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Updated Thursday, September 3, 2009 10:02 am TWN, By David Ting, Special to The China Post How Teddy Kennedy inspired meTed Junior is handsome, like all his siblings of the Kennedy clan. I did not know he lost a leg when he was a little boy before he told a personal story about his father, to an audience of 1,400 dignitaries and stars, including four U.S. presidents and first ladies who gathered Saturday at the imposing Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica in Boston to pay last respects to the towering political figure in U.S. politics. “My father taught me that nothing was impossible,” he said when he told a riveting story about how he learned that lesson. He lost a leg to bone cancer when he was 12. On one snowy day, when he was trying to get used to his new artificial leg, his father took him out with a sled and asked him to climb up a hill to sled down. “The hill was covered with ice and snow ... and as I struggled to walk, I slipped and fell on the ice and I started to cry, 'I can't do this and I'll never be able to climb that hill,'” he said. “And he lifted me in his strong and gentle arms and said something I'll never forget. He said 'I know you'll do that, there is nothing you can't do. We're going to climb that hill together, even if it takes us all day,'” Teddy's voice began to crack, with tears welling up in his eyes. But there were “harder lessons” than that, Teddy Junior revealed, saying his father “even taught me how to like the Republicans.” The revelation brought the house down. “He once told me, 'Teddy, Republicans love this country just as much as I do...'” I saw in the audience George Bush and John McCain nodding with approval. His father, however, “was not perfect,” and “far from it.” “Dad believed in redemption and he never surrendered. Never stopped trying to right wrongs, be they the results of his own failings or of ours.” He was referring to Sen. Kennedy's strenuous efforts to emerge from the shadows of Chappaquiddick and other moral peccadilloes that doomed his presidential ambitions in the 1970s and undermined his moral authority as a political leader. Remember the bumper sticker “nobody died at Watergate”? It hinted that even “Tricky Dick” was morally superior to the rising star of the Democratic Party who was unable to explain the bizarre death of a young woman who drowned in his submerged car in Chappaquiddick in an accident in 1969 that remains a mystery to this day. Comments October 9, 2009 davidting2006@ An Irish American@ wrote: Teddy Kennedy inspired me because of his work ethic: 'we'll beat them (who are smarter than we are) because we work harder." I believe this is in line with the now-forgotten Chinese culture. I cited two examples to support my point: the 2008 Olympics and the 2009 little league World Series. No politics were intended when I wrote about how and why the mainland Chinese won more gold medals than the U.S., nor why Taiwan’s little leaguers lost this year in williamsports. As a young reporter, I covered Taiwan’s little league, junior league and big league in the 70s, I was impressed how hard they worked. Also just read the New York Times, or the WSJ's pre-Olympics report on Chinese preparations. Yes, I am not a 'taiwan ren,' but I love Taiwan no less, and I want Taiwan to work harder and not forget the old work ethic as espoused by Teddy Kennedy, a feisty Irish as you are.I just returned to America from Taiwan recently and I was disappointed and angry about this article. You started about Teddy Kennedy very positive but you used it as a platform to brag about Chinese culture. It was very crafty. You mentioned Teddy Kennedy's philosophy sounded strikingly Chinese. However you then said the Chinese are more so. As an Irish American that was offensive to me. You did not have to compare the two. But by saying the Chinese are even more so was out of line. It seems the Chinese love to brag and say their culture is better than others. And then very unprofessional you mentioned that China won more Gold Metals in the Olympics because they worked harder. Well the Americans won more overall Metals so does that mean the Americans overall worked harder? You then sounded like a Mainland Chinese living in Taiwan by putting Taiwan little league baseball team down by indicating that they were beaten by the USA Team because the US Team worked harder. As a former Basketball coach and baseball manager I could tell that you did not know much about sports. Because sometimes the team or player that works harder does not always win. Sometime it is the team or person who gets some lucky breaks. You need to move to Mainland/Communist China because your true heart is not in Taiwan and you are not a true Taiwan person (Taiwan Ren). An Irish American October 10, 2009 chineseamerican@ An Irish American@ wrote: The commentary did not offend you or anybody in any kind of writing in his article. Even I was inspired by reading his article. *When you fail you must stand up again*. Just like as a coach. *If you lost the game, try again to win another game*.I just returned to America from Taiwan recently and I was disappointed and angry about this article. You started about Teddy Kennedy very positive but you used it as a platform to brag about Chinese culture. It was very crafty. You mentioned Teddy Kennedy's philosophy sounded strikingly Chinese. However you then said the Chinese are more so. As an Irish American that was offensive to me. You did not have to compare the two. But by saying the Chinese are even more so was out of line. It seems the Chinese love to brag and say their culture is better than others. And then very unprofessional you mentioned that China won more Gold Metals in the Olympics because they worked harder. Well the Americans won more overall Metals so does that mean the Americans overall worked harder? You then sounded like a Mainland Chinese living in Taiwan by putting Taiwan little league baseball team down by indicating that they were beaten by the USA Team because the US Team worked harder. As a former Basketball coach and baseball manager I could tell that you did not know much about sports. Because sometimes the team or player that works harder does not always win. Sometime it is the team or person who gets some lucky breaks. You need to move to Mainland/Communist China because your true heart is not in Taiwan and you are not a true Taiwan person (Taiwan Ren). An Irish American |
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An Irish American