Slate dares make the call…

Written by: JasonDecember 30th, 2006
Comments:9 Comments
Category:Culture, The Media
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It has been interesting this week watching the media swirl around the deaths of both Gerald Ford and James Brown. The media circus is likely increase in intensity now that Saddam Hussein has been put to death.

I am spent much of the week thinking about the dead: what is appropriate to talk about and what is best left unsaid when someone passes? At some point, I’ll pass, too and I suppose I’d like to be remembered for whatever good I contributed to this world. I suppose it is that feeling that drove my annoyance at Matt Drudge’s linkage to a YouTube video this week of James Brown breaking down on the set of a news network show, the poster pointing out that he was high or drunk or both. Drudge is a jackass, so he has no taste or respect for the passing of people. In a world driven by karma, Drudge’s passing will be marked by a laundry list of every half-truth, poorly written headline or straight lie that appears on his “news” site.

Ford’s death is a little more complicated. Ford *was* a great American. He served our country in World War II, played high school and football football, and has a distinguished career in the Congress. He is worthy of phrase for a number of reasons, all of which we need to remember as Americans this week.

Of course, Ford’s brief time as Vice President and President of the United States is marked by the realities of Watergate. Ford took the Presidency after Nixon resigned. Ford watched the legal system work through the Watergate mess investigation by investigation. Ford faced a tough election bid in 1976 but thanks to clever electoral strategies like “W.I.N.,” he was the president that was never elected.

What concerns me is all of the positive spin now put on his worst decision: pardoning Nixon. Chatter claiming that Ford is credited for helping healing the country by pardoning Nixon seems to make a historical judgment that isn’t quite right, even if we are honoring Ford’s life.

Slate Magazine steps forward and takes the minority view that the pardon was flatly wrong. The article is worth a read from start to finish but generally speaking it traces the precedent it set in later administrations.

I have taught American History and modern textbooks for high school students barely cover the issue. I think it is perhaps too soon to pronounce that Ford’s actions were justified or not. I do wish I could read more about his time in the House and his tough position as a presidential candidate in ‘76, rather than his “brave” actions pardoning one of the most crooked figures in our country’s history. I think I would even rather hear from Chevy Chase about Ford.

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Sat, Dec 30, 2006

Culture, The Media

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Jason - who has written 170 posts on Intelligent Discontent.

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9 Comments For This Post

Shane C. Mason Says:
December 30th, 2006 at 10:41 am

Yes. Nixon was a great president in many ways, and less than great in others; he was a crook.

One of the biggests problems I see with the pardon is the precedent that it might have set for presidential crimes.

Pogie Says:
December 30th, 2006 at 11:17 am

So I am I wrong to have been thinking we should only close federal offices for half a day? I guess I might be a bad person.

Brittany Says:
December 30th, 2006 at 12:40 pm

Nixon was shamed when he stepped down, he was shamed in spending the rest of his life having his famous line “I am not a crook” parodied by everyone and their brother, he was shamed in having Holloween masks of his likeness, he was shamed in knowing that he would go down in history and be remembered forever for Watergate. I think he suffered sufficiently for what he had done.

I believe that our country did not need the polarization that a public criminal trial would have caused. The American people did not need to see their President on tv with handcuffs or in the back of a police car. America did not need to have the rest of the world watch the ‘leader of the free world’ being put on trial. Was justice necessarily done? Probably not. But he had to face his shame for the rest of his life, and America began to heal.

While I do not know the private thoughts in President Ford’s mind that caused him to pardon Nixon, I believe that he did make the right decision for our country. It cost him his Presidency in the end, so if his motivations for the pardon were wrong, then he too paid a price for it.

Shane C Mason Says:
December 31st, 2006 at 1:42 am

Brittany,

I understand and partially agree with your view here, however, it doesn’t make sense in practical applications. Plenty of people are ’shamed’ or feel bad for what they have done. Generally courts take remorse into account in sentencing though. However, every thing that you note here is about Nixon’s shame as it relates to him, not a shame for what he did to the American people.

Let’s not pull punches here, Nixon committed various crimes. As such Ford should have let the American justice system deal with it, it is that justice system that allows us to be a part of the ‘free world’ that you mentioned. To not have demanded that this happenened was tantamount to claiming that American Presidents are above the law and that wont keep us in this ‘free world’ that you mentioned.

Shane C Mason Says:
December 31st, 2006 at 1:43 am

Did I mention that you mentioned the free world? Oh? Twice? Thrice now?

Big Swede Says:
December 31st, 2006 at 8:34 am

I think the executioners that hung Saddam should have worn Nixon masks.

Brittany Says:
December 31st, 2006 at 11:42 am

Shane,

I too can agree with some of what you say. I can also say that my thoughts on the matter are based more on looking at it historically as I was too young at the time to even know what was going on. I grew up hearing what he had done and seeing the parodies, but I didn’t personally feel the impact of his actions. Maybe I can be considered too soft-hearted at times…who knows?

But I am also a believer in ‘there ain’t sh** I can do about the past, so get over it and move on’. (Trust me, that mentallity drives my husband nuts on a pretty constant basis )

What did America get out of this whole affair? We learned to watch our Presidents a bit closer and be willing to call them on their crap when we think they are wrong. I’ll admit that I am a novice where politics are concerned, but it just doesn’t make sense to me to lament something that happened 30 years ago. Like I said, let’s get over it and move forward

Shane C. Mason Says:
January 1st, 2007 at 12:52 am

Brittany,

I too was very young, just a gleam in my Daddy’s eyes actually

I am pretty liberal, but Nixon is one of my favorite presidents, so it is a shame that he wasted it. Perhaps we did learn to watch our presidents closer, but did Ford teach our presidents that they could get away with anything? Is that the cost of Ford’s decision?

It is true that there isn’t anything that we can do to change the past, but we can use what we have learned to effect the future.

farang Says:
January 4th, 2007 at 11:35 pm

I don’t know, all the media attention about Ford’s death has kind of amused me: I heard one of the talking heads on ESPN (no, I don’t know why ESPN thinks they should be offering commentary on politician’s behavior, except that Gerald had been an athlete 10000 years ago) talk about how Ford had “stepped into the office when Nixon ’stepped away’ “, like Dick had gone to the 7/11 on the corner, and forgot to return.

Sorry ESPN asshole, I remember. Nice try, though.

Shane C. Mason Says:
December 30th, 2006 at 10:41 am
Yes. Nixon was a great president in many ways, and less than great in others; he was a crook.

One of the biggests problems I see with the pardon is the precedent that it might have set for presidential crimes.
Pogie Says:
December 30th, 2006 at 11:17 am
So I am I wrong to have been thinking we should only close federal offices for half a day? I guess I might be a bad person.
Brittany Says:
December 30th, 2006 at 12:40 pm
Nixon was shamed when he stepped down, he was shamed in spending the rest of his life having his famous line “I am not a crook” parodied by everyone and their brother, he was shamed in having Holloween masks of his likeness, he was shamed in knowing that he would go down in history and be remembered forever for Watergate. I think he suffered sufficiently for what he had done.

I believe that our country did not need the polarization that a public criminal trial would have caused. The American people did not need to see their President on tv with handcuffs or in the back of a police car. America did not need to have the rest of the world watch the ‘leader of the free world’ being put on trial. Was justice necessarily done? Probably not. But he had to face his shame for the rest of his life, and America began to heal.

While I do not know the private thoughts in President Ford’s mind that caused him to pardon Nixon, I believe that he did make the right decision for our country. It cost him his Presidency in the end, so if his motivations for the pardon were wrong, then he too paid a price for it.
Shane C Mason Says:
December 31st, 2006 at 1:42 am
Brittany,

I understand and partially agree with your view here, however, it doesn’t make sense in practical applications. Plenty of people are ’shamed’ or feel bad for what they have done. Generally courts take remorse into account in sentencing though. However, every thing that you note here is about Nixon’s shame as it relates to him, not a shame for what he did to the American people.

Let’s not pull punches here, Nixon committed various crimes. As such Ford should have let the American justice system deal with it, it is that justice system that allows us to be a part of the ‘free world’ that you mentioned. To not have demanded that this happenened was tantamount to claiming that American Presidents are above the law and that wont keep us in this ‘free world’ that you mentioned.
Shane C Mason Says:
December 31st, 2006 at 1:43 am
Did I mention that you mentioned the free world? Oh? Twice? Thrice now?
Big Swede Says:
December 31st, 2006 at 8:34 am
I think the executioners that hung Saddam should have worn Nixon masks.
Brittany Says:
December 31st, 2006 at 11:42 am
Shane,

I too can agree with some of what you say. I can also say that my thoughts on the matter are based more on looking at it historically as I was too young at the time to even know what was going on. I grew up hearing what he had done and seeing the parodies, but I didn’t personally feel the impact of his actions. Maybe I can be considered too soft-hearted at times…who knows?

But I am also a believer in ‘there ain’t sh** I can do about the past, so get over it and move on’. (Trust me, that mentallity drives my husband nuts on a pretty constant basis )

What did America get out of this whole affair? We learned to watch our Presidents a bit closer and be willing to call them on their crap when we think they are wrong. I’ll admit that I am a novice where politics are concerned, but it just doesn’t make sense to me to lament something that happened 30 years ago. Like I said, let’s get over it and move forward
Shane C. Mason Says:
January 1st, 2007 at 12:52 am
Brittany,

I too was very young, just a gleam in my Daddy’s eyes actually

I am pretty liberal, but Nixon is one of my favorite presidents, so it is a shame that he wasted it. Perhaps we did learn to watch our presidents closer, but did Ford teach our presidents that they could get away with anything? Is that the cost of Ford’s decision?

It is true that there isn’t anything that we can do to change the past, but we can use what we have learned to effect the future.
farang Says:
January 4th, 2007 at 11:35 pm
I don’t know, all the media attention about Ford’s death has kind of amused me: I heard one of the talking heads on ESPN (no, I don’t know why ESPN thinks they should be offering commentary on politician’s behavior, except that Gerald had been an athlete 10000 years ago) talk about how Ford had “stepped into the office when Nixon ’stepped away’ “, like Dick had gone to the 7/11 on the corner, and forgot to return.

Sorry ESPN asshole, I remember. Nice try, though.

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