Dum Pendebat Filius

I agree with The Liberal Avenger and others: Rep. Kennedy should resign. I feel sorry for the poor guy, and I’m writing this not from the perspective of a left-winger but from the perspective of someone who’s in recovery. Rep. Kennedy needs to concentrate on getting well now. He screwed up, big-time, and resigning is the honorable thing to do. Now he needs to work on his recovery.

Nasty Malkin, of course, has to make quasi-political hay of the matter, printing some breathtakingly stupid emails from readers. Does it feel good to kick somebody when he’s down, readers? Some people apparently think it does.

Yes, I’m perfectly aware that many left-wing websites have had nasty, fun-filled field days over Rush Limbaugh’s drug-related mishaps, too. Yes, that was wrong, too. Addiction is the same disease, no matter who has it. It’s not funny, no matter who has it. It ruins people’s lives. It destroys families. Innocent bystanders get killed, too.

Some people think addiction is just an “excuse” for irresponsible behavior, but those people are misunderstanding the difference between an excuse and an explanation. Rep. Kennedy is still responsible for his behavior. His problem with addiction is not an excuse for his behavior, it’s an explanation. That’s why he needs to do the right thing and resign, no matter why he did what he did. The poor man needs help.