National crocodile tears

December 29, 2006 by Jeff Jarvis

I’m sorry, but it’s absolutely ridiculous that financial markets and government services are being shut down in observance of Gerald Ford’s funeral. What, our mailmen and stockbrokers and garbagemen are all off crying over Ford? It’s a waste.

  • http://www.davidmsc.com david

    I agree with you, Jeff…but it was done for Nixon and Reagan when they passed away, and things like this are 100% protocol. In fact, I’m one of the affected federal employees (military), and I’m not particularly happy to be “forced” to take that day off.

  • Andrew

    http://www.torontodailynews.com/index.php/BusinessNews/2006122902stock-markets

    “Financial markets have traditionally closed for presidential funerals since 1885 to the burial of President Ulysses S. Grant, and the last time being the burial of President Ronald Reagan in June 2004.”

  • http://ladow.net Bob

    It’s a sign of respect. I welcome that there is a modicum of it left in our society.

  • skipc

    more ridiculous yet is your wasting our time with drivel. best…skip

  • jon

    You should ne ashamed of your callowness. It is a sign of respect for a former President.

  • Kevin Guidry

    If it makes you feel any better, think of it less as a “day of mourning over the death of President Ford” and more of a “day of celebration over the death of Saddam.” :)

    (Yes, yes – I am a horrible person. I know we shouldn’t celebrate anyone’s death. It’s a joke and if we can’t laugh then what can we do?)

  • Kid Kirby

    I understand the protocol of banks, governmetn offices, military, and the garbage man getting the day off in order to pay respects to a former president. This time it happens to be Gerald Ford. What I don’t understand is all the adulation…
    1st: He was not elected by the people, so he was not the people’s presidential choice.
    2nd: Didn’t he give amnesty to the draft dodgers? What kind of message did that send? At least the liberals were happy.
    3rd: his immediate pardon of Nixon.
    4th: he appointed a left leaning supremene court justice that still serves to this day and is so far left he doesn’t lean, he bends!!

    One thing though: Ford sure could veto Congress’s actions–unlike the current president…
    For someone who only served a little over two years and wasn’t even elected….it seems to me he did only marginally positive things and several very negative things.

    Just because he is a “nice guy” doesn’t mean the country should go down on our knees—the liberals are doing enough of that anyway!
    Why drag out the “mourning” for six days anyway? Gosh, what will Clinton expect?

  • http://none Don Jesus

    I agree with the majority, it’s a sign of respect which every President
    deserves regardless of their accomplishments or ratings.

    What will Clinton expect? I think the Governors of every state
    should order that all bars stay open for 24 hours, because I
    think that’s what he would want…………Gotta love him

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  • chef2lare

    god bless FORD n family

  • Wills

    I agree with you Jeff. But then I feel there are too many “Holidays” as it is. Arent we still in the middle of two? Why should everyone be forced into the consequences of a holiday or funeral when it is observed or acknowledged by only a portion of society? Why should people who are not christian be punished with christmas?(excuse me, THE HOLIDAY of all holidays).
    For some reason, I had thought this was a democracy…

  • http://marketingcanapes.vox.com Jim Lane

    Geez, guess tradition and protocol do not mean anything to you. For those citing that President Ford was not elected – so what? The protocol says nothing about that, just respect the passing of a President. Of course, I’m betting that the naysayers are mostly under 40 and probably did not pass civics.

  • James

    Having just seen The Queen which is about the UK Royal Family trying to deal with the death of Diana, I can see why protocol was followed. More pratically, how much real trading is going to be done in these dog days of the year?

  • Mumblix Grumph

    Sorry, Jeff. I have to disagree.

    A President of the USA gets the special treatment, like it or not.

    This is not being done so we all can have a good cry and are unable to work because of our shared grief.

    I will shed no tears when Carter or Clinton take the long nap. I will still acknowledge the passing of a President, however.

    Do not be so quick to write off old traditions as silly and ephemeral.

  • http://woip.blogspot.com Patrizia Broghammer

    “It’s a waste.” No it’s not a waste, it’s a good excuse.
    It’s a good excuse for finding an excuse.
    It’s a good excuse for finding an excuse for not working.
    And in the end, it will be a working day less and a resting day more.
    Whatever is the excuse for finding an excuse it is always a good excuse.

  • Nielsen

    … glorifying professional politicians is a very, very bad idea for any society– especially the United States.

    Their passings deserve no more ‘respect’ from Americans than that of other citizens (..and less in most cases).

    Does anyone seriously believe that the men reaching Presidential office are the best available from among the general citizenry. ? Power attracts the worst.

    Leslie Lynch King Jr. (Gerald Ford) stumbled into the Presidency with zero votes from the American people. Like most Presidents, he made many bad decisions and harmed the nation more than helped it.

    His family, friends & supporters are quite capable of handling his final arrangements — spare the rest of the nation from the usual worthless political-celebrity-glitz of a ‘state funeral’ and phony adulation & crocodile-tears.

  • http://blogspotting.net steve baker

    The question isn’t about Ford. It’s about the death of a president. If we start picking and choosing which presidents to mourn, then we extend our political polarization into the funeral parlor. If you figure we’ve had about 40 presidents die in 230 years, that only amounts to one day of mourning every five years and nine months, by my calculations. Not a big drag on productivity.

  • http://blogspotting.net steve baker

    actually, my calculation is a little off. I took us back to 1776 instead of 1789, when Washington was inaugurated. So it’s closer to 5 and a half years.

  • http://www.buzzmachine.com Jeff Jarvis

    Mourning the president, yes. But is this the means to do it? Does a single government worker on holiday really go and light a candle for Jerry? And why just government workers and Wall Street traders, then? Why not us all? Or why not some other observance for us all? That would be more appropriate than a day of shopping.

  • fwwank

    I’m just glad President Bush will have to attend the funeral of at least one veteran.

  • http://mediarevolutionary.org david harris

    Alienation blows hard when resources are wasted on the already-in-a-better-place and people are angry that a man is hung on their holy day.

    With all respect to President Ford, the ceremony is contrary to the compliments and modesty bestowed to his life and disposition.

    Never mind that hanging should seem barbaric. But, why is peace and forgiveness today more valuable than any other day?

    Surreal switched places with real on the bus speeding off a cliff with muzac screaming the Doppler effect.

  • http://www.lostremote.com Safran

    Jeff: I am not one for cheap sentiment. But protocol and respect are important, and it would be disrespectful of the presidency to change protocol because Ford was “a caretaker” president. We honor the position, not the man. And no, postal workers aren’t going to light a candle. But on Memorial Day hardly anyone lights a candle for the soldiers who died for our country. Sometimes, it’s worth giving people a reminder of the blessings of our democracy. It’s up to them if they choose to appreciate it.

  • wlgriffi

    We have adopted too much ritual protocol. The excessive adulation we have have given to officials is approaching Royal deference. It’s time to take our founders position on royal trappings back. Respect doesn’t mean obsequiousness.

  • http://www.radyohiras.com radyo

    The question isn’t about Ford. It’s about the death of a president. If we start picking and choosing which presidents to mourn, then we extend our political polarization into the funeral parlor.

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    The question isn’t about Ford. It’s about the death of a president. If we start picking and choosing which presidents to mourn, then we extend our political polarization into the funeral parlor.

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