Almost 50 years ago on Sept. 8, 1974 President Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon who had resigned as president the month before. At the time, Nixon was facing certain impeachment by the House and conviction by the Senate. Had he not been pardoned he would have been our first convicted president instead of Donald Trump. The pardon was controversial at the time and probably cost Ford his reelection in 1976. Over time the pardon appeared a way to heal the country and even Sen. Edward Kennedy, who initially opposed the pardon, years later with the Kennedy family gave President Ford the prestigious Profile in Courage Award for making a decision to help heal the country.

I have always felt that the pardon was a mistake. It allowed our presidents to feel that they were above the laws of our country that they swore to uphold. We got Reagan with Iran-contra, Clinton with the Monica Lewinsky affair, Bush with weapons of mass destruction and Trump with his two impeachments by the House.

I feel the jury in NYC, looking at all the evidence, convicted Donald Trump in a case that a political House or Senate or political vice president or future president with a pardon power would not handle as well. It was a not a political trial and it upheld our 250 year old foundation of trial by one’s peers and that no one in this country is above the law. Not even a president. Hopefully we’re on the way back from Ford’s mistake.

Nick Perencevich

Concord