Kennedy Curse

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The Kennedy Curse refers to a series of unfortunate events that have happened to the Kennedy family. While these events could have happened to any family, some have referred to the continual misfortune of the Kennedy family as a curse. The improbability of so many repeated instances of misfortune within one family, especially two high-profile political assassinations, has raised questions as to whether the curse results from sheer bad luck or from coordinated violence against the Kennedy family. However, detractors argue that given the sheer size of the family the number of unfortunate events is not unusual. As well, the high visibility of the family means these events are subject to a degree of public scrutiny that most families would not be subjected to. Finally, as most of the events were caused or at least made more likely by risk-taking behavior by the Kennedys themselves, the "curse" may be seen less as a supernatural phenomenon than simply as an operation of the laws of probability.

Chronology

Believers in the "curse" generally cite the following events as evidence of the family's misfortunes, while others claim that it has something to do with a scorned woman placing an actual curse on family patriarch Joseph P. Kennedy.

Refutations of The "Cursed"

Some skeptics follow the belief that the Kennedy curse is to some extent a self-fulfilling prophecy where the actions of the family members enhance their risk for tragic events. A few refutations of the "cursed" events:

  • 1941 - Rosemary Kennedy underwent a surgery that was non-standard and still in its experimental stages. Failure was far more common than success.
  • 1944 - Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. volunteered for a virtual suicide mission, flying a plane loaded with explosives.
  • 1948 - Kathleen Kennedy Cavendish, Marchioness of Hartington flew in weather that caused the pilot initially to refuse to fly.
  • December 19, 1961 - Joseph P. Kennedy was 73 years old; not an uncommon age for a stroke, especially in 1961.
  • August 7, 1963 - Patrick Bouvier Kennedy 's death, while tragic, was not uncommon. Children born six weeks premature had less than a 50 percent survival rate in 1963.
  • November 22, 1963 - President John F. Kennedy ordered the bubble protection taken off his limousine, against Secret Service protocol, and allowed the motorcade to take a route that necessitated slowing to a near-stop in a highly populated area.
  • June 6, 1968 - Robert F. Kennedy exited through an unsecured kitchen to be "near his people," again against Secret Service protocol.
  • 1969 - "Chappaquiddick Incident" - Ted Kennedy was allegedly driving drunk
  • 1983 - Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was trafficking in illegal drugs, and thus brought about his own arrest.
  • 1984 - David A. Kennedy was a recreational narcotics user, and thus brought about his own death.
  • 1986 - Patrick J. Kennedy was a recreational narcotics user, and thus brought about his own addiction.
  • 1988 - Christina Onassis was a recreational narcotics user, and thus brought about her own death.
  • 1997 - Michael Kennedy was playing ski football without proper safety equipment.
  • 1999 - John F. Kennedy Jr. was flying in conditions which caused other pilots to cancel flights; also flying in dangerous conditions with very little experience.

Copyright

"Original data received from Wikipedia on April 21, 2006. Credit given to original authors can be seen Here."

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