*Actual Headline* Retarded Kennedy Sister Dies at 86

iwon ^

[Gomez]

Retarded Kennedy Sister Dies at 86

Jan 7, 11:39 PM (ET)

By LOLITA C. BALDOR

(AP) The Kennedy family children are seen in a boat in this undated photo. From left, are: Eunice, Jack,... Full Image

WASHINGTON (AP) - Rosemary Kennedy, the oldest sister of President John F. Kennedy and the inspiration for the Special Olympics, died Friday. She was 86.

Kennedy, the third child of Rose and Joseph Kennedy, was born mentally retarded and underwent a lobotomy when she was 23. She lived most of her life in a Jefferson, Wis., institution, the St. Coletta School for Exceptional Children.

She died in a Wisconsin hospital with her brother, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, and her sisters at her side, the family said.

[Rastus]

Is the point you're making that it was a somewhat common procedure? I'm sorry, there could have been a million of these done, and it doesn't lessen the culpability of the Kennedys or any other family that allowed it to be done. I think even in 1936, I'm not going to consent to having an ice pick "swish[ed] . . . back and forth like a windshield wiper" in my kid's brain. But, that's just me.

[Bubbatuck]

the responses here are disgusting. An elderly, disabled woman has died after a life few, if any of us could understand. She lived a pained, lonely life. Lobotomy was considered the "best of care" at the time.

My cousin underwent the procedure in the early 50s. The decision was made with the best of intentions.

Let's hate the political Kennedy's all we want, but Rosemary was an unfortunate woman, born at an unfortunate time. Our lord doesn't look kindly on people who mock the dead.

[blondee123]

I don't see anyone mocking the dead, rather I see many here trying to defend her, wondering why this barbaric practice was so easily done to this woman!

[Mad Mammoth]

Little Teddy, why are your clothes so wet?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah! Boat capsized. Almost forgot."

Oh sh*t!!

Now THAT is funny!!!!!

And no doubt, too close to the truth!

Here's another one:

"Little Teddy, why do you smell like Papa Joe's Chivas Regal?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, we wuz pretending to shave and splash on aftershave. (hic!)"

[maryz]

I've seen it disputed that she was retarded at all. I have seen the case made that she was somewhat mentally ill but not of an IQ below 85 before the "Pyscho Surgery". But I can't cite the reference or how legitimate the claim may be.

I've been trying to remember what my mother said about when I was a kid (we're in Boston). I do recall she hated Joe Kennedy for it. Of course, she had no use even for rich people who kept their kids in boarding school and/or summer camp year round. I think her opinion was that Rosemary was just "boy crazy" and a bit wild.

[Bubbatuck]

Jokes about "teenage Lobotomy" are mocking.

Even mocking her family on this occasion is disgusting.

And claiming that there were nefarious reasons for a woman in her condition getting a lobotomy at that time is just nasty. As I said, my cousin, among thousands of others, received the same treatment, for good reasons.

We can all hate the Kennedy's for their views, but claiming they perform lobotomies on their children for no good reason is mean.

[beaver fever]

My point is that the procedure in 1948 was not only common it was concidered the only treatment for untreatable mental illness, by that I mean everything from schizophrenia to PMS.

In 1948 the 'science' of Psychology wasn't any more advanced than Haitian Voodoo and hasn't made any significant advances since.

Joe Kennedy, the scion of Boston Society; ex Chicago rum runner, founder of Seagrams Whiskey, ex ambassador to London during the Blitz of 1940-41 and Fenian/Nazi sympathizer, may have been many things but a medical expert he was not.

He fell victim to quack science. For that he is innocent

[Rastus]

I was trying to work alcohol into the scenario, but I was coming up dry. I was picturing little Teddy as 6, and I didn't think a Shirley Temple would have been strong enough for him even then. ;)

[Bubbatuck]

Thank you Beaver...

I'm pretty new hear, but it breaks my heart to see the light-hearted hatred expressed in this thread. Rosemary Kennedy never hurt anybdoy here. She's dead now, and I don't see why a little respect is unwarranted.

[Rastus]

An earlier article mentioned her recently-published diaries, showing she was cogent enough to write down her thoughts about tea parties and other events in her life. The article very pointedly said she was "mildly" retarded.

[Bubbatuck]

Yes, maybe she was mildly retarded. But she was born in 1921. Things were different then. Lobotomies were state-of-the-art treatment. We know better now, but attacking her family for trying to give her the best treatment is wrong.

I hate the Kennedy's for their political work. But I never thought they hated their own children.

[Rastus]

You didn't quote this from your linked article:

And Rosemary Kennedy, sister to John, Robert, and Edward Kennedy, was given a lobotomy when her father complained about the mildly retarded girl’s embarrassing new interest in boys. Her father never informed the rest of the family about what he had done. She lived out her life in a Wisconsin institution.

Why didn't he tell the family, I wonder? It was a perfectly common procedure, right? He was just sold a bill of goods! They would have understood.

Sorry, the man gets no pass from me. His sons were made for great things, and he didn't need Rosemary embarrassing them in any way. That's the way I see it and will continue to see it that way.

[beaver fever]

I went back and checked. It's the only article I searched for my response and it's the correct link.

[Mad Mammoth]

We can all hate the Kennedy's for their views, but claiming they perform lobotomies on their children for no good reason is mean.

The late Johnny Cash said it best in his 1991 hit 'The Farmers Almanac' when he sang:

"Lies have to be covered up,
Truth can run around naked."

No one has accused Papa Joe of having 'no good reason', in his mind, sparing the Kennedy Name of any potential scandal was good enough reason to have an ice pick stuck into his daughter's brain. Papa Joe was dysfunctional to the core, immoral, a pro-Nazi shill for Hitler, the damage he did to his own family is incalculable, and the 'sins of the father' were indeed passed on to the children.

[utahguy]

I could be wrong on this:
But I recall a documentry awhile back that claimed she WASN'T retarded. She just disagreed with Ol' Joe Kennedy (Tammany Hall (sp)and war profiteer) and threatened to expose him so Ol' Joe just shut her up with the operation.

[devolve]

[bikepacker67]

Ah, yes. Good ol' Joe, Sr. Lobotomize your daughter and the first your wife hears about it is AFTER you've turned your own flesh and blood into a semi-vegetable. The Kennedys. America's royal family.

Talk about the "The sins of the fathers shall be visited upon the children"

And it isn't surprising that Big Fat Teddy has survived... afterall, it always seems like the drunk sails through unscathed.

[MeekOneGOP]

May she rest in peace .....

[cloud8]

"I now find it interesting that we are at the end of the Kennedy "dynasty". Teddy, fat asinine slob that he is, is the last vestige of a dying breed. His last attempt to..."

Thanks for the obit. It was once said that as long as the waves crash into the shores of Cape Cod, Massachusetts will elect the Kennedys to office. Hopefully BFT* will soon drink his way silently into the night. He ran out of brain cells years ago, and it's his staffers who run the show...and to them especially, good riddance!

* Big Fat Ted

[MHT]

We will know that the "Republican Revolution" is real when that state can elect two Republican senators--and finally having no "Kennedy" surname for either would be a big step in the right direction. Kerry has proven himself a national loser and it will be interesting to see if he continues for another term after this one.

The American Revolution began in Massachusetts. Likewise, it would be almost sacramental if the Conservative Revolution ends there.