Babe's Eye View article

“To whom much is given, much is expected.” This biblical saying describes the saga of the Kennedys—America’s most colorful and high-profile political family whose triumphs and tragedies have kept Americans and the whole world transfixed since the 1960s.

From the time they were born, patriarch Joseph Sr.—an overachiever who made a fortune from real estate, movies and banking (some say through insider trading) made the Kennedy Boys live and breathe politics. As Rose Fitzgerald had said, “My babies were rocked to political lullabies.”

The oldest, Joseph Jr., was expected to run as congressman and perhaps as president someday, but he died at 29 in a mid-air explosion while flying a dangerous mission over the English Channel during World War II.

As the next eldest, John—JFK—stepped in, fulfilling the aspirations of his father when he became the 35th and the first Catholic president of the United States in 1961. It was a time described by many as “The Age of Camelot,” with the Kennedy Brothers bringing with them a sense of hope and idealism, electrifying US politics in the process. Robert (Bobby) was named attorney general and Edward (Ted) became, at 30, one of the youngest senators in the history of the US.

But over the years, their successes were marred by tragic misfortunes described as the “Kennedy curse.” Many of us were in high school when JFK was assassinated in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. Leaders and representatives from 90 countries attended JFK’s funeral, among them GMA’s father Diosdado Macapagal, French President Charles de Gaulle, Ireland’s Eamon de Valera and Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia. And although Americans do not believe in royalty and at times even make fun of the British monarchs, the tragedy turned the Kennedys into American royalty.

The Kennedy brothers, whose dazzling personalities overshadowed their faults and foibles, ushered in an “era of celebrity politics.” Bobby became a New York senator and was set to run for the presidency when he was shot in June 1968 (by Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan) while celebrating his victory over Eugene McCarthy in the California primary.

The tragedy left Ted, the youngest brother, the last Kennedy Prince—upon whose shoulders suddenly fell the enormous cloak of responsibility before he was prepared for it. After going into seclusion for several months, he came out ready to take on “public responsibilities,” assuming the role of patriarch and surrogate father to his brothers’ children.

With characteristic Kennedy passion, he plunged into his job, gaining a reputation over the years as a great legislator, having the impressive ability to convince Republicans to support many of his measures. But Ted’s recklessness—displayed early when he took a daring ski jump in Wisconsin to impress a crowd—kept threatening his life and career. Leaving a drinking party (on Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts) with 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne (a former campaign staff of Robert), Ted drove his car off a bridge and plunged into the water. He survived, but his young companion drowned. Worse, he reported the incident after nine hours—leaving people wondering why he was driving in an isolated road and what his relationship was with Kopechne. The tragedy followed him like a persistent shadow and eventually cost him his presidential aspirations.

Looking back, the Kennedys took too many chances, and this attitude of high-risk taking seemed to afflict all the men in the family, oftentimes resulting in scandals and tragedies. Joseph II, the son of Bobby, became involved in a 1973 car accident on Cape Cod that left a passenger paralyzed. David, another son of Robert, became a cocaine addict.

In 1991, William Kennedy Smith—the son of Jean Kennedy, now the last surviving child of Joseph and Rose—was accused of rape. Michael, another son of Robert, hogged headlines for his alleged affair with a babysitter. In 1997, he died in a skiing accident in Aspen, Colorado. But the most devastating loss was that of JFK’s son, John Jr., who was expected to continue the Kennedy legacy.

Displaying the family trait of taking high risks, John Jr. piloted a Piper Saratoga plane that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing him, his wife Carolyn Bessette and her sister Gail. Accounts say John Jr. was not qualified to fly a Saratoga, and at the time, was undergoing psychological stress because his marriage was rocky and his publication George was in financial distress.

Although Ted may have been more fortunate than his brothers because he escaped the “Kennedy curse” and died at 77 due to brain cancer, he also suffered the most, living through all the tragedies in the family. As Jackie Kennedy-Onassis wrote in a thank you letter, “On you, the carefree youngest brother, fell a burden a hero would beg to be spared. Sick parents, lost children, desolate wives. You are a hero. Everyone is going to make it, because you are always there with your love.”

Rose Fitzgerald, the Kennedy matriarch, used to tell her children that “to whom much is given, much is also expected”—and America’s unofficial “Royal Family” certainly knew what it meant. For although they were given so much fortune, fame, honor and privilege, much was also taken away through the heartbreaking tragedies that the Kennedy family had to suffer.

Edward Kennedy may not have been perfect, nor did he live a blameless life, but his achievements overshadowed his failures. He was a legendary figure in American politics, known as the “Lion of the Senate.” To many Americans, the youngest brother of the Kennedy trio will always be remembered as “The Last American Prince.”