Watergate Scandal Lessons

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The Three (3) Most Important Lessons America Learned From the Watergate Scandal “What is morally wrong can never be politically right” (Zeifman 210). This was said by President Abraham Lincoln and can be applied to many aspects of our American culture, most notably the controversial Watergate Affair. On June 17, 1972, five men attempting to break into and wiretap the Democratic National Committee offices located in the Watergate complex were apprehended by the police. These five gentlemen along with two other accomplices were tried and convicted in January 1973. These seven men were either directly or indirectly employees of President Nixon’s re-election committee and many persons, including the trial judge, John J. Sirica, suspected a conspiracy involving higher-level government officials. In March 1973, James McCord, one of the convicted burglars wrote a letter to Sirica charging a massive cover up of the burglary. His letter transformed the affair into a political scandal of unprecedented magnitude” (www.infoplease.com). This affair is known as “The Watergate Scandal.” The Watergate Scandal taught America many lessons, but the three most important lessons learned were elected officials abuse their power, the media is an intricate part of politics and elected…show more content…
and Woodward, B. All the President’s Men. Pg . 1974. New York. Kulter, Stanley I. “Bring Us Together: 1965-968.” The Wars of Watergate. Pg 579. 1990. New York White, Theodore. “The Tapes.” Breach of Faith – The Fall of Richard Nixon. Pgs 210, 343. 1975. New York. Zeifman, Jerry. “A Question of Morality.” Without Honor: The Impeachment of President Nixon and the Crimes of Camelot. Pg 211. 1995. New York. (Unauthored) “The Watergate Break-In.”
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