Mary Jo Kopechne Remembered

Was reading an eloquent eulogy by Ted Sorensen in Time to the late Ted Kennedy. At one point, he writes: “Both a plane crash in Massachusetts in 1964 and the ugly automobile accident on Chappaquiddick Island in 1969 almost cost him his life, and the Chappaquiddick incident ultimately ended his bright prospects for still higher office.”

Something rings wrongly in this. I don’t think it was Sorensen’s intent to be callous, but Chappaquiddick for many is not remembered just as ending Teddy’s “bright prospects for still higher office,” or even as an “ugly automobile accident [that] almost cost [Kennedy] his life,” but rather as an incident that unnecessarily resulted in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne (never mentioned by name in the essay) owing to (according to a later inquest) the negligence of the driver, Ted Kennedy.

Is there not something surreal in remembering Chappaquiddick chiefly as either an ugly accident that almost killed Ted, or an unfortunate accident that cost him “higher office.” That July 1969 evening remains a terrible tragedy only because a young, bright woman at 28 lost a chance to enjoy a full life due to an entirely preventable occurrence.