The death of President George H. W. Bush, like that of Sen. John McCain, provides a remarkable comparison with our current president. One was a WWII pilot and hero, shot down in the Pacific near the Japanese fleet and rescued almost miraculously by a sub; the other was a draft dodger.
One surrounded himself with outstanding Cabinet members like James Baker and Colin Powell; the other is surrounded by what Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank in the Nov. 24 Columbian calls a “confederacy of dunces.”
One saw his election as president as an opportunity to put service above self; the other sees his position as a way to get whatever he wants.
One taught us how to lead; the other is teaching us how not to.
The one, who has just left us, saw a thousand points of light in us. Our challenge now is to let the legacy of his light continue to shine in and through each of us, leading all of us to a kinder way to live and a gentler way to serve our country.
