Ceremony of Silence

Nixon was born in California in the year 1913. His records at Whittier College and the Duke University Law School were spotless. He married Patricia Ryan in 1940 and had two daughters. During World War II, he served in the Navy as a lieutenant commander in the Pacific. Upon leaving the service, he entered into politics and in 1950 won a Senate seat. Not long after that, General Eisenhower chose 39-year-old Nixon to be his running mate. His election as president in 1968 led to the climax and ultimate downfall of his political career.

Nixon promised to reunite a country divided over the folly of war. He promised to pull out of Vietnam and to improve relationships with the U.S.S.R. and China. Little did he know that a scandal of his own would not only divide this country more, but also lead to his resignation from the Presidency.

The whole thing began with legal wire taps. Someone was leaking information out to the press, and Nixon wanted to know who it was. Then things began to grow steadily worse. Power, like in most cases, is a grand thing to have. Those who have power will do anything to keep it. They usually become paranoid. Nixon was no exception. The legal wire taps soon became illegal. Paranoia was slowly creeping in on the most powerful man in the world.

Nixon wanted to find what the Democrats were planning. His plan was simple enough: have a couple ex-CIA agents break into the Watergate hotel and find what they were up to. These men were not as skilled as Nixon would have probably liked. They were caught and campaign money that was found on them was traced back to Nixon. To make matters worse, Nixon proceeded to lie about the whole thing, denying any knowledge or involvement. Anyone who said otherwise was fired or asked to step down.

The truth eventually came out. Nixon confessed to the people that he lied to. The very same people that trusted him. The place and title of “President” no longer held the same regard that it once did. Nixon had defiled it. Still, however, some say that Nixon had nothing to do with the great Watergate scandal. Maybe they’re right.

Paranoia is probably the greatest leading factor in what drove this man to do as he did. It was wrong. But, because it was wrong doesn’t make it alright to publicize it and try to make it ok. So, that just leaves one question: why is this here and what purpose dose it serve if not to try to explain away things?