TLS, two pages, 8 x 10, Congress of the United States letterhead, April 17, 1970. To elementary school principal, Jack F. Dodds. In full: “Give you my thoughts on ‘What my country means to me’ is a tall order. I will try to do it justice. To me the name American is synonymous with freedom. To be an American is to live in a Nation whose citizens are offered equality and justice under the law and the greatest opportunity for happiness that has ever been afforded to people anywhere. It is difficult for Americans today to be truly appreciative of their blessed gift of freedom because it has come to them without pain. It was won for them at Bunker Hill and Yorktown nearly 200 years ago. Perhaps the best way to grasp what freedom means is to consider the absence of freedom. We in America to not live in mortal fear of the secret police. We do not live under a government which dictates our every move and surveys our every action. We do no have a government which censors our news and permits our newspapers to print only what the ruling party wants printed. We do not live in a country where propaganda supplants the news as the principal content of our daily newspapers and news broadcasts. We do not live where it is unlawful to gather in peaceful assembly or to worship God as we please. Our government does not subject us to unreasonable search and seizure. We live in land as free from fear as it is possible to be. We are a free people, and we are much blessed. We live in the freest, most prosperous and most compassionate nation the world has ever known. Finally, to me America means the same things it meant to President Theodore Roosevelt—Courage, Honor, Justice, Truth, Sincerity, and Hardihood. These are the virtues that made America. And they are the virtues that will keep America the strong and great Nation it is.” Light creasing, a few light spots of soiling and foxing, and faint staple marks to the top left corner of both pages, otherwise fine condition. Written during his tenure as Minority Leader in the House of Representatives. A truly exceptional response, Ford paints an awe-inspiring picture of the country he would come to lead in just four years. Pre-certified PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for
$50.00
*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.
