(quote=Chappaquiddick Incident
Kennedy made a wrong turn onto an unlit dirt road that led to Dike Bridge (also spelled Dyke Bridge),
a wooden bridge angled obliquely to the road with no guardrail, and drove over its side. The car plunged into tide-swept Poucha Pond (at that location a channel) and came to rest upside down underwater. Kennedy later recalled that he was able to swim free of the vehicle, but Kopechne was not. Kennedy claimed at the inquest that he called Kopechne's name several times from the shore, then tried to swim down to reach her seven or eight times,
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I felt that his actions were negligent, but not criminal. One cannot overlook the fact that the lack of a guardrail and no lighting on the Dike Bridge were causative factors in this tragedy and posed dangers to the public. I hope that these risks have been eliminated. As Kopechne had only minutes left to live immediate action was needed and Kennedy tried to save her. But he and others that night were faced with the extremely difficult task of locating and rescuing someone in darkness underwater, which proved to be a fruitless exercise.
Your claim that he was not convicted is not true Wartrac. He pled guilty to and was convicted of the charge of leaving the scene of an accident after causing injury.
Being forgiving people is never a sad thing. In this case the forgiveness came from the girl's aggrieved parents. We need more forgiveness in this world as opposed to less.
Quote
ortia:
The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
The Merchant Of Venice Act 4, scene 1, 180187
