This page was last updated on January 18, 2012.
Ford not worthy; Mark Slyman; Beaver County Times; January 18, 2012.
Mr. Slyman has written at least 13 letters since March 2009. The previous Slyman letters I critiqued are here and here.
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“I wish I knew why Congress and the Navy believe that former President Gerald Ford is deserving to have an aircraft carrier, the most expensive ship ever built, named in his honor.
“We’re talking about a man who only became president because Richard Nixon had to be resign [sic] because of his involvement in the Watergate scandal. We’re talking about a man who many believe should never have pardoned Nixon. We’re talking about a politician who failed to win a presidential election.
“Surely there must be someone from this country, living or dead, who’s more worthy to have the carrier named after him.
“Ford will always be remembered more for his erratic golf swings and being the butt of many comedians’ jokes that [sic] for anything he accomplished during his short stay in the White House.”
[RWC] I’m glad Mr. Slyman is on top of this. The Navy announced the naming of the Gerald R. Ford carrier and carrier class five years ago. It’s fine for Mr. Slyman to disagree with the naming, but is it necessary to bash someone who by all accounts was a decent guy put in an impossible situation?
As for “Ford will always be remembered more for his erratic golf swings and being the butt of many comedians’ jokes,” the image of Mr. Ford as a klutz was a creation of the media. In truth, Mr. Ford was a pretty good athlete his entire life.
In any case, I’m not big on naming things for people. I like names like Constitution, Enterprise, Hornet, Saratoga, Yorktown, et cetera. I could make exceptions for George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Medal of Honor recipients.
© 2004-2012 Robert W. Cox, all rights reserved.