moral and ethical failures of character, their historical legacies would be very different. In my view, neither ever have honestly atoned for what they did although they have made some significant contributions.

Although hardly a true analogy, contrast them with a guy like Bill Gates who is believed by many to be a ruthless businessman (I can't really determine whether he has always been ethical) who is giving back pretty much all the money he has made to education and healthcare.

When all is said and done, the old phrase, "power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely" is unfortunately true too much of the time.

Thanks for bringing Chappaquiddick up. Justice was never served over it. If you or I had done the same crime, no one would forget. The fluff at the services was for the promotion of the next generation of Kennedys and the present Administration.

It is very sad to me that, for so many Americans, we demonize those with whom we differ politically. I remember learning that Orrin Hatch was one of Ted Kennedy's closest friends and best man at his wedding. This is the way politics should be - always debating ideas but never treating those on the other side of the aisle as less caring/patriotic/thoughtful than we are. Of course, Kennedy had his very public personal failings, but I believe he honestly spent the second half of his life attempting to do the best he could for his country, his family, and his God.

Micah 6 tells us this is what the Lord requires of us: "To act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God." I believe Kennedy tried to do what the Lord required of Him. May he rest in peace, and may the perpetual light shine upon him. Amen.

I liked Ted Kennedy because he acknowledged his weaknesses and worked very hard to overcome them and because he knew when people needed him to just say "Ouch" when they were troubled.

I hope he will be remembered as a flawed, character-deficient person who in later life accepted responsibility for his terrible acts in his early life, tried to atone for his bad behavior and spent his political life pressing for laws that aided those less fortunate than he.

Many of those who scream the loudest are those who claim to be Christians and yet in this instance do not offer forgiveness or redemption. Perhaps it is appropriate for the harshest critics to examine their own lives.

Until you walk in someone else's shoes it is difficult to judge someone else's life. It is sufficient to acknowledge both his deficient character (bad behavior) and the strength of his desire to do good for those less fortunate. And then let it go for historians to settle.

No one suggests that Mary Jo's death or Kennedy's poor handling of it was okay. It was not. On the other hand, there is no reason not to give appropriate recognition for his efforts in a positive direction.

Today I received your e-mail with its commentary. I have always copied and used the quotes you give in my classroom. Today I will not. While JFK and RFK where superstars in politics and died way too young, Teddy was probably the most unethical man in the Senate. A drunk who the DC police covered for for years. A man who left a women for dead. A man in the middle of more than one scandal involving rape. A man who contacted the KGB in 1983 to try to overthrow the Reagan Presidency. What a horrible example of misuse of power and someone I hope others never emulate.

On the Commentary by Michael Josephson website, a quote is ascribed to J.F. Kennedy that belongs to Jesus: In Luke 12:48 it states: "From everyone who is given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."

Michael,

Thanks for the positive spin on the negative spin. Too bad we don't hear more people letting the good overshadow the bad.

I was about to point out that the words "From everyone who is given much, much is required" actually originated with Jesus - and I looked up and Benita has beaten me to it.

As to your commentary: It was his funeral - one would hardly expect people to be talking about his faults. Clearly he was not an angel. But who are we to judge - and what good does being judgmental do?

A funeral is not a SWAT analysis, it is an aid to grieving - it is for the comfort of the deceased's friends. Mr. Kennedy may have had his faults, but clearly what has emerged are his qualities - his determination to get things done that he truly believed in. Even if he got into the Senate on the strength of family ties, he surely would not have survived the many elections if he were not up to the job.

If he managed to avoid criminal conviction because of his family ties, that is as much a reflection on American justice as it is on the man himself. As they say, when you point a finger at another, you have three pointing back at you. If he did do wrong there, surely that misdeed will have weighed heavily on his spirit for the rest of his days - he would have judged himself.

Christians -- and I understand that, being a strong Catholic, Mr. Kennedy would describe himself as a Christian -- believe that if we repent and seek forgiveness from the Lord, He (the Lord) is faithful to forgive. Whether Mr. Kennedy made his peace with God or not is a matter between him and his Maker. It is not my place to judge him, and I do not think it is right for us to denigrate a person's character once they have passed on.

Chappaquiddick was horrifying, his actions appalling.
He was a cad in his dealings in law school and with women.
The alcoholic stuff he eventually overcame -- kudos to him.
It's good to see his family eulogize him and talk of how supportive he was of them as each new tragedy happened.
I agree that serving as a Senator is more commonly taking, and I suspect he served more as a family-dynasty-expectations sort of thing and less from a desire to truly help others. Maybe he and his brothers privately despaired of their father's booze money and got into public service to assuage their inherited guilt? Who was his Jiminy Cricket?
My view of him did get better upon reading what he accomplished -- but it also worsened on reading about his continuing lowly behavior toward women.
Comparing him to Hitler is an insult to all of us.
Bottom line: he made some terrible mistakes and I'm glad he wasn't my uncle because I have enough of my own problems.

But --
It's distressing to see support generally fall along party lines.
Didn't we learn from the Civil War?
Are we more vulnerable now to any upcoming charismatic and dangerous leader because we're so divided?

My feelings are very similar to Mr. Josephson's concerning Ted Kennedy. And I am astounded at the amount of vitriol against the late senator I've read in these comments! If we were all less judgmental of others and allowed everyone, ourselves included, our mistakes and our sincere efforts to correct them instead of condemning, if we all forgave ourselves and others instead of clamoring for punishment or revenge, if we were all a little kinder to ourselves and to others, we could enjoy our world and each other a lot more.

I'm appalled by the vitriol that E.M. Kennedy's name evokes. I didn't think much of him as an individual because his personal issues were always being thrown in our collective face. Oh, yes, that was done by the liberal media, wasn't it?

On the other hand, now that I contemplate the past 40+ years, Kennedy had an agenda that he stuck with, even when it was completely at odds with the majority view. This is admirable, and what Congress-critters are elected to do. When a candidate's agenda is not what the voters want, well, someone else gets elected, don't they?

We can contrast this with those now in Congress who continue to hold views that were the most popular positions during past conservative administrations. Isn't sticking to these agendas now at odds with the majority view? Just checking.

I also wonder about people who rant about Kennedy's agenda from a cost perspective. From my readings in all the major Western religions, are we not supposed to have charity for our fellows? I don't favor gifts to the lazy, but access to the tools needed to create opportunity should be a part of the American system. Exporting jobs, decreasing funding for schools, and allowing medical costs to rise in an uncontrolled manner were all anathema to Kennedy - these are all policies that erect barriers for even average persons wanting to make a better life.

Surely, some people have more money in their pocket as a result of decreased social spending, but the bill will come due in the future. Near future, actually - the US of A can't right now fulfill its needs for engineers and scientists. The shortage is getting worse due to deteriorating schools. If the US doesn't lead in technology, what does it lead in? Oil? Burned most of it up. Manufacturing? Most steel isn't made here, most computers aren't made here, most cars aren't built here. Food exports? Isn't that what third-world countries sell to pay their bills? Is that what we want to be about?

I personally maintain that there isn't anything about the US that can't be fixed if people would just think. Don't listen to Rush or Keith and spout their views. Get facts, consider them, and make up your own mind.

I'd really love to have a national holiday for people to sit back and really think about issues. No radio or TV - we don't want them nasty old underhanded liberals or those equally repugnant neo-con brutes influencing opinions. Consider what you want your country (and in the larger sense, the world) to be about. Ponder the rise of the US and the shared values that made it great - the US remains powerful, but no longer great - and then identify three or four areas where effort should be expended to return the country to greatness.

Act on your new personal agenda.

There will, and should be, disagreement. Open discussion is healthy. Endless argument based on rumor, other peoples' opinions, or wildly distorted facts is not open discussion - it is interaction without personal thought and demonstrates unwillingness to concede or negotiate.

Cynicism is even more fundamentally unhealthy - it is paralytic, not catalytic. Sitting on the sidelines and complaining only fuels discontent without helping to move things forward. We have to be actively involved in order to make our world better.

That is ultimately Kennedy's example - get involved. Sure, he had a lot of money, but he could have sat on his boat instead of working for a living. Sure, a whole lot of people didn't like him, but we've just seen testimonials from a large number of people with completely opposite positions - Orrin Hatch comes to mind - who came to realize they could work with Kennedy to hammer out compromises both could live with.

Kennedy was far from perfect - I think everyone can agree on that - but he certainly tried to watch out for the have-nots. There are worse things to be remembered for.

Michael, I think you already gave us the answer about the vitriol and hate on any side that we hear and read even here in a site about ethics in your quote:

"What is objectionable, what is dangerous, about extremists is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their cause but what they say about their opponents."
– Robert F. Kennedy

Most posts seem to be based on bipartisanship and people's ability to judge people with out knowing the facts or walking in Ted Kennedy's shoes. Comparing him with Hitler....Wow. I don't believe Ted Kennedy should be worshipped or praised, but I do believe he should be remembered as a man who made mistakes, loved mankind, and attempted to make the world a better place not only through politics, but by starting with the man in the mirror.

Forgiveness is underrated...the man will be remembered for the redemption he found, in the good he did and the quiet acts of kindness and caring. I bet Mary Jo forgave him. God bless him. God bless his family.

"Judge not lest you will be judged" seems appropriate. If we were all compared to the good that Kennedy did for others, instead of judging ourselves by what he did wrong as a younger man, wouldn't that be interesting?

One more thing, re: vitriolic spewings:

"Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks."
-- Jesus of Nazareth

It might be wise for those of us who aren't quite so sure of our heavenly reward to stand close to those who are on a higher moral plane. We can grab onto their coattails and ride their righteousness when heaven's doors open in the future.
Many times those who yell the loudest about the faults of others have secrets of their own they hide carefully from others.

Regarding Edward Kennedy in a negative way because of past
indiscretions, who feels qualified to cast the first stone?

What I was surprised about concerning Ted Kennedy was that I was more neutral than either positive or negative. The Kennedy family has always been interesting to me. I was a young child when President Kennedy was assassinated. My mother, who was a staunch Republican, cried and showed emotion. I have never forgotten that moment as I had awareness that she did not agree with (or vote for) him but was saddened by the death of our President and what that meant for our nation. She still saw good in him.

As I heard about Ted and his life, what struck me was how he knew to be a public servant and work with others on both sides of the aisle for the good of many if not all. Rather than people saying, "There is no other Senator like Ted Kennedy," maybe all of them should ask themselves "How would Ted go about this?" Maybe, just maybe, things could be more productive in Congress. To me, finding out what he did not for the glory but for the good and service to others was amazing and humbling. Who is without any fault? I certainly have many. They just do not have to be publicized on the national arena. I am not excusing Mr. Kennedy from his wrongs, but I do appreciate his efforts to do well and to be a lifelong public servant and to right wrongs he could and try to be a better person.
Thank you.

Jeff referred to a quote by Robert F. Kennedy: "What is objectionable, what is dangerous, about extremists is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their cause but what they say about their opponents."

The common response of many, and particularly liberals, when they no longer have an argument, is to engage in name-calling toward those with whom they disagree.

Who in the Senate was more prolific in spewing personal vitriol toward an opponent of his views than Ted Kennedy? What does RFK’s comment then say of his younger brother? What does the RFK reference say of name-calling by those people condemning people for simply stating the facts that define Teddy Kennedy’s life?

Is Ted Kennedy deserving of forgiveness? I think the answer to that question was reserved by God.

It’s telling indeed how this mentality carries over to those wishing to justify Kennedy's past behavior; preferring to see the glass half full. But what are the facts really?

Deferring to RFK, who is in fact intolerant? Is it the person judging Kennedy’s behavior, or what the opponents say about people who are “intolerant” with Kennedy’s track record?

But this is an ethics blog. Did Kennedy lead an ethical life?

What was Teddy Kennedy’s legacy, really? For any who are uncertain, confused or simply interested in the facts, check out “Ted Kennedy's Immigration Legacy -- and why did he do it?” at NumbersUSA.com.

I heard your commentary on Edward Kennedy. I was happy to hear someone speak about on the over-glorification of a man who, in your words, was quite "imperfect." I cannot understand how you arrived at your conclusions. You said we should honor a man who was striving to be a better man. Please tell me how he was trying to be a better man? This is a man who knew he was dying from cancer but refused to step down and allow Mass. to appoint a successor. This clearly indicated, in my opinion, an egomaniac, not someone who had the interests of Massachusetts in mind. In addition, how did Senator Kennedy advance the principles of his faith, speaking out for the sanctity and dignity of the human person? Please tell me how you arrive at your conlusions.

May he rest in peace.

I was not a huge Ted Kennedy fan, but also did not see him as the devil incarnate. So I identified and appreciated Michael's comments. Then I read all of the comments that followed and can only say that I'm disappointed at the tone of many of the posts in this forum. I'm assuming you're here because you believe character does count--both yours and others--and that you try to live up to the six pillars of character. If you've written a comment, please reread it and reflect on how well you have embodied the pillars of respect and caring when writing about a fellow human being. I've sadly come to expect such tone in forums like the recent town hall meetings on health care, but am still optimistic enough to be surprised at it in a forum of people who presumably joined this forum to work on becoming better human beings.

Greatest for humanity is not
Diminished by human weakness.
For if we will judge every human by his faults,
Every human is short of the Kingdom of Heaven.

I'm amazed at so many of the comments. When it was said that "Ted Kennedy was, in the end, simply a study in how the media treats conservatives and liberals. The media and the liberal (democratic) party excuse Ted Kennedy for every wrong by pointing out how much good he did with his legislation. No conservative would be granted that pass," I'm thinking someone is clearly delusional. Plenty of conservatives have done wrong and been given a pass - small story on the inner pages of the papers, barely a mention on the news.

Buck it up - liberal or conservative - you do something wrong, something not character-worthy, and someone is going to say something. I think conservatives are paranoid and worried that liberals may find out everything they have been doing for a very long time.

After reading the comments on Edward Kennedy, I can easily pick out the Republicans from the Democrats. It is appalling to let our political views color our views of our fellow man. I see it in the e-mails I receive every day. It is all right to have a political opinion, but it should not determine our whole outlook on the American public.

What an excellent commentary in that it encouraged so many people to respond with such clear expressions of their own failings. The good Christians who won’t forgive because the person voted Democratic and the hypocritical whiners who would never be so quick or damning had Ted had been a Republican. At least some people (thank you Michael) can acknowledge the good that others do, even if their political chair was placed on the wrong side of the aisle.

The true value in Ted Kennedy's existence lies in the referendum it places on our character, not his. When a man like Senator Kennedy passes away, it will inevitably provoke hyperbole from both extremes. Perhaps the most frustrating thing about a man like him is that we struggle to understand how one person could so dramatically embody both the flaws and strengths of character that we value. The easy thing at those times is to resort to dogma-driven praise or criticism that serves no purpose whatsoever. Kudos to Mary above who has seen this situation for what it truly is, and shame on those like David and Kikmor who could not see the forest for the trees. Ted Kennedy's passing forces each of us to ask ourselves, "How will I be remembered?" Very likely, some will miss us sorely for the good we have done while others will believe we hung around much too long. None of us could know if we could have lived Ted's life better than he did, but many have obviously chosen to squander some part of their own lives wallowing in hatred. I feel sorrow, not for them, but for the general direction of the human race -they seem to have learned nothing from this occurrence.

Too often we forget about our growth. We grow through learning our mistakes and our faults. We grow despite our wins and success. Too often we put people down for their mistakes when measured against our success.

It reminds me of people retelling their Las Vegas experience. Too often I hear of their winnings and the success. Where are the losses and mismanagement? It is a real shame that we are not able to celebrate one's ability to correct or attempt to correct his/her wrongs.

We would all do good to remember that our words (and actions) say much more about US than the person we are talking about.

Does anyone know of a single accomplishment of Ted Kennedy that is worth being proud of? I have asked this question to many people and still have not heard an answer that makes sense.

Judge not lest you be judged. I prefer to look at a person's whole life and what he/she makes of it rather than the individual mistakes that he/she makes during a lifetime. I hope God judges the same way.

Ted Kennedy was a man of great character formed through his many life experiences and how he reacted to them. He used his gifts of wealth, power and influence to help others who were less fortunate. Would that more Americans were like him. May he rest in peace.

It's especially sad to read the harsh judgment of Ted Kennedy on a forum such as this. Michael, I have faith you won't be disheartened in your mission to help raise the level of humanism we extend to each other by the unforgiving tone of so many of these comments.

I want to share one small example of how Ted Kennedy improved lives of countless people. In 1972 the Black Lung Benefits program was established to aid coal miners suffering the consequences laboring in unsafe and unhealthy conditions. Sen. Byrd of West Virginia and Sen. Cooper and Cook of Kentucky were the title sponsors.

My Uncle Pat was one of the poor miners afflicted with the insidious disease. He was disabled and dying in the late 1960s several years before the program would be in place. He reached out to Ted Kennedy in a simple, handwritten letter asking for help. For several years, Ted Kennedy fought the cause of the Black Lung Benefits Program, as he fought so many causes through the years. His influence outside of the coal-producing states to sway support for the bill was essential for its passing. That's what influential US Senators do. They leverage their influence for causes they believe in.

My Uncle Pat never survived to receive a single penny from the program, but his widow, my Aunt Georgie, lived on for many years and depended on the widow's benefits.

I will never forget visiting my Uncle Pat in his final days. I was just turning 18 and he asked me if I was planning to vote. I told him I was and he said he wanted to show me something. He took out a short, handwritten note from Ted Kennedy, pledging his support for the miners' cause and expressing genuine care and concern for my uncle. It was a testament of character. Reading the note, I'll never forget what my Uncle Pat said to me. He said, "That's a letter from a great man who is dedicated to helping people. He has flaws like everyone else does, but he has character like few do. That's the measure of a man you want to vote for."

So take your shots at Ted Kennedy for his lapses in judgment and character. But give him his due for paying his penance while he was alive. His influence on our country is irrefutable. No one will ever know how many beneficial legislative acts he made possible beyond the 2,500 with his name on them. No one will ever know how many people he took the time to help or at least acknowledge with the same respect and dignity given to his most powerful peers in Congress. You may agree or disagree with his political views, but don't deny his life's body of work. Ted Kennedy made his share of mistakes, but he also made positive choices that made a difference in many people's lives.

Kennedy got away with murder. Used the word democracy in place of his touted Socialistic objectives. Used his money to fabricate a facade that was a thin veneer to his power that was dishonest and demeaning of our true and original Constitution.

It is really easy to sit in judgment on someone’s character. Ted Kennedy was the first person to say he had made terrible calls during his life. In my own life, I do remember one particular lesson from Sunday school. When we point the finger at someone, remember we have three fingers pointing back at us. Do we really want to have our character be so judgmental that we forget we all have flaws?

Given that this thread started with your admission that you felt the need to re-consider your previous opinion of Teddy Kennedy, I figured I'd post on that first. I actually abandoned a response to that at the time because, frankly, I figured that I'd only get shouted down or insulted on these pages. I'll suspend comment on what it says to feel that I might trigger such a response on the Josephson Institute website.

I don't think anybody thinks Mary Jo's death wasn't tragic or that Kennedy was irresponsible, even criminally so, in this case. I remember thinking what a tragedy this was, when it happened, for all of the obvious reasons. In addition, I also felt a great amount of pity for an obviously broken man who, I felt, could even have committed suicide given what he had seen happen to him and his family over the past 8 years. Edward Kennedy might have been the scion of the "great" Kennedy family, but he was also the baby brother to two older men who had obviously been looked upon as lions, even within the family. To have them assassinated, either as President or while campaigning to become President, must have been a horrific shock to everybody in the Kennedy clan.

By the time of Chappaquiddick, Teddy was already being spoken of as the next Kennedy to run for President. I don't know what counsel on his personal well-being he'd been given, but, frankly, I'm not sure that even an immersive amount of analysis would have helped anybody in his position. He clearly showed signs of being out of control; Is it not likely that what we all saw (and that which we didn't see) was a grieving process gone wrong?

Apparently, even in the midst of this behavior, Teddy was still able to champion the needs of the underpriveleged. Toward the end, Teddy (by all accounts, including those on the other side of the political aisle) recuperated his soul and had come to a more peaceful place.

We pride ourselves as being a nation of Christian ethos; A key component is forgiveness and, equally outstanding, the belief that none of us are to judge another person. The New Testament is full of examples of both of these points. The fact that one seems to be the backside of the other (How can you forgive without judging? Do you not have to judge something worthy of forgiveness? Do you not have to suspend your judgment of somebody else in order to forgive them?) makes it even more difficult to live up to these standards. Another key attribute, humility (or meekness, if you will), forces us to try to overcome our pre-conceived ideas. Ironically enough, so much of Kennedy's legislative efforts focused on the meekest amongst us.

Kennedy was a flawed man who accomplished so much for the weakest. It's contingent upon us to not dance upon his grave, forgive and let our beliefs of an after-life, judged by our Creator, fulfill a righteous eternity for him.