The George H.W. Bush I Remember: Jim Kouri, CB Editor

 Let me state from the gitgo: I was not a big George H.W. Bush supporter. I did vote for him, but as a conservative he was a letdown from his predecessor President Ronald Reagan. Bush was a northeast Republican which meant to me, he was a better choice than his Democratic Party opponent.

However, on the plus side, George H.W. Bush was the last president from what is called America’s Greatest Generation — the men and women who served the nation during World War II. It was a generation in which Hollywood movie stars like Clark Gable took a hiatus from acting with all of its rewards and glamour, and joined the Army Air Corps serving as a bombardier. In fact, most of the leading men in Hollywood joined the service and those that didn’t kept their opinions to themselves.

That was the generation from which George, Sr. came. His presidency also showed us where our nation was headed, when a fast-talking, draft-dodging adulterer was able to beat a war hero, who repelled Saddam Hussein’s Iraq army out of Kuwait, witnessed the completion of Ronald Reagan’s Cold War victory, and gained experience as a Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

During President Bush’s one term in office, he became very interested in fighting the scourge of illicit drugs and addiction. He especially was concerned about youngsters being caught up in the disease of drug addiction and its by-products or crime and violence.

In 1989, Bush met with a group of concerned politicians, business executives and law enforcement organizations and from that meeting came the start of a program that emanated from the National Association of Chiefs of Police. President Bush became the honorary chairman of the Chiefs of Police National Drug Task Force. I was selected to serve as one of the group’s officials which meant visits to Washington, DC and meetings regarding drug enforcement and treatment for addicts.

Again, I was not a huge fan of Bush the way I was of Reagan. But I did respect him for his genuine concern with the safety and health of America’s youth especially when it came to illegal drugs, violence and crime.

President George H.W. Bush is also given no credit for what I consider some of the best speeches to emanate from the White House. Below are examples, including a 1991 speech he gave that was at once prophetic and alarming. It was one of the few times in that era that anyone spoke about “deconstructionism” which is also known as “political correctness.”  How ironic that Bush should leave this world when that nation has achieved insanity with its obsession with embracing politically correct language.

In this brief video, which was featured on One America News Network (OANN) President George H.W. Bush gives his take on political correctness on college campuses at a commencement ceremony at the University of Michigan in 1991. It is arguably the finest presentation by a major figure on any university campus regarding the deterioration of free speech.

George H.W. Bush used his inaugural address to discuss the drug problem in America, likening cocaine to a deadly bacteria that has hurt the body and soul of the country. He was was sworn into office on January 20, 1989.

Former President George H.W. Bush died late Friday night at his home in Houston, Texas. Omar Villafranca reports from Houston near St. Martin’s Episcopal Church where the funeral for Bush will be held.