Former President Gerald Ford inherited a country in chaos when he took office after President Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace in 1974. The nation was divided in the horrific shadow of Vietnam, the Oval Office was being scrutinized in the scandal of Watergate, and the country was mired in recession with rising inflation.
Adamant that it was the right thing to do, Ford pardoned President Nixon in a firestorm of controversy. He said he thought the move would help restore public confidence in the White House. That’s a subject of debate. To this day, I might add. But most historians would agree that Ford’s decision did indeed begin the healing of a country – albeit at the sacrifice of his own personal and political interests.
President Ford chose unity over personal ambition. Even with Nixon’s imperial presidency shot to hell, Ford followed his gut opting for recovery, instead of revenge for a nation. He was undaunted by public opinion and stuck to his guns. Not a likely scenario in today’s world. The Ford/Nixon pardon would not be possible in the litigious state of times that we live in.
Putting his own interests aside, Ford jumped into the fire by quelling his own ego. He paid a political price for his decision, but he felt that "clearing the deck," as he had said in various interviews, was the best way to move the nation forward. President Ford held office for a mere 29 months during one of the most tumultuous times in American history. Now 30 years later, many political historians better appreciate or understand his decision.
Ford’s act consumed the chaos of a country, at least for a short time. It’s a valuable lesson of courage for us all. The courage to tap our intuition when taking action, the strength to stand by our convictions, and the wisdom to understand that our actions might have long term, deep implications for others.
