Ex-Presidents

Conrad’s cartoon of former President Reagan accepting a knighthood of sorts in lieu of a $50,000 speaking fee (June 19) was mournfully accurate. Our living ex-Presidents are a pretty sorry lot for the most part. Richard Nixon works very hard at proving he is not a thief; Gerald Ford improves his golf game; Ronald Reagan is for sale to any organization that will ante up the money. Jimmy Carter alone tries to give some honor to the office he once held, but so far the title of elder statesman has eluded him.

Things weren’t always like this. In Book Review I read Gary Nash’s review of “Echo of Lions,” about an incident 150 years ago wherein Africans slaves seized the ship they were being carried on from the Portuguese crew and then became embroiled in American political and legal battles (June 18). One of several heroes in this true story was former President John Quincy Adams, then in his 70s, who chose to defend the Africans before the U.S. Supreme Court. There was a man who stood for something; I wish our current lot of ex-Presidents did.

CLEMENT SALVADORI

Laguna Beach