Ford's Would-Be Assassin Mourns His Death

Sara Jane Moore Says She Regrets 1975 Attempt On President's Life

(AP)  A woman who once tried to assassinate President Gerald Ford says she regrets the murder attempt and joins Americans in mourning his recent death.

Sara Jane Moore was only 40 feet away from Ford outside the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco when she fired a single shot at him on Sept. 22, 1975.

As she raised her .38 caliber revolver, Oliver Sipple, a disabled former U.S. Marine who was standing next to her, pushed up her arm as the gun discharged. The bullet flew over Ford's head by several feet, ricocheted off the side of the hotel and slightly wounded a cab driver in the crowd.

"I am very glad I did not succeed. I know now that I was wrong to try," Moore, now 76, told KGO-TV on Tuesday in a phone interview from a federal prison in Dublin, where she's serving a life term for the attempted assassination.

Just 17 days before Moore's attempt, Ford had survived the first attempt on his life in Sacramento by Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, a follower of Charles Manson.

Moore said she was blinded by her radical political views at the time, convinced that the government had declared war on the left.

"I was functioning, I think, purely on adrenalin and not thinking clearly. I have often said that I had put blinders on and I was only listening to what I wanted to hear," she told KGO.

Moore expressed sadness at news of Ford's death at 93 last week. The 38th president had his final homecoming Tuesday night in Grand Rapids, Mich., where he would be laid to rest Wednesday.

"People kept saying he would have to die before I could be (paroled)," Moore said. "I did not want my release from prison to be dependent on somebody, on something happening to somebody else, so I wanted him to live to be 100."

[gaye5]

I would like to know how this woman has had to be in jail for 30 years when other killers are out in a few... I acturally agree with murderers being in jail for life, they took the life of someone so they have forfited theirs, not out of revenge but to safe guard any future happenings..far to many people get out and do it again..

[brundage3]

In a broadcast last week, callers to my radio program in Washington State agreed with President Fords' pardon of Nixon. In that pardon he said forgiveness is a strong and good trait of the American people. A pardon of this woman is long, overdue GIVEN THE EVIDENT REFORM AND REHABILITATION She has been undergoing.

It would in fact be a most effective way to honor Mr. Fords' memory and his stated beliefs. BUT could it be we are better as a nation at speaking of noble ideas, thoughts and action than we are at acting upon them? And...

If we knew our "good thoughts" were to be acted upon,,, would we still espouse them?

Scott Brundage

[annd2302]

To ALL,
And I say again, let her out she has served long enough.

[randalds]

You are saying-- if "Oswald' had "missed Kennedy" it would have been fine with you, to let him out of prison after a few years?

Posted by thgdriver at 05:27 PM : Jan 03, 2007

Not a few, but 30 years is plenty long enough. Just as the president is not above the law, he or she shouldn't get special treatment from the law. Protection yes, but an offense against the president is just the same (or should be) as an offense against any other public figure.

[annd2302]

For GOD's sake, let the woman out of prison. Do you not think she has served enough time? Hell, she did not kill anyone, give her a break.

[thgdriver]

cbgb31

I am glad you are able to see the bigger picture.

[thgdriver]

cbgb31

I am glad you are able to see the biger picture.

[thgdriver]

newster1

When you take down the leader of a nation, "any nation", you set in motion history changing events. That was my point in mentioning Kennedy.

You are wrong on this one newster1.

[cbgb31]

Uh-yea. When it's the President of the United States, yea.

[nothappyatall]

"So, according to you, it makes no difference at all if someone takes a pot shot at Mr. Nobody or the leader of a nation of millions of people."Thgdriver

What is being said then is a man by virtue of his 4 year JOB is worth more than "Joe Blow" pizza delivery driver with a wife and 2 kids to support.
That is EXACTLY what this kind of sentence says.

Either the penalty should be raised for ALL, or no one gets special treatment- murder or attempted murder is all the same no matter who is at the other end of the barrel and NOBODY deserves more consideration than anyone else, the president is not god the president is a MAN with a job.

[thgdriver]

P S

We are assuming "here"-- Oswald Acted alone.

[oleander8]

RandalDS said: "If she had failed to shoot anyone but the president she would have been out a long time ago."


...but it was the President.

[thgdriver]

RandalDS Sez;

"What she did was wrong. That said she has been in prison far too long for it. If she had failed to shoot anyone but the president she would have been out a long time ago".

So, according to you, it makes no difference at all if someone takes a pot shot at Mr. Nobody or the leader of a nation of millions of people.

You are saying-- if "Oswald' had "missed Kennedy" it would have been fine with you, to let him out of prison after a few years?

[bellal-2009]

Are you kidding Randal, she definately deserves life in prison.

[sickofitall2]

"a bunch of less than high school mentalities"

"a bunch of immature people with nothing better to do than call other people names without knowing anything about them."


Okay?
So who's calling whom names?

[jetlizhan]

right on mitch0927!

[oxmyx-2009]

Not all conservatives are ignorant but most ignorant people are conservative. anon. pol. 1845

[randalds]

What she did was wrong. That said she has been in prison far too long for it. If she had failed to shoot anyone but the president she would have been out a long time ago.

[missamerica4]

"Moore said she was blinded by her radical political views at the time,"

" not thinking clearly. I have often said that I had put blinders on and I was only listening to what I wanted to hear,"
- Sara Jane Moore

I see nothing has changed...left still blind a bats and listening to what they want to hear

[mitch0927]

All I can see form these posts are a bunch of less than high school mentalities calling each other names. Too bad the majority of America sees you all as a bunch of immature people with nothing better to do than call other people names without knowing anything about them.