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Remember when we thought President George W. Bush was the worst thing to ever happen to this country?? Remember when we thought it couldn't get any worse? Remember when we thought that he wasn't the brightest crayola in the box??
Then came Trump. Who would've thought that I would miss the likes of President Bush?? Well, he reaffirmed my feelings of missing him my making a speech in New York City last Thursday. Here are snippets of what he had to say: "Bigotry seems emboldened. Our politics seem more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication. We've seen our discourse degraded by casual cruelty. At times, it can seem like the forces pulling us apart are stronger than the forces binding us together. Argument turns too easily into animosity. Disagreement escalates into dehumanization. Too often, we judge other groups by their worst examples while judging ourselves by our best intentions, forgetting the image of God we should see in each other. We've seen nationalism distorted into nativism, forgotten the dynamism immigration has always brought to America. We've seen the return of isolationist sentiments forgetting that American security is directly threatened by the chaos and despair of distant places where threats such as terrorism, infectious disease, criminal gangs and drug trafficking tend to emerge. In all these ways, we need to recall and recover our own identity. To renew our country, we only need to remember our values. First, America must harden its own defenses. Our country must show resolve and resilience in the face of external attacks on our democracy. And that begins with confronting a new era of cyber threats. America is experiencing the sustained attempt by a hostile power to feed and exploit our country's divisions. According to our intelligence services the Russian government has made a project of turning Americans against each other. This effort is broad, systemic, and stealthy. It is conducted across a range of social media platforms. Ultimately this assault won't succeed. Foreign aggressions including cyber attacks, disinformation and financial influence should never be downplayed or tolerated. It's a clear case where the strength of our democracy begins @ home. We must secure our electoral infrastructure and protect our electoral system from subversion. A third focus (yes I skipped over the 2nd, but if you would like to read it as well as the full speech, the link as been provided above) of this document is strengthening democratic citizenship. And here we must put particular emphasis on the values and views of the young. "Our identity as a nation, unlike other nations, is not determined by geography or ethnicity, by soil or blood. This means that people of every race, religion, ethnicity are equally American. Being an American involves the embrace of high ideals and civic responsibility. We become the heirs of Thomas Jefferson by accepting the ideals of human dignity found in the Declaration of Independence. We become the heirs of James Madison by understanding the genius and values of the US Constitution. We become the heirs of Martin Luther King Jr, by recognizing one another not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. This mean that people of every race, religion, and ethnicity can be fully and equally American. It means that bigotry or white supremacy in any form is blasphemy against the American creed. And it means that the very identity of our nation depends on the passing of civic ideals to the next generation. We need a renewed emphasis on civic learning in schools. And our young people need positive role models. Bullying and prejudice in our public life sets a national tone, provides permission for cruelty and bigotry, and compromises the moral education of children. The only way to pass along civic values is to first live up to them." He ended his speech with, "Right now, one of our worst national problems is a deficit of confidence. But the cause of freedom justifies all our faith and effort. It still inspires men and women in the darkest corners of the world, and it will inspire a rising generation. The American spirit does not say, "We shall manage," or "We shall make the best of it." It says, "We shall overcome." And that is exactly what we will do, with the help of God and one another." **Now, where the hell was this President Bush when he was in office? Or maybe he was there all along and we just didn't realize it because we thought it couldn't get any worse than the hiccups President Bush had along the way.**
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