What I know
Aug. 30th, 2009 01:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stitchwhich...as opposed to what I've been told or read.
Years ago one of our neighbors was a lovely lady from Scotland. She had a very large extended family (I think she was one of thirteen children) and was in close contact with all of them back in Scotland and Ireland. And one day she got terrible news. One of her uncles, a Catholic priest, was due to be executed for treason.
This was back in the day, when it was illegal for people to speak gaelic in Ireland. He'd been asked to hear a dying man's confession in hospital and the man spoke in gaelic. The uncle refused to give any information about the man's confession - which was an automatic conspiracy-to-treason charge. He was convicted and scheduled for execution in three days.
My friend was frantic. Of course. And someone here said, "try contacting Ted Kennedy - maybe he can help."
And you know what? Even though we're not in his state and the lady was not a US citizen (although her serviceman husband was), Mr. Kennedy did help. The uncle was allowed to go to permanent exile in Vatican City, remanded, as it were, to the authority of the Pope in his sovereign state.
So while I don't know much about Ted Kennedy as a politician beyond the spin each side likes to give, nor anything about his private life beyond, again, some bare facts and a spin, what I do know is one time, one day, he saved the life of a man who was willing to die rather than dishonor his vows to God.
Years ago one of our neighbors was a lovely lady from Scotland. She had a very large extended family (I think she was one of thirteen children) and was in close contact with all of them back in Scotland and Ireland. And one day she got terrible news. One of her uncles, a Catholic priest, was due to be executed for treason.
This was back in the day, when it was illegal for people to speak gaelic in Ireland. He'd been asked to hear a dying man's confession in hospital and the man spoke in gaelic. The uncle refused to give any information about the man's confession - which was an automatic conspiracy-to-treason charge. He was convicted and scheduled for execution in three days.
My friend was frantic. Of course. And someone here said, "try contacting Ted Kennedy - maybe he can help."
And you know what? Even though we're not in his state and the lady was not a US citizen (although her serviceman husband was), Mr. Kennedy did help. The uncle was allowed to go to permanent exile in Vatican City, remanded, as it were, to the authority of the Pope in his sovereign state.
So while I don't know much about Ted Kennedy as a politician beyond the spin each side likes to give, nor anything about his private life beyond, again, some bare facts and a spin, what I do know is one time, one day, he saved the life of a man who was willing to die rather than dishonor his vows to God.
