Waitress Sandwich: Does Ted Kennedy Leave a Legacy of Misogyny?

The womanizing is legendary. I first heard about it from my father as an eight year old kid in Philly. My father was a democrat city committeeman. It all goes back to his experience as the child of his father, Joe Kennedy.

Essentially, Joe Kennedy, the father of the whole clan, was the head of what some would deem the Irish mafia in the US. He provided financing for Giancana in Chicago during Prohibition and was one of the main market manipulators of the New York Stock Exchange.  His pro-Hitler sentiments got him canned from being ambassador to the Court of St James (British Court).

He was a major producer in Hollywood and once had both his wife and Gloria Swanson, his mistress and the top star of the day,on the boat at the same time for vacation. It is not exactly a wonder how the Kennedy men became compulsive womanizers.

Joe Kennedy wanted his son, Joseph, to become president, something right out of "The Godfather", but Joe Jr. was killed in WWII flying a special mission to blow up a huge cannon built into the side of a mountain.

JFK and Robert, in particular, made real contributions to the US. Ted was nowhere near as significant a politician.

JFK fought the Mafia with Robert's lead, even though the Mafia were essentially his father's friends and the one who had given him the presidency in 1960 by stuffing the ballot boxes in Chicago with the votes of the dead, throwing Illinois to Kennedy, and the election as well.

JFK fought US Steel's monopoly, cut taxes and produced more tax revenue, called for the moon landing, but started the War in Vietnam, as well. The whole Cuban thing was a disaster that has been reinterpreted so as to  benefit JFK's image.

What we did was take away our missiles in Turkey and the Russkies took away their missiles in Cuba. They did not back down.

Robert's effective prosecution of the Mafia, especially his deportation of the head of the New Orleans mafia, got JFK killed.

Ted Kennedy did a good  job at being the uncle and patriarch of the Kennedy Clan. I give him that, but he was not a man to treat women well. His cheating on his wife was incessant.

He had his marriage to his wife annulled, making all his kids bastards, technically, and reducing his marriage to his wife to something that never really happened, an annulment, not a divorce.

That the Vatican would give him this annulment is a sign of its two-faced approach to divorce, denying it, even with good reason to women such as my grandmother who was abused, while allowing it for the high and mighty.

No one has mentioned this annulment in the news at all, even though all his kids were by his first wife.  Where is her name even  mentioned? 

As far as the title of this story, yuck, I don't like it and don't know the answer...

A though you said you were not going to write about Ted K. Glad you did,! your bang on.

Interesting Opinion piece, Tina. Thanks for posting.

I make no excuses for Ted Kennedy - yet he didn't either. He did say that his demons were his and he had to live with them, and personally I think that can be the worst punishment of all.

I know about his love for the Irish 'freedom fight' - I saw many of my fellow citizens die at the hands of those who called themselves such - I detested him for that, but I do try to find out about the man and where his ideas came from.

I read about the struggle that his mother had with Irish 'discrimination' both at the hands of the British and the US, his father wasn't the best of fathers, and again, I am not trying to make excuses though it seems I am. I am, on the other hand, prepared to see what makes a person the person they are.

Though Kennedy did what he did re; the NI Troubles he was also involved in the peace process itself.

He wasn't perfect, then who is? I don't think he was a misogynist either, just a stupid bloke who got caught up in the times as was.

There are many who are the same, both genders are complicit in that.

If we are to put a 21st century view on everything then we we will be judged, in the future as being barbaric in our time.History is a tool we can use to better ourselves, but if we are not wanting to be judged then it is not up to us to do the judging. We do not know what it was like to be the black man who lived in Alabama in the 40s, 50s and 60s - what we can do is look at those times as abhorrent and that whomever that those times do not exist to the degree they did then.

Rosa Parks, MLK, JFK, RFK and a million other people allowed us to have the freedom of thought we now have to see those times as unjust. Is Ted Kennedy worse for that? I don't believe so.

Ted Kennedy sought his own redemption in doing what he thought was right - but he also had his own past to deal with. What do we take from that? Is it a matter we take what he was in his time as a complete idiot - or do we look at him as the purveyor of what he knew to be right? Personally I think we have to look at him in the middle of all that - as a human who wasn't perfect and made the mistakes that some make more than others.

Whether you believe in Biblical text or not, it is still apt: "Thee who art without sin, cast thy the first stone as thee without sin will see the gates of heaven afore ye that hath; lo yon that I see hath thee not sin; go now yond and flee afore thou art judged; cast thee not"

i am saddened by this opinion....i personally believe that we celebrate a persons life...not degrade it a few hours after his/her death....freedom of speech is a wondrous thing...but being sensitive to the feelings of others is also important...Mr. Kennedy was a flawed man....he made mistakes...but he did a lot of good things as well....he was an excellent parliamentarian...an advocate for peace, for justice for people of all colours and a supporter of health care for all....it is a shame to see such an opinion expressed. so soon after his death.......i am sad and disheartened at now public..for allowing such a piece to remain on site..sorry...but that's my opinion

It's a shame to read this. I know that Kennedy came from a different generation, when it was acceptable to treat women in such a way but this story has undoubtedly lessened my respect for him.

much of this and more was revealed by the "Gemstone File" in early 1970's! Pre internet days when stuff was printed and circulated, pity I didn't keep a copy, very juicy reading, especially the "real history of the Kennedy's!

Seems Dead Kennedys make the news more than when they were alive. Once a Horndog, always a Horndog.

Sex offenders often cover up their addiction to overpowering others by living a life of public service (clergy, teachers, etc.)  Research with adjudicated sex offenders in treatment confirms this.  Far too often we are taken in by the benefits of their service and overlook or minimize the pain and suffering such a disease causes.  I personally know someone who was raped by Ted Kennedy and no number of good deeds will undo that crime or the others he has committed.

No mention of Schwarzenegger's misogynistic exploits? At least those can be confirmed by real people and not from republican bullshit fake news sites like this.