Mary Jo Kopechne died 40 years ago today

When Teddy Kennedy dies he'll probably be surrounded by family and friends. A priest, if not the cardinal will come to his bedside and give him Last Rites. Someone will croon French, (Rose Kennedy spoke fluent French and so did her son, JFK) or perhaps even Gaelic to him as he slips away. Later thousands will view the body in both Boston and DC and despite Church rules there will be eulogy after eulogy at the funeral. If the family asks for it, Danny Boy will be sung and the cardinal, his favorite priest and the Papal Nuncio will probably be co-celebrants. It will be one heck of a send off.

When I was a child Teddy ran a half hearted campaign for president. My father, a devoted Democrat said he'd vote for him but he'd never win. "Why", I asked. " A place called Chapaquidick," my father explained. A girl was killed accidentally in a car Ted was driving and although he'd always be king in Massachusetts, a dead girl was just too much for the rest of the country. My father said no more about the matter and I went back to playing with my Barbies.

When Teddy passes beyond the veil anyone who mentions Mary Jo's name will be sneered at as a meanie so I'll say it now and I'll say how sad it was that no-one was there to give the poor silly miss Last Rites or to hold her in their arms as she slipped away and no cardinal held her mother and father's hands at her funeral.