The Dead Kennedys

Aw, the Kennedys. As the world mourns the loss of the last Kennedy son I have mixed feelings. On the one hand there is plenty to disdain, for me most of my apprehension has to do with the Kennedy sons being notorious adulterers (although I’m not sure if Joseph Jr., the oldest son was an adulterer but there is no doubt the other three were). But there are a few characteristics about the four Kennedy brothers that I admire greatly.

For starters, all four, Joseph Jr., John, Robert, and Ted all came of age during the time of the military draft. Coming from fabulously wealthy families they could have easily avoided serving but unlike so many other wealthy young men (Mitt Romney I’m looking in your general direction) they were not drafted but chose to serve their nation’s military. In fact, Joseph Jr., the pride and joy of the Kennedy family, would die in a fiery crash over the Pacific Ocean in 1944 at the age of 29.

John and Robert both served in the Navy during World War II though John’s military record was a little more heroic than Robert’s. Ted dragged his feet a little more but rather than taking an officer’s commission like his brothers he enlisted as a Private in the Army (WHOAH!) during the Korean War though he never saw combat. Now that the draft is gone who serves in the military?

Well, let’s see, we got poor people, immigrants, and numskulls like myself who thought he was getting a free pair of socks that say "Army" on the side. Not too many millionaires serving in the armed forces today and I don’t know if any of the four Kennedy brothers' children served in the military.

That’s beside the point. The fact is the Kennedy brothers did not have to serve their country but they did. These four could have chosen the playboy life as they were rich and handsome and had access to anything and everything. The remaining three chose public service. Not business, banking, law, medicine or any illustrious career but they chose public service. Sure, we can be cynics and suggest they were just trying to quell some sort of power hunger but this brings us to the next point.

We all know the ultimate end to both John and Robert. They were murdered in cold blood. Gunned down in their prime. They had it all, wealth and fame but they chose to serve the public and gave their lives doing so. I respect that. Sure, there were some things about those two that makes me shake my head but it is hard to argue with their sincerity when they died while serving America.

Which brings me to the final characteristic that I admire greatly. Ted Kennedy died last week, still sworn in as a US Senator. He worked to the very end. I would love to work until the end comes. Over the past year I have met with dozens of men who just seemed to sit on their couches the last 10 years of their lives and it scares the bajeezers out of me. I do not want to end up like that, I want to be like Senator Kennedy and be working up to the end or as close as possible.

So those are my feelings about these complicated men. They were given so much at birth but chose a route dedicated to public service. Sadly, only a few of their children have chosen public service, most have taken the family’s money and ran with it. Too bad, because clearly there is something enigmatic in their genes and as a nation we could use more of their talents.

P.S. Eunice Kennedy, sister of the four brothers died recently as well. This is another person that I greatly admired. When she was in her prime the mentally challenged were treated even more horribly than they are today. But she established the Special Olympics and broke all sorts of barriers. I volunteered as a bowling coach for two years, it was a great experience (I once saw a mentally challenged gentleman, his name was Butch, bowl 11 strikes in one game!). The Special Olympics, what a legacy for Eunice Kennedy! Can you imagine a world without the Special Olympics?