Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Law and Order

Had the pleasure of being issued my first ever speeding ticket yesterday for doing 38mph in a 25mph zone. On the surface, that makes me look incredibly irresponsible. Thirteen miles per hour over the speed limit in a 25, what was I thinking? I was thinking that the road was 35mph and switched to 25mph around 1000ft from where I got popped. Unfortunately, I was looking for the Oldsmar library, as I was on my way to return some books, so I somehow missed the sign. One thousand feet before, I was totally legal and responsible, doing a pedestrian 3mph over the limit. That 1000 feet is going to cost me $165, which put a smile on my face. After all, I love donating money to the county government, because they do such a fine job of spending that money wisely and for the benefit of all. It is hooligans like me that need to be disciplined and I feel punishing me for violating a completely unnecessary reduction in the speed limit (low mph speed traps are the thing in Oldsmar these days) will surely teach me a lesson about responsibility and personal accountability…because I need such lessons. Well done officer, well done.

In other news, Ted Kennedy, youngest of the infamous Kennedy boys, was diagnosed with a brain tumor yesterday. Subsequently, the networks lit up with day long coverage and discussion. His diagnosis has been described as tragic, heart breaking, and horrifying. John McCain described Ted as the "last lion of the Senate". Am I missing something here? This is a man from one of America's most corrupt political families. He is infamous for his drinking and carousing, to the point that his drunkenness became a running joke during the 70s and 80s. He is the man responsible for the drowning death of Mary Jo Kopechne at Chappaquiddick. He is also the man who never paid any sort of legal price for his role in that death. It's good to be a Kennedy, I guess.

If you are a Kennedy, you can cheat on your wife, break laws with impunity, and even kill someone, all without ever having to face the proverbial music. In fact, people will love you, even feel sorry for you, and vote you into the Senate for next 40 years. People are funny that way. If Ted Kennedy had been born into a poor family without any power or influence, he would have been up on manslaughter charges for the Chappaquiddick incident. There would have been calls from the victim's family and friends to lock him up and throw away the key. In the Chappaquiddick case, the victim's family took a pair of pay outs and remained silent. Their daughter's life, and their silence, was worth about $140k in the end. Life is cheap, as they say. Ol' Teddy paid $90k of that from his own pocket, a pittance for America's most famous family.

After the accident, he made no 911 call. There were no panicked knocks at nearby doors, or pleas for help. In fact, he ran by 4 homes on his way to the hotel where some of his friends were staying. Once there, he called no one, but he did return to the scene of the accident with his friends, all of whom decided to do nothing. In fact, he did not contact police about the accident until AFTER the body had already been found. An honorable and courageous man, this Ted Kennedy. A man to honor, respect, and idolize…a lion indeed. With such a distinguished record of personal behavior, it is easy to see why he became a hero to the people of Massachusetts. Must be something, or someone, in the water up there (cue rim shot!).

Now, I am not saying the man deserved a malignant brain tumor. There hasn't been a time where I was motivated to wish the man ill, but is it too much to ask that people be more rational and intelligent about who they honor? I was highly disappointed to read that Barack Obama refers to the man as a friend and it is just plain ridiculous to champion this man as some sort of heroic American. If Ted Kennedy is the model for what it means to be American, I want absolutely NOTHING to do with being a model citizen. The man is no hero, he is not an example, and while I wouldn't sincerely wish cancer on anyone, I am in no way moved to shed tears for the type of person who engages in life the way Ted Kennedy has. Life is temporary for all of us, and there are certainly better people to extend an empathetic hand. Treating this coddled, sheltered, corrupted politician as some sort of tragic martyr figure is absurd and should be seen as an insult to the average human's intelligence.

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Posted by Erik @ 5/21/2008 10:41:00 AM