Richard Nixon did break the law. Yes he did. If it was allowed to go through the legal system, it would have been the focus of many years of court trials and may have had a terrible effect on the nation as a whole.
The wisdom of Gerald Ford was to spare the country, (rather than Nixon) the horror of such an ordeal. He did it because he knew it was what was needed to be done. It could have torn the country apart.
Few today know what it was like in the 1970's..It was a mess. We had gone through the 1960's and many assassinations and social unrest. It was time of great social and political upheaval. I know I was there and saw it all. I know the mess this country was in ...
I think if there is an event in history that shows real guts, this is it. He did the pardon regardless of the result to his political career.
Today think of a politician who would do that. Thanks to the wisdom of this great man we were spared that.
It was a really special moment when Edward Kennedy presented to Gerald Ford the profiles in courage award at the John F. Kennedy presidential Library in 2001. People there were all against what Richard Nixon represented, but Gerald Ford went beyond all of that. He was for the people and the nation before himself. He saved the Presidency. That took guts and courage beyond what anyone else was willing to do.
I have written several articles over the last day on Ford, but this really is what his legacy will be. He had balls, and he was not afraid to do what he thought was right...and after some time we see how right he really was.
So as we honor this man, remember what he did and how it really ended his career. But it brought us a new beginning in government.
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