[T]here Bush was on Tuesday, front and center at a memorial service in his hometown of Dallas. He has avoided most of public life, but it had come crashing in on him in the form of the deadly, racially motivated ambush of five Dallas peace officers…. The press focused on the speech that followed by President Barack Obama, who in his powerful way argued both for the centrality of policing and the pain of minorities hounded by the police…. [T]he audience responding to something else ― which was Bush’s careful, expressive defense of a view of America utterly at odds with the man who next week, in all likelihood, will be officially crowned as the nominee of Bush’s Republican Party…. “At times, it seems like the forces pulling us apart are stronger than the forces binding us together,” Bush said, without mentioning Donald Trump…. “Argument turns too easily into animosity. Disagreement escalates too quickly into dehumanization. Too often we judge other groups by their worst examples, while judging ourselves by our best intentions.”…. The audience applauded heavily at this.
It’s no secret that my antipathy for George W. Bush- the politician- was (and remains) considerable and strong. As President, he lied and propagandized America into an illegal and immoral war in Iraq. He’s directly and primarily responsible for the deaths of more than 100,000 Iraqi nationals and almost 5,000 American service members. There’s sufficient convincing and compelling evidence to make the case that he should have been tried in the Hague on war crimes charges, along with former Vice President Dick Cheney and several other members of his administrations.
He skated on his butchery because the Obama Administration declined to allow him to be charged with war crimes. While that fact still angers me, it’s in the past. As much as I believe George W. Bush and others to be responsible for the immoral carnage in Iraq- and I know I’m not alone- justice clearly won’t be done. That leaves us with the present…and even as little respect I have for former President George W. Bush, the man himself still has a surprise or two up his sleeve.
His speech at Tuesday’s memorial service for five Dallas police officers assassinated by a sniper was a spot on assessment of where we are as a country…and where we could be, if we pull together to make it happen. His speech, a not-so-very-thinly-veiled swipe directed at Donald Trump, spoke to the need to pull together, talk to one another, and- most importantly- LISTEN to one another. It was spot on and exactly what the moment called for, not something one would normally expect from a former President never noted for rhetorical excellence.
“But Americans, I think, have a great advantage. To renew our unity, we only need to remember our values. We have never been held together by blood or background. We are bound by things of the spirit ― by shared commitments to common ideals.
“At our best, we practice empathy, imagining ourselves in the lives and circumstances of others. This is the bridge across our nation’s deepest divisions. And it is not merely a matter of tolerance, but of learning from the struggles and stories of our fellow citizens, and finding our better selves in the process.
“At our best, we honor the image of God we see in one another. We recognize that we are brothers and sisters, sharing the same brief moment on earth, and owing each other the loyalty of our shared humanity.
“At our best, we know we have one country, one future, one destiny. We do not want the unity of grief. Nor do we want the unity of fear. We want the unity of hope, affection, and high purpose.”
On a solemn occasion meant to honor five fallen police officers, Bush 43 did exactly that. Additionally, he also spoke clearly and unequivocally to the need to reject those who would conquer America by dividing us one against the other. In doing so, he left no doubt as to who he was referring to…without ever mentioning his name. Given the occasion, mentioning Donald Trump would have been gauche at best and perceived as distressingly partisan at worst. Bush 43 didn’t drop names…because he didn’t need to.
While most of the attention was deservedly devoted to President Barack Obama’s eloquent speech (he has a facility with words and emotions that George W. Bush could never approach), Bush 43’s speech was every bit as impactful while more narrowly focused. After eight years of watching Bush 43 fumble, stumble, misunderestimate his audience, and mangulate the King’s English, it was truly an “even a blind squirrel finds the occasional acorn” moment. He should be commended for saying exactly what needed to be said, at exactly the moment it needed to be said, and in exactly the manner it needed to be delivered.
That the former President is a Dallas resident made his speech and his words that much more impactful and appropriate. While I’ve had- and continue to have- issues with his legacy and his actions while in office, his eloquence and sincerity at the memorial touched those who heard it. I will continue to steadfastly believe he’s a war criminal and will be regarded as such by history, but on a day when Dallas- and America in general- needed words of conciliation and comfort, Bush 43 stepped up and nailed it.
Well done.
It’s just too bad that those in his party- especially those supporting Donald Trump- are still committed to the GOP’s “divide and conquer” strategy. They might have learned a thing or six if they’d listened to their former standard bearer.
(Ed. note: We’ll just leave the reviews of Bush 43’s dancing for another time, ‘kay??)
