THE GIRL WHO ALMOST KILLED FORD

Time Magazine ^ | 9/15/1975 | Time

[Snerfling]

TIME MAGAZINE
</FONT COLOR> SEPTEMBER 15, 1975
THE GIRL WHO ALMOST KILLED FORD</FONT COLOR>

Her name was Lynette Alice Fromme, and she was the first woman ever to attempt to kill a President of the U.S. Her manner was gentle, and while she was pretty in a freckle-faced, red-haired, little-girl sort of way, she would turn few heads on the street. But the 27-year-old woman behind this innocent facade was anything but normal. In her way, Lynette Fromme was as much a social aberration - an amoral freak - as Lee Harvey Oswald, the killer of John F. Kennedy, or Sihan Sirhan, who shot to death Robert F. Kennedy, or Arthur Bremer, who crippled Alabama Governor George Wallace. She had been - and still was - an ardent follower of Charles Manson, the psychopathic killer who is now serving a sentence of life imprisonment for committing seven murders, including the vicious slaughters in 1969 of Film Actress Sharon Tate and Leno LaBianca, wealthy owner of a grocery chain. Because her voice was so tiny and high-pitched, Manson had nicknamed her "Squeaky."

Disturbing Paradox. Squeaky Fromme’s mad act in a Sacramento park with a .45 in her small hand had an immediate, sobering effect on the 1976 presidential election campaign. All too clearly, every candidate could visualize a similar attack being launched against himself The incident was also a vivid and sickening reminder of one of the most disturbing paradoxes of America: the fact that such a liberal and free society should somehow generate a sprinkling of warped souls who for dark reasons of their own seek to work out their frustrations by destroying political leaders. The free society has discovered no effective way of identifying and controlling its demons.

Despite the vigilance of the Secret Service, American Presidents traditionally make themselves easy targets for would-be assassins. They love to get out among the people - "to press the flesh," in Lyndon Johnson’s homey phrase - to show that they are just plain Americans after all. No one could reach the White House while campaigning from behind a bulletproof glass. Just hours after his near escape, Gerald Ford was emphatically and calmly telling newsmen that "this incident under no circumstances will..

prevent me or preclude me from contacting the Amencan people as I travel from one state to another and from one community to another."

What made the flare of violence in Sacramento especially baffling and frightening for leading American politicians was the fact that Jerry Ford seemed to be as free of the danger of assassination as any man could be - a friendly father figure who excited neither envy nor hatred. But Squeaky Fromme had discovered her own reasons to dislike the man. With Sandra Good, her roommate and another member of the Manson "family," Fromme issued a statement to the press two months ago equating Ford with Richard Nixon, the man whom the clan has always blamed as the source of its troubles with the law. Declared the release: "If Nixson's [sic] reality wearing a new face [i.e., Ford] continues to run this country against the law, your homes will be bloodier than the Tate-LaBianca houses and My Lai put together."

Watching Hands. Fromme was ready when Ford flew into town from Portland, Ore., at 10:42 p.m. Thursday. He was accompanied by the standard number of agents in his personal entourage (the exact number is a secret), and there was a relaxed air about the trip. A Secret Service official points out that if there had been any indication of trouble, Ford would not have been allowed to walk anywhere - "He would have been in a car."

Ford spent Thursday night in a suite on the sixth floor of the Senator Hotel, a nine-story Moroccan-style building in downtown Sacramento. On Friday morning he addressed a breakfast gathering of 1,000 prominent citizens, winning solid applause by attacking excessive Government regulation for causing "cost, contradiction and confusion." He was obviously untroubled by a plea from liberal Republicans earlier in the week that he moderate his conservative line. After the breakfast meeting, Ford went back to the hotel and, right on schedule, left at 9:55 to walk a block to the California state capitol, where he had a 10 o'clock appointment with Governor Jerry Brown. At about that time, a small, slim woman wearing a bright red, full-length gown and a matching turban asked a policeman on the street between the hotel and the capitol if the President was coming. He made a noncommittal reply - and Squeaky Fromme waited.

As Ford started across a small park in front of the capitol, he was greeted by bursts of applause from the crowd that had been waiting patiently to see him or perhaps even shake his hand. Head up and smiling, surrounded by aides and Secret Service agents, Ford moved quickly through the park, an athletic, vigorous man obviously enjoying his reception. As the party moved along, the agents carefully watched the hands of the people they were approaching. Says one veteran agent: "You've got to keep an eye on their hands. Sure, you notice....Continue.

[Snerfling]

I was reading an FR thread on Squeaky Fromme and out of curiosity did a Google search. Way down around the 7th level, there was this old Time magazine article.

The reason I posted it is to show an example of how the press used to look before it was competely taken over by the left. It's striking in its basic matter of fact approach, which is how I remember Time when I read it as a pre-teen in the 70s. I'm not even sure when it changed, but one can ony imagine how such an event would be covered today.

[Snerfling]

the fact that such a liberal and free society should somehow generate a sprinkling of warped souls who for dark reasons of their own seek to work out their frustrations by destroying political leaders. The free society has discovered no effective way of identifying and controlling its demons.

Note that it's the person and not the gun that is responsible.

[admiralsn]

Was she the first or second? I remember reading that Ford had two different women (oddly enough) try to kill him within about a 2 week period. Both were from pointblank range and both missed, thankfully.

[Lyford]

Was she the first or second?

1st. Squeaky Fromme on Sept. 5, Sara Jane Moore on Sept. 22...

[Martin Tell]

You're right, but I can't remember the order. Other shooter was a "Rockefeller Republican" (Sarah Jane Moore?), believe it or not. Other trivia: former military guy stopped one of the shooters (pushed her arm down) and became "Queer of the Year" when it turned out he was gay (later died of AIDS, making him a double martyr).

Whatever happened to Squeeky? I seem to remember her coming up for parole. Is she still alive?

[ConservativeDude]

i totally agree...this was a fine journalistic piece...shocking, really, isn't it?

[admiralsn]

The amazing thing is that she is still in prison (as far as I know- or she died there) and Hinckley who actually SHOT Reagan, wounded Brady, and killed a police officer is walking the streets. Not that Fromme should be free, but Hinckley sure as hell shouldn't.

[Fudd]

Note that it's the person and not the gun that is responsible.

Note too this was written in 1975.

[PaulJ]

You can find out more about Squeeky (and the other Manson girls) at this web site.

[Always Right]

Don't kid yourself, the media was very leftist even in 1975. Ford was is a leftist for a Republican. Of course Time had not yet been completely corrupted by Ted Turner, but the three main networks and the NY Times were still solidly leftist. But leftists weren't as unpatriotic/ American-hating back then as they are today.

[elbucko]

It's striking in its basic matter of fact approach, which is how I remember Time when I read it as a pre-teen in the 70s.

I understand that reporters, besides using stealth editorializing in their reports, are encouraged to write them in a more story-like manner to appeal to the female reader. I noticed the change too and now "start" reading a print article at the last two or three paragraphs to find out the; What, When, Where, Who and Why. (sigh)

[Blood of Tyrants]

Good claimed that she and Fromme were members of an "international people's court" consisting of several thousand members throughout the world, who were prepared to ''kill" the polluters of the air and water. Said she: "We're going to start assassinating Presidents, Vice Presidents and major executives of companies. I'm warning these people they better stop polluting or they're going to die."

assassinations are eruptions of bitter class hatred. "By killing a member of a more powerful group," he says. "the assassin not only exercises class hatred but builds up egotism and self-confidence."

Sounds like she would be your typical Rat party supporter today.

[alancarp]

Well, killing Ford would have staved off a spate of golf course abuse in the years afterward. But then again, Bob Hope would not have had any material whatsoever since 1977.

[Pukin Dog]

But leftists weren't as unpatriotic/ American-hating back then as they are today.

Sure they were.

The only difference is that they controlled Congress and the Supreme Court, so their anger was not always public.

Today, being outside of every center of power, the Liberals are only being their true selves, because they have nothing left to lose.

[Always Right]

Sure they were.

Maybe I should have said the leftists did not show their unpatriotic/America-hating side as much back then.

[elbucko]

Hinckley who actually SHOT Reagan, wounded Brady, and killed a police officer is walking the streets.

Ya know, it didn't surprise me that an "all minority" jury found Hinkley; "Guilty by reason of insanity". If Reagan had been a Democrat, Hinkley would have gotten life in prison.

[PaulJ]

I noticed the change too and now "start" reading a print article at the last two or three paragraphs to find out the; What, When, Where, Who and Why.

This is so true. I am sick of a headline catching my attention and then reading: "The dark streets of Main & Elm seem to shiver as the old car approached...." or some such gibberish. Give me the news and leave the prose to others.

[newgeezer]

Good point.

[Freedom4US]

No! They didn't let Hinckley out, did they? No way!

[elbucko]

"The dark streets of Main & Elm seem to shiver as the old car approached...." or some such gibberish.

Really. Most first paragraphs in print reporting are good candidates as entries in the; "It Was a Dark and Stormy Night" contest.