Bushisms

It is still popular to poke fun at the misuse of words of our former President. And I admit, he often twisted his words to be confusing to even Dan Quayle.

Despite what many believe, I disagreed with leader number 43 quite often. While I believe that governmental authority trickles up and economic security trickles down, I doubt I can be considered a rank-and-file conservative.

However, I still admire the man because he took it, the ridicule and the embarrassments – and he had the pride and the strength to do what he believed to be right. He didn’t blame, point fingers or excuse things. He took every hit squarely on the chin, because that was his role and what was best for the country. And I think he knew it, accepted the mockery with a great sense of dignity that most overlooked.

So with that, I’d like to offer a quote, a Bushism, that is not remembered, but in the very principle of tolerance that he was so often accused of not having. “Of course, there's disagreement...We're watching a political process unfold, a process that has encouraged debate and compromise -- a constitution that was written in a society in which people recognize that there had to be give and take.”

If you think this post is about waving the banner of George Bush, then you have missed the point. It is about the great country in which we live – where disagreement is possible, where we live free to be dissenters, where oppression does not crush those who don’t always do as they’re told. Civil disobedience, not criminal behavior, is an important factor in our society and helps us find the missing justice when we stray from our principles.

You may not share my appreciation of our former President. This is fine. But I hope you love that we live in a place where you don’t have to – and that we all remember this Bushism as we move forward into America’s future.

God Bless – and Happy Birthday, America!