Edward Kennedy was not a perfect man.

In fact, Ted Kennedy was at times a deeply flawed man.

But in the days since his passing, we have been reminded of what it means to be an absolved man. One whose greater legacy outlives the mistakes that he sought so dearly to overcome.

We live in a time in which even the slightest of public missteps warrants a crucifixion by an individual’s peers, a lashing media and the general populace. It has become nearly impossible to escape one’s transgressions unscathed in an era of viral video, mass email and blood-thirsty cable news pundits, whose sole existence is to do nothing more than drive ratings in light of the shortcomings of those that predominate the twenty-four hour news cycle.

Careers and character are no longer judged by lifetimes but rather by months as those who fall prey to the spinning wheel rarely have time to find forgiveness and personal accountability before they are tossed under the rug, and a new perceived immoral presence is tried and sentenced amongst the greater public consciousness.

We have become a nation of judgment and in the loss of one of the most prolific legislators of our time, we have said goodbye to a man who showed each of us what it means to carry accountability, sometimes even when perhaps the load was too heavy.

Many are aware of Senator Kennedy’s wandering eye and penchant for the drink. Even more are reminded of the 1969 Chappaquiddick incident that resulted in the death of his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, in an Oldsmobile Delmont 88. Burned into the events of that night is the inescapable fact that Kennedy made his way from the vehicle, swam to shore and did not report the accident until the next morning. The Congressman issued a statement nearly one week later in which he gave a national broadcast and openly stated, “I regard as indefensible the fact that I did not report the accident to the police immediately.” He then went before the Massachusetts electorate and asked whether or not he should hang his jacket on the wall and resign from the United States Senate.

Those of the electorate roundly encouraged him to continue his term.

In the years following the accident, there was a run for the White House in which Jimmy Carter beat Kennedy unceremoniously in the primaries. There were also moments in which it was clear that the brother of John and Robert still carried the pain of their violent deaths with each passing anniversary of the respective tragedies. And as each season passed in the years that eclipsed Chappaquiddick, Ted Kennedy focused his life’s intent for the betterment of laborers, minorities and those who too easily fell through the cracks of a society’s better graces.

Perhaps it was a conscious decision in light of his past errors. Errors so deep that in certain instances, the only true measure of forgiveness is not granted by conscience, but rather by divine will. Perhaps his insistence to fight for such measures as comprehensive national healthcare reform, the voting rights act, the expansion of AIDS treatments or the long-running battle for the rights of all people to live free and prosperous lives; even taking his journey as far as South Africa in 1985 when he defied the wishes of the apartheid governments and stayed in the home of Bishop Desmond Tutu.

The Senator drew a line in the sand during these years and had he resigned in light of his failures, the United States may have never realized the importance of his subsequent successes.

In an age in which everything is defined by the moment, with little course for reprieve, we may never recognize the potential of an individual whose mistakes preclude their attempts to make them right.

A life should be defined by not only the highs but also the lows that set a soul’s intention in motion to again reach a pinnacle of moral understanding and fulfillment.

Edward Moore Kennedy’s lifetime followed this ideal until its end.

Rest in Peace Senator.

February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009

Header photo by studio08denver and licensed under a Creative Commons AN-SA 2.0 GL.

Tags: Massachusetts, Media, politics, Social Theory, Ted Kennedy, US Senate

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 1st, 2009 and is filed under Commentary, FrontPage, VOL2009.02. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.