Gerald R. Ford
Anyone know what the 'R' stands for?
Rudolph.
~~~
When I think about the late former President Gerald R. Ford I never associate the
word 'controversial' with him.
But rather I think of him as nice.
Unpretentious.
Honest.
True to himself.
~~~
But he was controversial - wasn't he?
More than a few Americans were unhappy with his decision to pardon Richard Nixon for Watergate.
But he wasn't wrong.
He was right to just pardon President Nixon so that our nation could move on.
~~~
Anyway - please watch one of my very favorite movies starring Frank Langella doing
such a terrific job as Nixon that sometimes I have to say to myself, 'Sue, that's really
not Richard Nixon.'
And I love Michael Sheen (Tony Blair in The Queen) as David Frost.
But in Frost/Nixon it was Sam Rockwell that caught my attention (Green Mile, Moon).
There is one scene that is particularly good when Jim Reston (Rockwell) has such hatred
for Nixon because of the harm he feels that Watergate did to our country that upon
having a chance to shake hands with the Man Himself he says No way. I will never do that.
But Nixon offers his hand to Reston first and Jim stands in awe of probably not Nixon
but of 'The President' and is reduced to the same thing that most people are on seeing
a President of the United States face to face.
You see, it's more than the presence of the 'Man' but rather the 'Office' that humbles
most people.
It's standing before one of the people who will go down in history as the Leader of the
Free World - and of Our Country.
I realize that when I look at my Presidential Posters. On these posters - the pictures are
all the same size.
Great or not - even good or bad - these men have endured what is
probably the hardest and most respected position on Earth.
And once your picture is on the poster - even resignation can't take that away.
I love that movie.
~~~
And did I mention that I not only like - but have nothing but Respect and Admiration for
Gerald Rudolph Ford.
9 comments:
More than a few Americans were unhappy with his decision to pardon Richard Nixon for Watergate.
"Beware of all those in whom the urge to punish is strong." - Nietzsche
-FJ - Troy Davis
They were once weak, Troy was once strong. Now the shoe's on the other foot. Life's a 'b.
People w/o power cannot forgive. It's not in their "nature".
But Ther - Things will look beter in the morning. :)
~~~
Did you see that movie a whlle back about Troy starring Brad Pitt?
Sure - it didn't win any awards but I kinda liked it and wish I hadn't gotten rid of it.
It had its moments - although my sources tell me it was historically weak.
Thersites - I have trouble separating these two words:
forgive/forget
I am not sure if one can truly Forgive if they cannot Forget.
I just cannot figure that out.
~~~
Perhaps you can help me with that - O Bearded One
Sure... eliminate the word "truly". ;P
That's where the fiction came in. The for -give has a different subject-object relationship than the for - get. You give, and they get.
It's like charity. Let me reprise my Ashton quote:
Marvin J. Ashton, "The Tongue Can Be a Sharp Sword"
"Real charity is not something you give away; it is something that you acquire and make a part of yourself....
"Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don't judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone's differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn't handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another's weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other" (Ensign, May 1992, 18)
You don't have to actually "forget" the specific infraction/ injustice. You just need to give "the other" the benefit of the doubt in the future.... and this is MUCH "easier" if YOU are the more "powerful" actor in the exchange... for you know with confidence that your generosity cannot really hurt you in the future. Weak people can't afford to offer more powerful people the benefit of the doubt because they CAN be hurt by it.
Notice Ashton uses the words "real charity". It's like your "truly". ;)
Thersites - I think I truly understand what you are saying.
Some of it I know that I already
knew.
Some of it I need to think about a little more - maybe a lot more.
~~~
Thanks for the mentoring, Ther.
Post a Comment