The Lion in Nature

We've heard a lot about the "Lion of the Senate" today. My heart goes out to the Kennedy family for their loss. He truly was an icon for the lost years of "Camelot" and he will be remembered for the extension of that legacy.

Having said that, I would like you to entertain the idea that Ted Kennedy was miscast as a lion. Granted, lions are predatory and ruthless in the pursuit of prey. In the course of the wild, they are but one of many feline predators. There is also the cheetah and the leopard. They also play an important part in the balance of nature.

So why the lion? The lion denotes power and strength. It has been used as a metaphor for many an ancient warrier. It's understandable why the press would grab this symbol to describe Ted Kennedy. But, I think they got it wrong. Ted Kennedy was better cast as a leopard.

A leopard prowls in the dark. Its camouflage of spots help it as it stalks its prey. It does not attack in the light of day. It waits until there is an opportunity to pounce on the unsuspecting. It does not use strength and speed as its ally, it uses subterfuge. Granted, it does have strength, but not so to challenge the lion. It knows its place

Ted Kennedy was never a lion. He always used subterfuge to neutralize his prey. After being named to help craft the "No Child Left Behind" legislation, the leopard showed his nature. Once legislation passed in a spirit of "bipartisanship", he turned on his benefactor, George W. Bush. Consider his comment about Abu Graib: "Shamefully, we now learn that Saddam's torture chambers reopened under new management: U.S. management."

So much for bipartisanship. Ted Kennedy could have cared less about "No Child Left Behind". It was only an opening to pounce on his prey and further his agenda to devour the vestiges of our liberty.

All told, I wish Ted Kennedy HAD been a lion, putting his strength and aggressiveness out in the open for all to see. Sadly, he chose darkness, and we are only beginning to see the results of his voracity.