Hi Carl,
I agree with you completely heer. Bush deserves praise for signing the ADA.
Like most folks, he has his good points and bad points. Besides the ADA, here
are what I believe to be some of his good points:
1. He broke his "read my lips" promise which helped us have the rarity of a
balanced budget and helped cost him a second term. Heck, we don't seem to know
what that is anymore. He was the last Republican president who was truly able
to reach out to and work with the Democrats. Seems that not many in the
Republican Party are willing to do that now, especially the Trumpster. 2. He
had a wonderful and long-lasting relationship with his wife Barbara.
3. He was, more often than not, willing to place his nation above his party.
Now for some of what I believe to be his bad side.
1. He was director of the CIA. No one in that position has clean hands IMHO.
2. He allowed his surrogates like Lee Atwater to campaign in a very nasty
style. How many here remember how the Bush campaign used willie Horton against
Mike Dukakis? Horton was a convicted murderer out on furlow who committed
another murder while he was out. By the way, he also happened to be black, so
this thing even had racial overtones. Earlier in that same campaign, his
campaign treated Bob Dole in a similarly nasty way.
3. He refused to apologize for anything America did wrong. Seems the only
recent president willing to do that was Obama and he really took it on the chin
when he did it.
4. He was unwilling to increase funding to fight AIDS.
5. I could fault him for the Gulf war, but it was Iraq that invaded Kuwait and
he did resist please from within his administration to topple sadam Hussein.
One more point here. I could never figure out how anyone could call a veteran
of war who was shot down out of a plane a wimp. His voice sounded wimpy, but
that was it.
When Nixon died, he wasn't praised quite the way Bush is being today and I
don't think trump will be either when he dies. Nor will W.
Bob Hachey
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2018 1:30 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: Miriam Vieni
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: a blind man's tribute to george bush
I posted the article about Bush signing the ADA to several lists. A number of
people seemed to feel that in doing so, I was praising George H.W. Bush.
Not at all!
There's an old saying, "give the Devil His due". Bush was sold to the people
on the basis of bringing a "kinder, gentler" administration.
Why was this necessary? Because we just came off eight years with Ronald
Reagan. Reagan, the man many conservatives want to sell as the nation's
Greatest President Ever. George H.W. Bush knew better. But remember, this WW
II warrior was also called a wimp. Anyone remember the invasion of Panama, in
the name of saving democracy? And of course who could forget Desert Storm?
George H.W. Bush served only 4 years, despite having a bag full of credentials.
Despite his efforts in his "War Against Drugs", Bush simply could not get past
the bad taste Reagan left in our mouths.
And of course, we got Slick Willie, the Democrats best Republican president of
all time...well, maybe Obama could be Clinton's shadow.
But it seems to me that we don't need to love or hate people we really don't
know personally, in order to give them their due.
Carl Jarvis
On 12/3/18, Roger Loran Bailey <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
As a matter of fact, I remember when Richard Nixon died. I turned on
the television not yet having heard about it. Suddenly I was hearing
endless praise for Nixon as if he was the most perfect and admirable
human being that ever existed. I said to myself that he must have
died. It turned out that I was right.
_________________________________________________________________
J.K. Rowling
“ I mean, you could claim that anything's real if the only basis for
believing in it is that nobody's proved it doesn't exist! ”
― J.K. Rowling
On 12/1/2018 5:30 PM, Miriam Vieni wrote:
Abby,
Do you listen to podcasts? I bought a second gen stream so I could
get podcasts easily, but I only listen to a few. Moderate Rebels is
one of them. It can also be found on your computer by going to
Moderate Rebels Radio, I think. It's done by max Blumenthal and Ben
Norton who are excellent investigative reporters. They also do
reporting for The Real News network, and Max Blumenthal has the
Grayzone Project website. This clip of H.W. is at the beginning of
each episode to be, I think, an ironic comment on false patriotism.
The two articles about Bush 1 that I posted, remind us that he was
the head of the CIA and that he was involved in delaying the release
of the Iran hostages until after the 1980 election to ensure that Carter
lost and Reagan won.
We have an interesting custom in this country, which is to say
positive things about, and praise, all our former presidents and
other public figures when they die, regardless of what kinds of
people they were or what horrible things they may have done.
Thieves, war mongers, racists, it doesn't matter. Wait and see, when
Donald Trump dies, everyone will be singing his praises.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of abby
Sent: Saturday, December 01, 2018 4:22 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: a blind man's tribute to george bush
That never apologize thing doesn't sound like the humility many have
attributed to him during the TV tributes to him.
I watch "It's a Wonderful Life" every year with his audio description.
Abby
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Miriam ;
Vieni
Sent: Saturday, December 1, 2018 9:56 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: a blind man's tribute to george bush
At the beginning of every episode of Moderate Rebels, they play a
clip of George H. W. Bush in which he says something like, "I'll
never apologize for anything the United States does, not ever!"
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Saturday, December 01, 2018 12:40 PM
To: blind-democracy <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [blind-democracy] a blind man's tribute to george bush
For those of us active in the struggle for passage of the Americans
with Disabilities Act(ADA), the election of George Bush as President
looked like a real setback. But the Disabled Community doubled down,
rather than backing down, and the new president bowed to their
combined pressure. The passage of the ADA must be a reminder of what
the American People can accomplish when they put their minds to it.
Here are the words of George Bush as he prepared to sign the ADA:
Remarks of President George Bush at the Signing of the Americans with
Disabilities Act
Evan, thank you so much. And welcome to every one of you, out there
in this splendid scene of hope, spread across the South Lawn of the
White House. I want to salute the Members of the United States
Congress, the House and the Senate who are with us today -- active
participants in making this day come true. This is, indeed, an
incredible day -- especially for the thousands of people across the
Nation who have given so much of their time, their vision, and their
courage to see this act become a reality.
You know, I started trying to put together a list of all the people
who should be mentioned today. But when the list started looking a
little longer than the Senate testimony for the bill, I decided I
better give up, or that we'd never get out of here before sunset. So,
even though so many deserve credit, I will single out but a tiny
handful. And I take those who have guided me personally over the
years: of course, my friends Evan Kemp and Justin Dart, up here on
the platform with me; and of course -- I hope you'll forgive me for
also saying a special word of thanks to two from the White House, but
again, this is personal, so I don't want to offend those omitted --
two from the White House, Boyden Gray and Bill Roper, who labored
long and hard. And I want to thank Sandy Parrino, of course, for her
leadership. And I again -- it is very risky with all these Members of
Congress here who worked so hard, but I can say on a very personal basis,
Bob Dole has inspired me.
This is an immensely important day, a day that belongs to all of you.
Everywhere I look, I see people who have dedicated themselves to
making sure that this day would come to pass: my friends from
Congress, as I say, who worked so diligently with the best interest
of all at heart, Democrats and Republicans; members of this
administration -- and I'm pleased to see so many top officials and
members of my Cabinet here today who brought their caring and
expertise to this fight; and then, the organizations -- so many
dedicated organizations for people with disabilities, who gave their
time and their strength; and perhaps most of all, everyone out there
and others -- across the breadth of this nation are 43 million
Americans with disabilities. You have made this happen. All of you
have made this happen. To all of you, I just want to say your triumph
is that your bill will now be law, and that this day belongs to you. On
behalf of our nation, thank you very, very much.
Three weeks ago we celebrated our nation's Independence Day. Today
we're here to rejoice in and celebrate another ``independence day,''
one that is long
overdue. With today's signing of the landmark Americans for
Disabilities Act, every man, woman, and child with a disability can
now pass through once-closed doors into a bright new era of equality,
independence, and freedom. As I look around at all these joyous
faces, I remember clearly how many years of dedicated commitment have
gone into making this historic new civil rights act a reality. It's
been the work of a true coalition, a strong and inspiring coalition
of people who have shared both a dream and a passionate determination
to make that dream come true. It's been a coalition in the finest
spirit -- a joining of Democrats and Republicans, of the legislative
and the executive branches, of Federal and State agencies, of public
officials and private citizens, of people with disabilities and without.
This historic act is the world's first comprehensive declaration of
equality for people with disabilities -- the first. Its passage has
made the United States the international leader on this human rights issue.
Already, leaders of several other countries, including Sweden, Japan,
the Soviet Union, and all 12 members of the EEC, have announced that
they hope to enact now similar legislation.
Our success with this act proves that we are keeping faith with the
spirit of our courageous forefathers who wrote in the Declaration of
Independence:
``We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
rights.''
These words have been our guide for more than two centuries as we've
labored to form our more perfect union. But tragically, for too many
Americans, the blessings of liberty have been limited or even denied.
The Civil Rights Act of
'64 took a bold step towards righting that wrong. But the stark fact
remained that people with disabilities were still victims of
segregation and discrimination, and this was intolerable. Today's
legislation brings us closer to that day when no Americans will ever
again be deprived of their basic guarantee of life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness.
This act is powerful in its simplicity. It will ensure that people
with disabilities are given the basic guarantees for which they have
worked so long and so hard: independence, freedom of choice, control
of their lives, the opportunity to blend fully and equally into the
rich mosaic of the American mainstream.
Legally, it will provide our disabled community with a powerful
expansion of protections and then basic civil rights. It will
guarantee fair and just access to the fruits of American life which
we all must be able to enjoy. And then, specifically, first the ADA
ensures that employers covered by the act cannot discriminate against
qualified individuals with disabilities. Second, the ADA ensures
access to public accommodations such as restaurants, hotels, shopping
centers, and offices. And third, the ADA ensures expanded access to
transportation services. And fourth, the ADA ensures equivalent
telephone services for people with speech or hearing impediments.
These provisions mean so much to so many. To one brave girl in
particular, they will mean the world. Lisa Carl, a young Washington
State woman with cerebral palsy, who I'm told is with us today, now
will always be admitted to her hometown theater. Lisa, you might not
have been welcome at your theater, but I'll tell you -- welcome to
the White House. We're glad you're here. The ADA is a dramatic
renewal not only for those with disabilities but for all of us,
because along with the precious privilege of being an American comes
a sacred duty to ensure that every other American's rights are also
guaranteed.
Together, we must remove the physical barriers we have created and
the social barriers that we have accepted. For ours will never be a
truly prosperous nation until all within it prosper. For inspiration,
we need look no further than our own neighbors. With us in that
wonderful crowd out there are people representing 18 of the daily
Points of Light that I've named for their extraordinary involvement
with the disabled community. We applaud you and your shining example.
Thank you for your leadership for all that are here today.
Now, let me just tell you a wonderful story, a story about children
already working in the spirit of the ADA -- a story that really
touched me. Across the Nation, some 10,000 youngsters with
disabilities are part of Little League's Challenger Division. Their
teams play just like others, but -- and this is the most remarkable
part -- as they play, at their sides are volunteer buddies from
conventional Little League teams. All of these players work together.
They team up to wheel around the bases and to field grounders
together and, most of all, just to play and become friends. We must
let these children be our guides and inspiration.
I also want to say a special word to our friends in the business
community. You have in your hands the key to the success of this act,
for you can unlock a splendid resource of untapped human potential
that, when freed, will enrich us all. I know there have been concerns
that the ADA may be vague or costly, or may lead endlessly to
litigation. But I want to reassure you right now that my
administration and the United States Congress have carefully crafted
this Act. We've all been determined to ensure that it gives
flexibility, particularly in terms of the timetable of
implementation, and we've been committed to containing the costs that may be
incurred.
This act does something important for American business, though --
and remember this: You've called for new sources of workers. Well,
many of our fellow citizens with disabilities are unemployed. They
want to work, and they can work, and this is a tremendous pool of
people. And remember, this is a tremendous pool of people who will
bring to jobs diversity, loyalty, proven low turnover rate, and only
one request: the chance to prove themselves.
And when you
add together Federal, State, local, and private funds, it costs
almost
$200 billion annually to support Americans with disabilities -- in
effect, to keep them dependent. Well, when given the opportunity to
be independent, they will move proudly into the economic mainstream
of American life, and that's what this legislation is all about.
Our problems are large, but our unified heart is larger. Our
challenges are great, but our will is greater. And in our America,
the most generous, optimistic nation on the face of the Earth, we
must not and will not rest until every man and woman with a dream has the
means to achieve it.
And today, America welcomes into the mainstream of life all of our
fellow citizens with disabilities. We embrace you for your abilities
and for your disabilities, for our similarities and indeed for our
differences, for your past courage and your future dreams. Last year,
we celebrated a victory of international freedom. Even the strongest
person couldn't scale the Berlin Wall to gain the elusive promise of
independence that lay just beyond. And so, together we rejoiced when that
barrier fell.
And now I sign legislation which takes a sledgehammer to another
wall, one which has for too many generations separated Americans with
disabilities from the freedom they could glimpse, but not grasp. Once
again, we rejoice as this barrier falls for claiming together we will
not accept, we will not excuse, we will not tolerate discrimination in
America.
With, again, great thanks to the Members of the United States Senate,
leaders of whom are here today, and those who worked so tirelessly
for this legislation on both sides of the aisles. And to those
Members of the House of Representatives with us here today, Democrats
and Republicans as well, I salute you.
And on your behalf, as well as the behalf of this entire country, I
now lift my pen to sign this Americans with Disabilities Act and say:
Let the shameful
wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down. God bless you all.
