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WORLD: Obama to speak at Kennedy funeral
Paul Thompson in Miami27 Aug 2009
President Barack Obama is to deliver a eulogy at the funeral of Senator Edward Kennedy on Saturday.
He will break from his family holiday on Martha's Vineyard to attend the private service in Boston.
The veteran Democrat, the last of the Kennedy brothers, will be buried later at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia close to the grave of his brother Robert F. Kennedy, the former attorney- general assassinated in 1968.
Former President John F. Kennedy's grave, marked by an eternal flame, lies a short distance away.
Mr Obama, who said he was “heartbroken” over Kennedy's death at the age of 77 after a year-long battle with brain cancer, signed a proclamation that flags at the White House and all US public buildings will fly at half-mast until sunset on Sunday to honour the veteran politician.
The Kennedy family said the funeral at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica in Boston will be private. The burial at Arlington Cemetery will also be closed to the public.
Kennedy qualifies for burial at Arlington because he was a sitting senator at the time of his death. He also served in the army during the Korean War. A public memorial service to celebrate his life will be held later in the year.
A hearse will today take the senator's body on the two-hour journey from his family home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston where it will lie in repose until the funeral. The public will be allowed to view the coffin — ringed by an honour guard from the army, navy and air force —today and tomorrow.
A Roman Catholic priest who was with Kennedy when he died at home said family members had been summoned to his bedside to say farewell.
The Rev Patrick Tarrant said the senator's wife Vickie and children, Kara, Teddy Jnr and Patrick, wept as they said a final prayer knowing he was “ready to go”. “The truth is, he had expressed to his family that he did want to go,” said the Rev Tarrant. “Of course they were aware that in the very sick, the sense of hearing is the last thing to go. So, whatever is said around the sick bed is always heard by the patient. They let him know how much he was loved and cared for and missed.”
John Kerry, the former Democratic presidential candidate, emerged from the house to say that Senator Kennedy's widow and children were “very, very grateful” for the condolences expressed worldwide. He added: “There is a very beautiful and personal private vigil taking place. The Senator is there laying at rest. It's very spiritual and about as beautiful as it can be.”
Reader views (10)
The comments in all your English rags are so laughable. So he was Irish and human with flaws....check your Royal family for flaws... Your bitter little old archaic country is the only place world wide that cannot comment on the good he did for the poor in America. Come here and ask a Black man what he feels about a Kennedy.
- Stephen B, Ridgeway Canada, 28/08/2009 05:02
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So, we're all so glad you don't like our royalty. But for the last 233 years we wern't so happy with yours either.
- Tom, Baltimore USA, 28/08/2009 00:08
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Ted Kennedy WAS indeed flawed but then who is not? He broke the rules of decency and of the Catholic Church; again, I ask, who has not?
As a Catholic he would be aware of the immense love of God; flawed as he was; and of forgiveness. He tried to do his best for people in atonement for his past; and I believe there are hundreds if not thousands of folk who benefited from Ted Kennedys fight for Social Justice.
Eternal Rest Grant unto him, Oh Lord. Rest in Peace.
- Brian Dailey, Oxford, UK, 27/08/2009 17:58
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Kennedy was no friend of Britain, and we have no cause to lament his passing.
He was a staunch supporter of Sinn Fein/IRA during "the troubles."
In 1971 he compared the deployment of soldiers in N.Ireland to America's involvement in Vietnam, when nothing could be further from the truth. He went on to call for the immediate withdrawal of the Army from NI, claiming that Protestants who could not accept a united Ireland "should be given a decent opportunity to go back to Britain"- a gross insult to the majority Protestant community in the province, which was and is part of the UK. His comments were deliberately contrived to stir up inter-community hatred, and helped to prolong the conflict ofr 40 years, costing thousands of lives.
It was Kennedy who orchestrated the US visit of Sinn Fein/IRA Commander Gerry Adams in 1996.
Kennedy did not speak out against the IRA until they murdered Robert McCartney in 2005. This led to Adams being snubbed during his St Patrick's day visit to the US in 2005. He was given an honourary knighthood at the behest of Billy Liar and Gormless McClown, home grown appeasers of terrorists and all-round traitors.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 27/08/2009 17:41
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A Loathsome man, a coward, who swam away and left the girl to drown and ran away to his home.He followed his fathers way of hating the british. His support for Noraid is documented. Look it up. He publically shook Gerry Adams hand, telling him to fight on, he would win. And you know what galls, this bloke Brown who is the Prime Minister of this country says. He counts him among his friends.. Well we know what his judgement is like dont we.
- Themanoftruth, United Kingdom, 27/08/2009 16:59
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Ted Kennedy had the same right to his opinion on irish unity as any of you have.I defy anybody to provide proof of him saying that the IRA were right to carry out the war that they did. I await with interest your proof of him doeing so. Before you say too much,look closer at home at the record of some of the senior ministers in Northern Ireland on both sides before you throw stones in glasshouses.
- John Whelan, hailsham england, 27/08/2009 16:47
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I bet Obama doesn't mention Kennedy campaigning for (Irish) terrorists, given America's War On Terror!
Famous people who die young become icons: Marilyn Monroe would be as pin-up-able as Liz Taylor if she'd finished her life in old age; John Lennon would be derided by the tabloids like all the other fogey popstars (and Paul McCartney's music properly accredited!) if hadn't been killed. If Ted Kennedy's brothers hadn't been assassinated all sorts of skeletons would have come tumbling out of the cupboard and he would not have had their family name to ride on.
- Roz, France, 27/08/2009 16:40
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Its not very nice to speak ill of the dead,.but in teddy Kennedy's case its very difficult to find anything else to say,-a political lightweight,dubious character,his only claim to fame is the name,which will always be cursed.
- Auf Deutsch, Canterbury Kent England, 27/08/2009 16:17
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I would urge Mr Obama to spare a thought for the relatives of all those murdered by the IRA - a terrorist organisation whom Kennedy supported - and also the relatives of Mary Jo Kopechne whom he left to drown in his car whilst he sought legal advice on how to save his own skin.
- R.F., Yorks, UK, 27/08/2009 10:46
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I have lived most of my life believing this guy was a cowardly fraud. Seeing him on a video clip yesterday reminded me why. On the clip he was explaining how he tried to save Mary Jo from the car. It should have been moments indelibly etched into his memory bank for life. Sadly he had to refer to a well prepared script to utter every word. Frankly it was sickening to watch. It still did not explain why he did not report the accident until the following day. He should have gone to prison.
In the same way as the man who tricked his way onto a lifeboat from the Titanic, Kennedy should have been treated as a pariah by decent American society for the rest of his life. Instead he took advantage of the Kennedy name to redeem himself. The fact that he also garnered support from the Irish American community and purposely fostered hate against the British and fund the IRA. Meant that many more lives were needlessly lost in Northern Ireland. Simply demonstrated what a twisted man he really was. Only in America, of the so called liberated democratic nations, could Kennedy remain a senator. Had he been an evil dictator's brother one could have understood why.
Before Obama eulogises about this flawed and undeservedly privileged human being, he should take a moment to think about the ugly truth that was Edward Kennedy. Sadly David Cameron in regretting his passing yesterday, once again gave notice that he is prepared to be a tail wagging poodle to America regardless.
- Harry H, London UK, 27/08/2009 10:26
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