When Gerald Ford became President he announced to the country: "Your national nightmare is over." He said that like it was a good thing. Not for me. I LOVED Watergate. It showed Nixon and his people for just who they were...self involved, paranoid, screwed up thugs. I wanted Watergate to go on until Nixon was impeached, tossed out of office and his guys were all in jail.
So Nixon resigned and Ford pardoned him and that was that, except for all his people who did stand trial and did go to jail. But I wanted Nixon on trial too, and Ford came in and put a stop to it. And I didn't like it and I didn't like him.
Naturally I enjoyed it when Chevy Chase made fun of him on Saturday Night Life and imitated and exaggerated Ford's clumsiness, even though Ford was actually a gifted athlete. And I was happy when he screwed up in the presidential debates and fell far behind Carter in the polls. And I was delighted when he was voted out of office after only 2 years.
So what was it Ford didn't do for me?
Well, 3 years before he came to office, I was drafted. With the Vietnam War still going on I told my draft board that I had no intention of reporting for duty because I was a Consciencious Objector who was opposed to all wars. The draft board called me in for a meeting and I told them that if they didn't grant me CO status, I would either go to jail or flee the country. Much to my surprise, they okayed my demand. I was ordered to do civilian work for the country. Instead of running off to Canada I went to Kentucky and worked with poor Appalachan migrants. Alot of them were big Cincinatti Reds fans so when the Mets were in town we'd go across the Ohio River to nearby Cincinatti to the games.
Okay, so here's my main point. I was able to do my service trying to do good work for some awfully nice people in Kentucky and I got alot out of it. I didn't have to run off to Canada like so many other draft resisters like me did. I was one of the lucky ones.
And then along came Gerald Ford, a President I didn't admire at all. And the man who pardoned Nixon also pardoned the draft resisters and they all got to come home. Of course that pardon didn't apply to me. So Gerald Ford didn't do anything for me.
But it was sure nice what he did for them.
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Nice tale, if I do say so myself. Unfortunately I just discovered something that is upsetting. It's not true. Ford didn't do it. It was Jimmy Carter who forgave the draft resisters. He's a good man.
Now I can go back to my original opinion...Ford Sucks!!!!
Nah, he was a decent guy. Just a Republican.
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