Bidding Farewell to a Decent and Honorable Man

As I was driving to Lompoc from Santa Barbara this morning I listened to some of the tributes and the homily by Rev. Robert Certain at Gerald Ford's State Funeral.

I was struck by a couple of things said. First, a word by Tom Brokaw that Gerald Ford was the same person in public and in private. That is a strong word of tribute, because all that is said of him as a public person is laudatory. Whether you agree with him or not, you come away from him as a friend. Brokaw also commented that all of the words said about Ford are true to him as a person, and how seldom is this true.

In a day when much is made of the current President's faith expressions, as well as those of a former President from Georgia, it was good to hear this man's own pastor speak of the centrality of his faith to his life. Again I remember back to my high school days, as I argued with my friends about Ford being a Christian too -- this was of course 1976. All voted for Jimmy Carter because he was a Christian. But, Ford was also and his faith, though not as demonstrative was strong.

Another word from Mr. Brokaw is important for this time and place in history. Brokaw made mention of President Ford's position in football. He was a center (an All-American center) and that position is a good metaphor for Ford's political position. In today's parlance, he would be a centrist, a moderate in his own party. Yes, he was a conservative in many ways, but he wasn't a culture war conservative. He was prudent and cautious, and those can be good qualities. In fact, they are qualities sorely lacking in many of our current politicos.

I guess I found President Bush's comments (I didn't hear 41's comments) interesting, for in many ways the things he was commending Ford as being, he so severely lacks -- including the mentioned ability to seek consensus. Wouldn't we be in a different place now, if we had someone like Gerald Ford as President, rather than George Bush.

So, I bid farewell to a good and decent man, a humble and merciful man. He served only briefly in the highest office in the land, and he's been away from that office for now thirty years. But he has left a legacy that few have been able to continue. Whether he will be ranked among the greats is uncertain, but he left the presidency in a better place than when he found it. That in itself is a worthy legacy.

Blessings to the Ford family!

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