The Good Man from Grand Rapids: Part I
Today is a sad day for my country, for my state, and for me personally. As of 10:00 p.m. yesterday, the 38th American President--Gerald Rudolph Ford, formerly of Grand Rapids, Michigan--is no more. A skilled politician, strong leader, successful lawyer, impressive athlete, and above all a good and decent man exhibiting the Midwestern, Protestant work ethic...he will be missed deeply, particularly in the Great Lakes State.
Gerald Ford may not have been the most dynamic or powerful or even successful President, but perhaps more than any other president since Lincoln and even Washington, he embodied integrity, honesty, and humility. This is saying an awful lot, considering he was faced by national crises more daunting than those faced by any other President besides Lincoln and FDR. Vietnam, Watergate, renewed Cold War tensions, and severe economic problems all faced him...and he handled each issue without sacrificing his honesty or classic West Michigan goodness. While in office as Congressman (1949-73), Vice President (1973-74), and President (1974-77), he displayed an integrity and decency rarely seen in American politics, but which symbolized all that is good in the potential and promise of America itself. He proved once and for all that the selfish paranoia of Nixon, the cavalier bravado of Johnson, and the immoral carousing of Kennedy--who was nonetheless Ford's good friend--did not have to be tolerated in the nation's highest office. What Bush has had to do to remove the stain of Clinton's sexual improprieties, so Ford needed to return America to the strong, moral 20th century certitude of Eisenhower, Truman, and Wilson...and he delivered.
Above all, he was a good husband, father, and friend. He loved people, trusted them as far as possible, and found joy in many classic staples of Americana: the Boy Scouts, football, military service, practicing the law, and representing the people first and foremost. Perhaps more than anything else, he thoroughly tolerated and embraced colleagues and even family members--including his beautiful, beloved wife of 58 years, Betty--with opposing viewpoints, while sticking to his own principles and creeds. This is a quality sorely lacking in our current American environment, thanks to both sides of the political aisle. While it is never necessary to compromise on issues of principle such as abortion and gay marriage, we must find common ground on the pressing matters of Iraq, national security, and illegal immigration. Two quotes spring to mind for me--first, that of Benjamin Franklin: "We must all hang together, or assuredly we will all hang separately"; and secondly, that of Lincoln: "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Indeed it cannot. If we learn one thing from the life of Gerald R. Ford, it must be, in a word, unity. E pluribus unum, my friends, e pluribus unum.
Gerald Ford may not have been the most dynamic or powerful or even successful President, but perhaps more than any other president since Lincoln and even Washington, he embodied integrity, honesty, and humility. This is saying an awful lot, considering he was faced by national crises more daunting than those faced by any other President besides Lincoln and FDR. Vietnam, Watergate, renewed Cold War tensions, and severe economic problems all faced him...and he handled each issue without sacrificing his honesty or classic West Michigan goodness. While in office as Congressman (1949-73), Vice President (1973-74), and President (1974-77), he displayed an integrity and decency rarely seen in American politics, but which symbolized all that is good in the potential and promise of America itself. He proved once and for all that the selfish paranoia of Nixon, the cavalier bravado of Johnson, and the immoral carousing of Kennedy--who was nonetheless Ford's good friend--did not have to be tolerated in the nation's highest office. What Bush has had to do to remove the stain of Clinton's sexual improprieties, so Ford needed to return America to the strong, moral 20th century certitude of Eisenhower, Truman, and Wilson...and he delivered.
Above all, he was a good husband, father, and friend. He loved people, trusted them as far as possible, and found joy in many classic staples of Americana: the Boy Scouts, football, military service, practicing the law, and representing the people first and foremost. Perhaps more than anything else, he thoroughly tolerated and embraced colleagues and even family members--including his beautiful, beloved wife of 58 years, Betty--with opposing viewpoints, while sticking to his own principles and creeds. This is a quality sorely lacking in our current American environment, thanks to both sides of the political aisle. While it is never necessary to compromise on issues of principle such as abortion and gay marriage, we must find common ground on the pressing matters of Iraq, national security, and illegal immigration. Two quotes spring to mind for me--first, that of Benjamin Franklin: "We must all hang together, or assuredly we will all hang separately"; and secondly, that of Lincoln: "A house divided against itself cannot stand." Indeed it cannot. If we learn one thing from the life of Gerald R. Ford, it must be, in a word, unity. E pluribus unum, my friends, e pluribus unum.
posted by Douglas Schrock at 5:55 PM
2 Comments:
Good stuff. You know a lot about Ford. Could have used his football expertise for Michigan's woesome finish this year!
So, what was the specific occasion that Lincoln made that quote (I know it was the Civil War in general)? Did he often quote Scripture in his speeches?
Anyways, hollar at you soon.
dss
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During the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858, when he was running (not victorious) for U.S. Senator. He was predicting the coming split over slavery, and he was right as usual. Yes, he used Scripture more than once...he was a very religious man, despite what some historians might claim.
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