Ball fondly recalls the altruism of the Kennedy family who paid for his health care when he was a child.

From the article in Hindu Business Line a publication in India:

Ball narrates an incident from his childhood that sowed the seeds for his passion. "My godmother was personal secretary to Joseph Kennedy, the father of Jack Kennedy. As an infant I had cat-scratch fever, and Jean Kennedy- Smith, Jack Kennedy's sister, asked my parents to take me to a hospital. When my parents said they couldn't afford it, she said she would take care of everything. And, within five minutes, there were 10 doctors around me. I think those little interactions that I had as a kid with that family in particular showed me how well power could be used." He feels that people should use their abilities to impact others positively, because there is both good and evil in this world. "Evil exists, and we have to fight it at every turn."

I must say, what a compassionate clan the Kennedy family has been, and despite their wealth they took it upon themselves to care for a small baby who was, at the very best, tenuously connected to them. And this interaction with the Kennedy family taught Ball to demonize a healthcare system with a public-option? I'm not sure how such compassion teaches someone to be so selfish and uncaring.

What's even more amazing is that Joseph Kennedy was dead for some eight years before Greg was born in 1977, but the compassionate Kennedy clan, according to Ball, cared enough to keep in touch with their deceased patriarch's secretary's godson. Had not Ball's blue-collar family had this distant connection, what would they have done?

And what a great bit of irony, considering that Greg is now campaigning against American families getting the health care that they need with his so-called town halls, which are nothing but homespun demagoguery, fake outrage, and misinformation directed at the people he hopes to serve.

Unforunately, I, like most every American, don't have connections to the Kennedys or any other ultra-wealthy family.

My son, who is on the autistic spectrum, has had more than $30,000 in medical bills that two health-insurance companies refused to cover. It put my family on the brink of financial ruin. Assemblyman Ball and his family should feel blessed to have such friends to pay for his health care when he was a child. Wouldn't Greg Ball want every child to have an opportunity to have to see a doctor when their health is imperiled without bankrupting their families?

I think it's time that this Congressional candidate did some sincere soul searching before he spreads more fear and lies about the health-care reform that Ted Kennedy so wanted for all American families.



UPDATE: Thanks for the recs, this is my first time on the list. My wife and I are also impressed by the depth and quality of the comments to my diary, they've improved greatly on what I wrote, giving it much more impact.

I've also crossposted this on my orangization's blog, Rockland Progressive Dems, pay a visit if you care.