President Bush will be eulogizing President Ford today. As should be the case in a very public eulogy you will hear many wonderful things about him. However, I have been communicating with an 83 year old friend of mine in California and found that we were both in agreement that there are some things that will not be mentioned and should be but not at this time.
I hear all in the media saying history will look kindly on him and his pardoning of tricky Dicky.He was a darn good man and faithful servant to our beloved America. With that in mind I have to remember that had he spoken up before his death that he could have saved thousands of lives, Billions of dollars, and much American and world angst. I still do not understand being such a important figure as President Ford is and putting ones party ahead of what is honest and right for America especially if you love it so much as I believe Ford did.
First let me remind you that Ford became Vice President because a fellow legally elected VP, Spiro Agnew fell in disgrace after having received inappropriate financial benefits from his political position as VP. what a sign of things to come. Why didn't we learn? How did we forget? Oddly enough Agnew was a contemptuous figure who mocked Patriotic Americans for voicing their dissension for an unpopular illegal war just as Cheney, Fords chief of staff has done today. Cheney who I will remind you that Ford described after his death as pugnacious as we all know he is!
Ford then became President after Nixon, another Republican, fell in disgrace. I have to say again, we didn't learn anything. The examples that were set then have been surpassed as far as I am concerned, by Cheney, Rummy, and George W. who is set to soon tell the world how great President Ford was. He was but some truths must be brought up by us as we put President Ford's legacy during Bush's illegal war into perspective.
I must first say that History may look kindly on President Ford's pardon of Nixon but I didn't and never will. I thought it was wrong and nothing but politics. He is credited by fellow Republicans for healing our Nation. I don't think so! it really bothered me. They say it was right not to make the Nation go through a painful trial for his crimes but they were more than willing to put the Nation through it over Clinton's sexual indiscretions!
I am appalled that such a good man as President Ford was is being used today by Cheney, Rummy, and Bush to cloak themselves in his decency while in actuality as most of us know now, he was in opposition to them and their illegal war.
I for one will always hold it against President Ford for not putting America and her citizens ahead of politics. If he and others had spoken up I believe this illegal war would not have happened and the lives of thousands of Americans and others would have been spared as well as hundreds of Billions of dollars would have been saved.
As President Ford is laid to rest the Nation can reflect on a decent man and great American but amongst ourselves and around the Nation we owe a duty to America and ourselves to think about what could have been!
James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
www.anaveragepatriot.com
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