Ted Kennedy

I fashion myself as a political junkie, but not a political expert. And so my knowledge of Ted Kennedy is really limited to what liberals hail about him and what conservatives derail about him in the regular press. So I wanted to share my observations of how the media is digesting his death and funeral.

First of all, there seems to be a fascination with his religious views. Kennedy was seemingly a staunch Catholic, despite his pro-choice views. Even Time is fascinated by his correspondance with the conservative Pope Benedict. While I do believe Kennedy's views on abortion (and anyone who says that abortion is wrong but should be legal, just in case) are wrong and completely illogical and incoherent, this does not disqualify him from the eternal splendour of enjoying Jesus Christ.

I don't know what he said to the Pope in his last days, and I don't know what the Pope said back to him, and I don't know either of them personally so I can't speak to Ted Kennedy's salvation (I have prayed for it, though), but he did say one thing in one of Time's articles about him (they had at least 6 online) that gives some clues. The story is recounted in one of his last days:

The sound spilled out past the porch, into a night made lighter by a full moon whose bright glare bounced off the dark waters of Nantucket Sound, beyond
the old house where Teddy — and he was always "Teddy" here — mouthed the lyrics to every song, sitting, smiling, happy to be surrounded by family and friends in a place where he could hear and remember it all. And as he sang, his blue eyes
sparkled with life, and for the moment it seemed as if one of his deeply felt
beliefs — "that we will all meet again, don't know where, don't know when" — was nothing other than true. "I love living here," Ted Kennedy once said. "And I believe in the Resurrection."

It's hard to imagine someone saying a more Christian thing than "I believe in the Resurrection." My excitement about that is tempered a little bit by the postmodern uncertainty mixed in right before- "don't know where...(or) when." Maybe Kennedy was just saying he didn't know what heaven would be like. Maybe he thought that everybody goes to heaven. But generally when postmoderns steal Christian terminology, they use different phraseology: love, God, or salvation all change meanings. I have yet to hear anyone change the meaning of "Resurrection." The meaning of Jesus' resurrection and our union with him spiritually and in our bodily resurrection is central to Christianity. While I cannot know for certain, Kennedy hopefully followed this path.

Second, the media establishment loved him. He even, apparently, merited Time's "Commemorative Issue," given when strongly influential people die. Sure he does have moral failings in his past, and I don't wish to rehash those. Sure he had political views that I strongly disagree with. But neither of those reasons are why I think he shouldn't be hailed. Ted Kennedy is just not worthy of a Commemorative Issue.

These kinds of cultural honors should go to people who really did influence world events. I know many will argue disagree, citing Ted Kennedy's legislative legacy and his role in South Africa's overturning of Apartheid, but if Ted Kennedy gets this honor then why not many other powerful legislators of time's past? There are many more influential American and world leaders that haven't gotten this cultural honor. Why Ted Kennedy, then? The answer is because Time has an older editorial staff that thinks the Kennedys are more significant than they are. Baby boomers and older just don't understand that the Kennedy's have been irrelevant for at least 28 years now.

Time magazine is a cultural gatekeeper. While they don't sway or influence public opinion, they do tell the public what is important. They don't tell people which way to go once they're in the gate, but they do determine what issues come in. That's why I subscribe to them. While other magazines such as the Economist are more well-done on world events, Time holds more cultural influence. As such, I strongly disagree with their stance on making Ted Kennedy "Commemorative Issue" worthy.