Bridge Over Troubled Water

They called them the ''Boiler Room Girls''. These were six women who had worked for Robert Kennedy when he ran for President in 1968. On July 18, 1969, there was a party for them on Chappaquiddick, a small island connected to the town of Edgarton on the nearby Martha's Vineyard. The party was a bit of a sad reunion for the girls. When Bobby had been shot and killed in 1968, all of the hopes for a better world seemed to drain away from these girls. The night of the party was to try to restart the flame of hope again. Also at the party were six men: Joseph Gargan, a Kennedy cousin, Paul Markham, a friend of the family, Charles Tretter, an attorney, Raymond La Rosa, John Crimmins. And, spearheading the party was the Senator from Massachusetts, Edward Kennedy.... What happened after the party may never be completely known. But, there was one fact: Mary Jo Kopechne, one of the ''Boiler Room Girls'', was found drowned in Ted Kennedy's car. According to Kennedy's grand jury testimony later on, he and Mary Jo left the party around 11:15 pm. Curiously, she left behind her purse and hotel key at the party. The rumor for years has been , perhaps, some sexual contact was on the minds of both. Kennedy has denied it - he was married, Kopechne was single. Whatever the reason, Kennedy and Kopechne were crossing a narrow bridge called ''Dike Bridge''. The car made a wrong turn and crashed into the water. Kennedy made it out, but, Kopechne drowned... Now comes the controversy. Kennedy did not report the accident until the next morning- almost 10 hours after it occured. And, only after two amatuer fishermen had discovered the car in the water and alerted the police themselves. The diver who was sent down by the police, John Farrar, found the body. Farrar later testified that Kopechne did not die from the vehicle crashing into the water, but, rather from suffocation, based upon her body posture-- also later confirmed by the coroner. Farrar also said that Mary Jo might have survived had there been a more immediate rescue. Farrar  found her body in the backseat of the car, her face turned upwards, gasping for air. There were finger nail scratches on the top of the roof, inside the car.... In her final moments, while trying to fight for her life, this poor girl was trying any way to save herself.... Farrar concluded his testimony by estimating that it took Kopechne three to four hours to die as the water slowly rose over her. During that time, again, a quicker rescue would have saved her... Why Kennedy didn't report the accident sooner has always remained a mystery. The conspiracy theorists suggest he did not want to jeopardize his career. He was, after all, driving late at night with a young attractive woman who was not his wife after a party. And, as we all know, the Kennedy men have never had a history of monogamy--- with the possible exception of Bobby Kennedy. There might have been some hanky-panky going on. Fine, that is not against the law. However, leaving the scene of an accident , and, failing to report said accident until much later on is a crime. I truly believe Ted Kennedy was in shock. I do. And, when people are in shock, sometimes reasonable behavior eludes them.... Sometimes... Kennedy's actions after the crash speak otherwise... He walked back to the party after the accident. He passed by four homes. Any one of those homes he could have stopped at and made a rescue call. He did not do this. When he returned to the party, he talked to his cousin Gargan, and the family friend Markham. Immediately, all three went back to the scene of the accident. Gargan and Markham tried diving to see if they could save Kopechne. Their efforts failed, Kennedy later testified. The men drove back to the ferry, and, both Gargan and Markham insisted that Kennedy must alert the authorities. Kennedy didn't. The other guests at the party were informed on what had happened and were hustled off the island quickly... Back at his hotel, Kennedy said he removed his wet clothes and collapsed on his bed. By 7:30 am the next morning- about 8 hours after the accident- Kennedy was scene talking ''casually'' to other hotel guests, according to the police report. The guests later testified that Kennedy did not seem to be upset at all emotionally. At 10 am, Kennedy entered the Edgartown police station and officially told the police what had happened. The police already knew.... Kennedy was later charged with the crime of leaving the scene of an accident. Because of his position in life, it was little more than a slap on the wrist. The Kopechne family was eventually given a settlement of close to two hundred thousand dollars by the Kennedy family. Til this day, Mary Jo Kopechne's family has not spoken publicly about that night, nor about Ted Kennedy's behavior... What has always fascinated me, though, is the complete silence of the other people at that party. The ''Boiler Room Girls'' and the five other men. What did they observe? How much do they know about the accident? Nobody has spoken out, even after Ted Kennedy's death in 2009. There are stories and rumors about these people all over the Internet, but, there is no solid evidence of anyone speaking out. My guess is that they must have been paid off handsomely for their silence. They know what went on the infamous night before the accident, and, possibly after the accident, but, they aren't talking. No books, no interviews, nothing. Their silence has been well bought.... I have always admired Robert Kennedy. To me he was the one truly decent man in that family. Even though he could be ruthless at times, his innate decency and caring for people always shined through. At times, John Kennedy had that too. With Edward Kennedy, I can't feel any positive thoughts for the man. He makes my skin crawl. His public record in politics has shown many worthwhile causes he has supported to help the less fortunate. He was a very effective Senator, whether you agree with his politics or not. He seemed to care about helping people..... I just wish he had those feelings at Chappaquiddick when Mary Jo Kopechne was fighting for her life in his car....