Richard Nixon, facing mounting investigations and political pressure, resigned as President on August 9th, 1974. He flew back to California as a private citizen as Gerald Ford, the sitting vice-president, took the presidential oath of office.
Ford ascended to vice-president, and later president, without being elected to either. Yet, the public embraced him due to his basic goodness and dignity. He assumed leadership of a nation hungry for integrity, and yearning for normalcy.
To quote Yogi Berra, famous Pittsburg native son, and baseball hall-of-famer, ‘It’s Déjà vu all over again.’
Once again, we’re a divided nation, torn apart by power-hungry forces. Once again, sanity prevailed and we face a future of normalcy.
Gerald Ford and Joe Biden are very similar in my opinion. Nothing flashy, even with the aviator glasses. But they have one important thing in common. They are not their predecessor. They are just decent people in indecent times.
So how do we avoid a recurrence of the state we’re in? Pray to God? Maybe. Except there are multiple perceptions of the divine being, based on your political bent. In my opinion, the biggest crime committed by 45 is having people believe that only their perception of God is correct. I would see Facebook posts suggesting praying during these trying times. Good advice, but what are we praying for? Vanquishing the enemy or forgiving trespasses.
I hope it’s the latter. I hope we can all remember that decency is not a sign of weakness. I hope that we can all have a beer, shake our head at the next interception into a crowded secondary, and limit our most spirited debate on whether pineapple belongs on pizza.
Normal, once considered boring, may be the beginning of a brighter day for us all.
Ford ascended to vice-president, and later president, without being elected to either. Yet, the public embraced him due to his basic goodness and dignity. He assumed leadership of a nation hungry for integrity, and yearning for normalcy.
To quote Yogi Berra, famous Pittsburg native son, and baseball hall-of-famer, ‘It’s Déjà vu all over again.’
Once again, we’re a divided nation, torn apart by power-hungry forces. Once again, sanity prevailed and we face a future of normalcy.
Gerald Ford and Joe Biden are very similar in my opinion. Nothing flashy, even with the aviator glasses. But they have one important thing in common. They are not their predecessor. They are just decent people in indecent times.
So how do we avoid a recurrence of the state we’re in? Pray to God? Maybe. Except there are multiple perceptions of the divine being, based on your political bent. In my opinion, the biggest crime committed by 45 is having people believe that only their perception of God is correct. I would see Facebook posts suggesting praying during these trying times. Good advice, but what are we praying for? Vanquishing the enemy or forgiving trespasses.
I hope it’s the latter. I hope we can all remember that decency is not a sign of weakness. I hope that we can all have a beer, shake our head at the next interception into a crowded secondary, and limit our most spirited debate on whether pineapple belongs on pizza.
Normal, once considered boring, may be the beginning of a brighter day for us all.