Say what you will about Kennedy, a brain tumor is an awful way to go, right up there with Alzheimer's. My maternal grandfather and grandmother both died of gliomas (something that is statistically incredibly unlikely, since they're relatively rare and not caused by any known environmental factors) and in each case they lasted about a year and a half after diagnosis. Both had surgery, chemo, radiation, etc. and both had the tumor come right back. For the last two or three months you pretty much lose all cognitive and motor functions and are essentially a vegetable - but before that you get to experience the joy of realizing that your mind is slowly eating itself as you lose the ability to do certain things, lose memories, become increasingly confused, etc. etc. It's about as ugly as it gets.
About 10,000 cases are diagnosed each year in the United States, and only about half of those patients survive one year, experts said. After two years, perhaps 25 percent are still alive.
More info here.
Not cool.
Kennedy was a co-sponsor of the 1965 Immigration Act. At the time he claimed:
"Out of deference to the critics, I want to comment on ... what the bill will not do. First, our cities will not be flooded with a million immigrants annually. Under the proposed bill, the present level of immigration remains substantially the same ... Secondly, the ethnic mix of this country will not be upset ... Contrary to the charges in some quarters, S.500 will not inundate America with immigrants from any one country or area, or the most populated and economically deprived nations of Africa and Asia. In the final analysis, the ethnic pattern of immigration under the proposed measure is not expected to change as sharply as the critics seem to think. Thirdly, the bill will not permit the entry of subversive persons, criminals, illiterates, or those with contagious disease or serious mental illness. As I noted a moment ago, no immigrant visa will be issued to a person who is likely to become a public charge."
Cities were, of course, flooded with millions of immigrants, the ethnic mix of the country was upset, America was innundated with immigrants from particular countries and areas. It did allow the influx of subversives, criminals, illiterates and the diseased, and it did result in lots of immigrants arriving and becoming public charges. America has been irrevocably transformed, for the worse. Kennedy himself was always insulated from the consequences of the immigration he desired by his inherited wealth. Teddy was the most disgusting of the whole disgusting Kennedy family, a family surrounded by a disgusting cult of personality. The sad thing about Teddy's brain tumor is that it didn't happen sooner. The end.
You could always count on Teddy to kick up a storm. He got pilloried by the opposition--precisely because he was such a fantastic politician. You could always count on the guy to stand up against stupid shit like random decent Americans ending up on the no-fly list. It will be sad to see him go but if it inspires more Deaniacs to get in on the party, I'm sure he'd ultimately be happy to see that.
It is easy to buy small plaster models of what you think life is like.
Kennedy is a murderer. He got away with killing Mary Jo Kopechne is the 70's because he drove drunk and drove off a bridge and killed her. Ted Kennedy never called the Police. At 8 am the next day some fisherman came across the car and called Police. Police found Ted trying to catch a ferry. Ted Kennedy initially denied any knowledge of the accident and Mary Jo Kopechne's dead body to the Police. When questioned further he refused to answer any questions without a lawyer.
His brother (JFK) was elected thanks to mob who his father had close ties as a former rum runner. The Kennedy clan are a corrupt bunch. Ted's father Joe Kennedy was the ambassador to Britain during WW2, he wanted to deny Britain aid, he didn't want America involved in the war and he said if we lose Britain to the Nazis so be it.
If Ted dies I saw good riddance. He should have spent the last 30 years in jail for murder.
