Rosemary Kennedy has died

Sister of JFK, Ted...condolences to the family.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=5&u=/ap/20050108/ap_on_re_us/obit_rosemary_kennedy

Born in 1918, Rosemary was moderately mentally handicapped as a child and had to be tutored by private professors before she reached adolescence, in which she had of discontrol and violence, although she appreciated the high life of the trips and things provided by her rich father, Joseph Kennedy. Worried by the incapacity of the family to deal with the aggressive behavior of Rosemary, the eldest Kennedy, without consulting anyone in the family, contacted a neurosurgeon and ordered that a prefrontal lobotomy be carried out on Rose in 1941.

The operation left her completely unable to live a normal life, and she then was in permanently committed to a convent in Coletta, Wisconsin where she has lived since 1949. She is said to be the inspiration for the Special Olympics. It was always an extremely grievous point in the Kennedy family and Joseph and Pink Kennedy, tormented by the destiny of their daughter, gave much money and effort to help developmentally disabled people. They established the foundation of Joseph P. Kennedy Jr for this purpose.

http://www.bsu.edu/web/BBMCSHANE/freewill/frrosemary.html

Just reported on the news.

Isn't she the sister they had a lobotomy performed on in the 30s or 40s and ended up in an institution? I think she was born "different" (as they used to say).

that was her. 84 years of such a limited life, compounded by bad medicine. Rest in Peace.

a primitive lobotomy because she didn't "fit in" with the rest of his litter whom he wanted to be winners.

May she find peace.

this website called deathlist.net. What, is that one of those that predicts who will die this year? If so, how sick is that?

Still nothing on MSM's websites.

I have to point out that at the time, lobotomy was considered a mainstream treatment for the severely mentally ill. The fact that this woman had violence problems puts her in that category. From our point of view, her father was a monster. But at the time, he simply authorized the "best" treatment available. The one's who should burn are those that thought up such a horror and sold it to well meaning people.

apparently, she was as "high-spirited" and sexually adventurous as her father and brothers. However, Joe being a sexist (as well as just a downright vile sonofabitch) felt that her behavior was inappropriate for a woman.

It bordered on torture.

Very sad.

but was shocked to read taht they would operate on her simply because she was "retarded".

I dunno...I've always suspected something weird about that whole situation. ok, I'll talk the tinfoil off now :eyes:

Doctors were deeply interested in controlling women back then.

I've read alot of Kennedy biographies - Rosemary was allegedly out of control and the lobotomy was performed for that reason - things were so different in the 40's

Rosemary was probably the most beautiful of all the Kennedy sisters

Although I'm miffed with the Senator right now because of yesterday, my heart goes out to him and his family on their loss

but out of great sorrow and tragedy of Rosemary's life, look what they've been able to accomplish with the Special Olympics and the increasing awareness of the abilities of the mentally challenged

The eldest remaining sister - Eunice Shriver - is a hero for her work with this special group of people

The web page was wrong. Sorry :)

There.

with all her brothers and sisters.

edited to add: here's a photograph of Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy (mother) and Rosemary Kennedy (on the right) taken in 1942.


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We have come so far in dealing with disability issues, but I don't doubt there are many who would react the same way today.

Thanks for posting about her life and her passing.

I was just searching Yahoo News, and I find the Associated Press headlines on her death really offensive. Check this AP headline out "Retarded Kennedy Sister Dies at 86."

Did they have to put "retarded" in their headline? Why not just "Kennedy Sister...."

Here's another disrespectful headline:

"Rosemary Kennedy , retarded sister of assassinated president, dead at 86"

What is up with the AP?

Who knows anymore.

snap a picture and parade it in front of Tom Delay? Jeez!

An obit is the last thing that is going to be written about you (though in this instance, probably not since she was a Kennedy). The least that could be done would be to show some sensitivity. That last one just really struck a nerve.

Forgive me if that comment offended anyone, but come on?!

I agree completely with you.

Here's the story from CNN.com

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/01/07/kennedy.obit.ap/index.html

<snip>

Rosemary Kennedy dies at 86
Friday, January 7, 2005 Posted: 10:47 PM EST (0347 GMT)




Rose Kennedy with, from left, Joseph Jr., Rosemary and John in an undated family portrait.


JEFFERSON, Wisconsin (AP) -- Rosemary Kennedy, a sister of John F. Kennedy who was born mentally retarded and lived most of her life in an institution after undergoing a lobotomy, died Friday, her family said. She was 86.

Kennedy, the inspiration for the Special Olympics spearheaded by the Kennedy family, had been a patient since 1949 at St. Coletta School for Exceptional Children in Jefferson, Wisconsin. She was the third child and first daughter of Joseph and Rose Kennedy, born a year after her brother John.

In 1941, Joseph Kennedy, worried his daughter's mild mental retardation would lead her into situations that could damage the family's reputation, arranged for Rosemary to have a lobotomy. She was 23.

"Rosemary was a woman, and there was a dread fear of pregnancy, disease and disgrace," author Laurence Leamer wrote in his book "The Kennedy Women: The Saga of an American Family." He wrote that Rosemary, whose retardation possibly stemmed from brain damage at birth, had taken to sneaking out of the convent where she was staying at the time.

<snip>

Those headlines are totally disrespectful and not necessary. People just don't think anymore, do they?

Traditionally, an editor picks what fits for the space.

Personal story: I was writing for my hometown newspaper and wrote a "nice" article about a young woman who had lost her battle to cancer. My editor put a very blunt headline on it. While accurate, it did not reflect the community sentiment. Because I had the byline on the article, I was also the one to receive the nasty letters and phone calls.

Good bad and ugly

Peace.