Ted Kennedy

Divers recovering Kennedy's car and Mary Jo Kopechne.

Ted Kennedy is dead, but his legacy as a spoiled, fat, drunken, murderer will live on in the minds of those who are familiar with the story of how Ted essentially killed Mary Jo Kopechne.  Kennedy was considered pseudo American royalty and he used his influence not to make the world a better place, but to score with the ladies, which I’ll admit is pretty normal. 

After a party Ted was engaging in his daily routine of drunk driving and drove his car into the water on Chappaquiddick island.  Kennedy was able to get out of the car to summon help for Mary Jo, who remained in the submerged car.  Instead of getting help Kennedy decided that the more pressing matter was getting a good night’s rest.  Ten hours later he notified the authorities who later discovered that Mary Jo had been alive in the car, breathing from an air pocket for as long as 4 hours after Kennedy left. 

Kennedy basically got off Scott-free, the only major consequence was it prevented him from running for President.  He later went on to one of the longest most privileged political lives in American history, while Kopechne became worm food.  I guess for his sake it’s a good thing Dexter wasn’t around to take care of him in 1969.   

For more go here:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/incident-on-chappaquiddick-island