Keller @ Large: Patrick Kennedy Should Be Commended
BOSTON (CBS) - Did you catch Patrick Kennedy's interview on 60 Minutes Sunday night?
If you didn't, watch it online for a taste of what true honesty and courage look like.
Former Congressman Kennedy is by his own account a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, who struggles with bipolar disorder. And in the course of telling his story in a new book, he writes candidly about a key source of his problems – the alcoholism and psychological struggles of his famous mother and father.
I think Patrick makes an eloquent case for ending the "pathology of silence" that imposes terrible shame on people who suffer from these diseases and often impedes their recovery. His candor is consistent with his public advocacy since leaving Congress for more awareness and honesty about mental illness and addiction, a crusade that couldn't be more timely and urgent.
But unsurprisingly, not everyone is thrilled with his story.
In a statement, his brother Ted Jr. has denounced Patrick's version of the family dysfunction, saying "my brother's recollections of family events and particularly our parents are quite different from my own."
That's too bad, because there's really no denying the truth of what Patrick is saying.
His mother's battle has been well-documented; Senator Kennedy's alcoholism was no secret to anyone who interacted with him over the years, including the media.
But this doesn't soil the family name. If anything, it humanizes them, and helps explain their public blunders.
Patrick Kennedy has done a hard but necessary thing – telling the truth about how addiction damages families, including his own.
He should be commended, not criticized for it.
Listen to Jon's commentary:
You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News weeknights at 11 p.m.
Email Jon at keller@wbztv.com or reach him on Twitter @kelleratlarge.
