Anybody going to view president?

I have an aunt and some cousins that live in Michigan. I'll have to ask them.

NO NO NO!!!

I work just outside of downtown G.R. and I cannot even tell you what a fiasco my town is about to be in.

Gerald R. Ford International Airport is just off from the second busiest street in MI. The procession along with all of the dignitaries flying in is going to totally jack up a already highly congested area of town.

The Gerald R. Ford Museum is in downtown, which is a area cluttered with narrow one way streets. Downtown G.R. already has scarce parking available for the average joe, and for the next few days folks are going to be walking a mile further to their office since half of the downtown streets will be closed.

East Grand Rapids (where the final funeral will be held), is an area that I avoid like the plaque. It is one of those 'old money' rich folk areas. You can drive a mercedes, but if you don't live there, the cops know it, and God help ya if you are driving 26 in the 25 mph zone. Coincidentally EGR borders the hood. The church is on the corner of Franklin and Plymouth, and 4 blocks West is a hot spot for drugs and shootings. I can only imagine what a mess that area will be in on Wednesday.

Call me crazy, but there isn't a President dead nor alive that I would pay to see lying in repose. I have an aversion to dead bodies. I prefer to remember people as they were alive.

Gerald Ford was a good guy and a fine President, but I am going to do my darndest to avoid this whole fiasco if it is at all possible!

Being that I work for a whole bunch of Republicans I wouldn't be surprised if I get Wednesday off paid though :D

OK Crazy. I'm rooting for the paid day for you on Wednesday. It's good to see your post.

I agree with polly....I understand paying respect to the president and all, but sometimes the whole rigamaroll we go through just to bury one gets a little out of hand. I am a patriot, I love my country, but I can think of better uses for the money they put into one of these affairs.

I am thinking about it...

I might take my little boy downtown to see him, but I complain enough about the traffic, and it's gonna be 100 times worse!!

I hate funerals...And I'm not comfortable with going to one for someone I don't even know. I think funerals are meant for the family/friends.

I was really irritated when my friend's daughter was murdered and there were a lot of people who didn't know her at the funeral. The little girl was THREE you can't tell me she had that many friends. And Jeanette, her mom, had no CLUE who these people were. They just saw it on TV or read it in the paper, and wanted to see, I guess.

That's awful, Jessi. We had a situation like that some years ago when a sheriff's deputy's daughter was killed in a car wreck. They had lost their 5 year old son just a couple of years before in a farming accident. There were over 1,000 people for the viewing...the line past the casket snaked around the inside of the building and out into the parking lot. We went because we knew the family personally, but I couldn't believe how many people were there just to see the body. I really didn't like it.

There were about 100 people at Emily's funeral. But Jeanette had JUST moved up there about 6 months before and really hadn't made many friends.

After that she came back down here because she couldn't go anywhere without people saying, "Oh thats the girl from the news!"

I agree, the funeral is just for the family.

The viewing is for people to come and show support for people grieving...When my Dad died I was amazed at the people who came to the viewing..People who knew me, my family, or my husband or bother in-law..They didn't know my dad at all. It meant a lot to have casual aquaintances come and hug me and tell me they're sorry...And then leave.

Isn't there a way that one can make a funeral private. That would irritate the sh** out of me if I died in some tragic accident or something and more than 10 people showed up for my funeral. That is all I have in my life and if more than that showed up then it would be such a farce

Ashley - I understand your point. I know that friends and family should be there, but for the whole town to show up is a little much. Especially in the case where the death was not natural, nor expected. A tragic death is hard enough on the family without having to accept the condolences of so many people - having to say thank you to the "I'm so sorry for your loss" and to see the sadness on so many people's faces only makes it worse, I think.

A family friend lost her son a few years ago - there was a death notice in the paper, no obituary, no funeral, no viewing. He was cremated. His death was unnatural and unexpected, therefore they didn't want to publicize it. I completely agreed with the way they handled it.

Death by suicide is usually written like that. I haven't been to a funeral since 1989 when my grandmother passed away. Our family has been lucky and very blessed. There is only one public figure whose funeral I would attend if I could if GOD forbid something happened to her

Okay, I talked to one of my cousins in Michigan. She said she'd like to go but basically said the same thing that Polly did - it's too much of a fiasco. She doesn't think her mom or sisters will go, either.

It's going to be crazy over there in GR - I'm so glad I don't live anywhere near there. I guess if I did, I'd plan a day in - not out - anywhere.

When Johnny Cash passed away it was crazy here, June and him are buried in the cemetary which is less tahnk 1/2 mile from my house and their funerals were at the church not far from here either. Fi you had made the msiatke of going to the sotre during the funeral procession forget about it, you became part of the procession

When they had the public viewing of Ford here in Palm Desert, I really thought about going. Palm Desert is about an hour away. When I saw that they were having to bring people in on shuttle buses, I was glad I stayed my little self home.

Totally agree with what Polly says--
But I sure do respect Betty and was sad to see how frail she has become while watching the ceremonies in the rotunda yesterday. Imho, she didn't need to have a camera stuck in her face through most of the proceedings. How difficult that must have been for her--and how stoic and gracious she was yesterday!

I agree kscornell - I think being in the public eye definitely has it's drawbacks - especially at a time like this.

I dont like funerals either. I just think it is a show of respect. I have been irritaed that Saddam has got all the news coverage. This man was President of our country. I just think it is disrespectful to give news coverage to a murderer instead of our former President. It will be crazy there in Michigan will tune in on TV I guess. My aunt lives up there and is going. She is one of Fords generation though. KYSIDE38

That's very irritating that Hussein got so much coverage. Ford was a great leader and deserves our attention and respect.

I loved Johnny Cash's music, Ashley, especially "A Boy Named Sue."

Already then...who's calling me crazy? LOL

Sounds like someone who might actually know me... :shock:

I ventured downtown yesterday to visit a friend. Mind you his body will not be here until this afternoon.

I also drove by the church. The streets were closed, and they had a full brass band outside and a herse. They were rehearsing the funeral.

Quote:

Polly thanks for that picture of the wall. I will print it and keep it. KYSIDE38