Healing President#8217;s#8217; legacy will live on Staff 12/30/2006 With funeral events beginning today, the country continues to mourn the death of Gerald R. Ford, the 38th president of the United St

Published 12:00 am Saturday, December 30, 2006

With funeral events beginning today, the country continues to mourn the death of Gerald R. Ford, the 38th president of the United States. When Ford took the oath of office on August 9, 1974 he declared, &uot;I assume the Presidency under extraordinary circumstances…. This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts.&uot;

It was indeed an unprecedented time and a time that will forever live in the history books of our nation. He had been the first vice president chosen under the terms of the 25th Amendment and, in the wake of the Watergate scandal, was succeeding the first president ever to resign.

According to current President George W. Bush, “With his quiet integrity, common sense and kind instincts, President Ford helped heal our land and restore public confidence in the presidency.”

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Ford was a leader in his own right and carved a path for future presidents to help restore the nation’s confidence in the oval office. Without Ford and the efforts he put forth in calming the Nixon storm, it is hard to say where our nation would be now.

Sadly, Ford has passed on, but not without leaving a legacy for his children, his family and our nation. His legacy reminds us that healing comes after our wounds n no matter the severity. Some call him the “Healing President.” We will remember him as that and as the 38th leader of our great country.

Perhaps former president Jimmy Carter, who took office after Ford, said it best on his inauguration day when he stated, “For myself and for our nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land.”

Former President Gerald R. Ford, who died at his home Tuesday evening at the age of 93, will always be remembered.