Second Chances

Several events of the past week or so got me thinking about second changes.

First there was the passing of Ted Kennedy. Let's take a quick review of his early life. In 1951 he was caught cheating and subsequently expelled from Harvard (reapplied and re-entered in 1953). In 1969 he was involved in an auto accident that took the life of a young 28 year old girl, Mary Jo Kopechne. Kennedy did not report the incident to the police until the following day, AFTER the Mary Jo's body had been discovered. He freely admits to "destructive drinking" and was known to exhibit questionable behavior in public while apparently intoxicated. It is also rumored that he had several affairs while married to his first wife. YIKES! That's quite a list of accomplishments but with all the press over the last week about his contribution to the legislative landscape of this country it is very apparent that he was given a large dose of SECOND CHANCE (full disclosure: this blogger disagreed with many of his legislative positions).

Next was the discovery of kidnapping and rape victim Jaycee Lee Dugard after 18 years of captivity. Her "alleged" abductor was Phillip Garrido who had previously been convicted, sentenced and incarcerated for a previous kidnapping and rape. He was sentenced to 50 years to life but was released after only serving 11 years. This twisted SOB was given a SECOND CHANCE where in hindsight he should have had his nutz removed and shoved down his throat. Sorry but I can not stand anyone that would harm a defenseless child. Be sure that the person caught doing anything to my children will not be walking this earth.

And finally there was William Taylor who was "forced" to stand on a busy intersection here in Northern Virginia wearing a sign reading "I Cheated. This is my punishment" for alleged marital infidelity. If all I had to do was stand on a street corner with a sign I might consider... (not really hon). I know for sure my testicles would be removed with the dullest knife the wife could find, they would be placed in a jar and prominently displayed in my house where all our friends and my wife's future boyfriends could see. I am very sure that there would be no SECOND CHANCE for me. (BTW, the guy with the sign turned out to be a local radio station stunt).

So second chances. Some get them and get to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Some get them and completely f*#k it up. And then some aren't granted the second chance. So think before you act as you may not get the second chance, unless your name is Kennedy and you were born with a silver shovel in your mouth then you are practically guaranteed a second chance. It was a birth rite.

On a similar note, if you want to read a good book pick up No Second Chance by my fellow Lord Jeff, Harlan Coben. And no its not a story of me cheating on my wife.