OPINION
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It's Time to Forgive Kennedy for Chappaquiddick: Globe
Senator's remorse was real and his good works atoned for inexcusable behavior
By Rob Quinn
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Posted Sep 4, 09 6:04 AM CDT
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(Newser)
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Ted Kennedy's behavior after the Chappaquiddick crash was inexcusable, but it's time to accept his atonement, the Boston Globe writes in an editorial a week after the senator's death. Kennedy's remorse was genuine, as shown by his actions toward the end of his life and his words in an upcoming memoir; it probably spurred him toward great accomplishments in health, education, and civil rights, the paper notes.
As a lawmaker, Kennedy's demonstrations of compassion after the incident could fill "a dozen biographies," the Globe writes. Questions will always linger about Chappaquiddick, but the "ultimate verdict, as he himself knew only too well, is between himself, his conscience, and his God," the Globe notes. "It’s time for others to back off and let him rest in peace, buoyed forever by his many good works."