July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
A man of intellect, integrity and grins (01/25/08)
Editorial
Asked to name three distinctive qualities of David Ford, we'd have to come up with this: His intellect, his integrity, and his smile.
In case you haven't heard, Sen. Ford, whose Indiana Senate district used to include portions of Jay County and who spent part of his childhood growing up in Portland, is gravely ill. His illness popped up suddenly and with devastating authority.
And news of David's condition hit hard.
Harder than he probably would imagine.
That's because he's a modest guy, never the sort to chase the spotlight. Just a guy from east central Indiana who thought he could help make state government better.
During his years in office, it wasn't unusual to disagree with him. What was unusual was that disagreement never ended the dialogue, never threatened the friendship, and never undermined the trust.
He's never been the sort of politician who focuses simply on brokering a compromise; his principles took precedence. And yet, even when his principles made compromise impossible, he's always been willing to listen, to debate, and to weigh the arguments of others.
He's a guy with a clear set of firmly grounded beliefs who, at the same time, is willing to admit that he doesn't have all the answers, that his course of action isn't the only course of action.
That's a pretty rare quality, when you think about it. Too often, political officeholders have minimal footing in their own principles but believe they know what's best.
David has always been a pleasant surprise of humility and confidence. The confidence reflected the deep roots of his values; the humility let us know he valued the opinions of those who saw the world differently.
And then, there's that smile. Boyish, we'd call it. He could have been your junior high math teacher. Or the guy you shared a locker with in high school.
So now, while his family gathers in the wake of a sudden diagnosis, we'll praise David Ford's intellect and his integrity. But mostly, as we share our thoughts and prayers with his family, we'll remember that always engaging grin. And we'll smile back. - J.R.
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In case you haven't heard, Sen. Ford, whose Indiana Senate district used to include portions of Jay County and who spent part of his childhood growing up in Portland, is gravely ill. His illness popped up suddenly and with devastating authority.
And news of David's condition hit hard.
Harder than he probably would imagine.
That's because he's a modest guy, never the sort to chase the spotlight. Just a guy from east central Indiana who thought he could help make state government better.
During his years in office, it wasn't unusual to disagree with him. What was unusual was that disagreement never ended the dialogue, never threatened the friendship, and never undermined the trust.
He's never been the sort of politician who focuses simply on brokering a compromise; his principles took precedence. And yet, even when his principles made compromise impossible, he's always been willing to listen, to debate, and to weigh the arguments of others.
He's a guy with a clear set of firmly grounded beliefs who, at the same time, is willing to admit that he doesn't have all the answers, that his course of action isn't the only course of action.
That's a pretty rare quality, when you think about it. Too often, political officeholders have minimal footing in their own principles but believe they know what's best.
David has always been a pleasant surprise of humility and confidence. The confidence reflected the deep roots of his values; the humility let us know he valued the opinions of those who saw the world differently.
And then, there's that smile. Boyish, we'd call it. He could have been your junior high math teacher. Or the guy you shared a locker with in high school.
So now, while his family gathers in the wake of a sudden diagnosis, we'll praise David Ford's intellect and his integrity. But mostly, as we share our thoughts and prayers with his family, we'll remember that always engaging grin. And we'll smile back. - J.R.
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