Ted Kennedy - the Passing of an American Patriot

Let me start by saying this is not a political article. I am refraining from politics on AC because, in my opinion, it gets far too down and dirty.

Anyone who expresses an opinion that doesn't fit within a certain "ideal" is branded a fool, an idiot, or something even worse. They are barraged with negative comments, sent threatening emails, and denigrated unmercifully.

I believe that life deals all of us enough difficult hands without our resorting to that kind of pettiness against one another. That brings me around to the subject of this article - - the death of Ted Kennedy.

I have been appalled over the last few days over the way that some of the media has played Senator Kennedy's tragic death. Some have used it as a baseball bat to bash the head anyone who wouldn't buy into their liberal agenda.

Others have used it as a platform to insult and tear apart the man, his accomplishments, and his politics. To my way of thinking, neither is very charitable.

There is plenty of time in the future to debate, discuss, and otherwise embroil ourselves in issues. This is a time to mourn a public servant.

I was not a fan of Ted Kennedy. Having said that; however, I will not use this article as a means to tear down a man that millions of people loved. It simply isn't my place.

If there is one thing that most of us need to learn as a life lesson it is this: We do not have the right to judge another without walking in his shoes. That is an old Native American proverb that my grandfather drilled into me at a young age. It is also one I don't intend to forget.

It is easy to sit on the outside looking in and say, "I wouldn't have done that; that was wrong; that was hateful, etc. The real truth anyone could say that about any one of us. It is all a matter of how one looks at things.

I was an admirer of John F. Kennedy and, like many of you, remember exactly where I was the minute it was announced he had been assassinated. As a teenager, I was also well on the way to becoming a fan of Robert Kennedy before he was killed.

Although I liked much of what both men had to say, that didn't mean I agreed with them 100 percent. I viewed neither of them as flawless human beings. They, like all the rest of us, had their share of faults and so did their brother Ted.

Those of us who dare to have faith know that perfection belonged to one man alone. But some so-called Christians have forgotten the very basis of his teachings - - "love one another" and "judge not, lest you be judged."

That's not to say that real Christians don't have very strong opinions. Of course we do. A lot of people do whether they are Islamic, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, or something else. Having an opinion is fine. It is what we do with that opinion that often becomes the problem.

I don't pretend to know the heart of Ted Kennedy, but I do know this. He had a family that loved him and for that to occur, there had to be something within the man that was good no matter what his politics, his actions, or his sins might seem to say.

If he truly believed what he preached from his senatorial pulpit, we should stop to wonder if there might have been at least a hint of truth in what he was saying. Anyone with that kind of undeniable passion, unbendable resolve, and immovable strength "might" have had a message we just didn't choose to hear.

Does that mean I've changed my political viewpoints all of sudden? Absolutely not! I still believe that America belongs to the people and only the people; not to the elitist politicians of any party.

Nonetheless, I can put down my own political viewpoints long enough to allow the passing of an American patriot. Right or wrong, love him or hate him, Ted Kennedy tried to be that the only way he knew how.

For now, let's stop slinging mud and shooting arrows at one another. Let's stop trying to beat one another over the head with self-inflated egos that make us believe only we have the right answers.

Instead, let's think about what we want for our country and move forward from there. I suspect that is all that any real patriot ever wants - - including the late Ted Kennedy. Even if I'm wrong about that, it still begs the question, "what have we got to lose?"