Thursday, December 28, 2006

Doing the Right Thing - Even When It Hurts

Former President Gerald Ford's death has been the topic of discussion on all the news over the last few days. For a man who was out of the White House before I was born, Ford's influence shaped the politics around the first years of my life – things that I can't comment on first hand.

So, trying to get to know a president I don't remember has been interesting. What I've read, no matter the slant of the journalist, seems to come back to a single conclusion: Ford's pardoning of Nixon was good for America, but bad for his own career. And yet? He did it. Would Ford have made the same decision if he knew it'd cost him his job? God, I hope so.

Making a decision that hurts one personally, but helps the majority is a character trait we want in a president. It's not so bad for the rest of us who don't hold office, either.

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