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Remembering Ted Kennedy

Seth Mandel's editorial ("Don't co-opt Kennedy for political gain," Sept. 4), traverses broad territory. He starts by a version of the assassinations of John and Robert F. Kennedy. Referring to "... grotesque conspiracy theories," he segues into a comment from Barney Frank. Mr. Mandel seems to interpret Frank's comment as implying, though it's not entirely clear, that Barney Frank was promoting a conspiracy theory somehow related to Sen. Kennedy's death. Frank's quote is not on that point, and it is unclear to me how Mandel ties it together.

Then, after using half his column to object to how Rabin's memory is used in political discussions in Israel, Mandel opines that it inappropriate for Sen. Robert Byrd and others to suggest naming the health care reform bill after Ted Kennedy. Nowhere does Mr. Mandel inform the reader that Ted Kennedy has been the leading advocate in the Senate for one or another progressive bill, usually with a stronger role for government than any of the current proposals. Instead, Mr. Mandel's objection to attaching Kennedy's name to a bill seems to be that the bill is "deeply controversial," and that some of "the bill's proponents" (Which ones? Under what circumstances?) have, according to Mr. Mandel, called "some of the citizen who have raised concerns about the plan... 'un-American' and 'evil mongers'."

Even if true, is this the key consideration? Has Mr. Mandel read, or better, heard any of Kennedy's passionate speeches and writings about health care and health insurance? Knowing Kennedy's position on health care/insurance reform, how can Mr. Mandel assert that associating Kennedy's name with a cause he led and a bill he generally supported is "trampling on his grave"? Naming a health care/insurance bill after Sen. Kennedy, as proposed by some of his closest friends and political allies, seems an appropriate way to memorialize him. The major problem for Sen. Kennedy, could he comment, might be that the final bill won't go far enough to ensure that every American can obtain quality and affordable health care.

Jerome Langer
Highland Park