Bush Sr. - It’s Complicated

Since former President George H. W. Bush died last week, tributes have come pouring in.  And so have the condemnations.

I come neither to beatify nor demonize the man, but he is an interesting study in how complex we are.  let me examine him for a moment looking at a few of the accomplishments he can boast that make many say he was a great man.

First, he was a war hero.  No doubt about it, the son of a Senator, he was the second youngest navy fighter pilot and was shot down in the line of duty, requiring that he be fished out of the drink by a submarine crew.  Love him or hate him, that required bravery and commitment to the country.

Second — and I jump ahead to his time as president for the sake of economy — he oversaw the end of the Cold War.  As the German television station ZDF noted, it was a delicate time especially in Germany, and he proved himself to be a capable friend of the process while refusing to vilify former enemies.  His gentle but firm hand helped the West find a safe landing.

Third, he prosecuted a war — whether he should have done it in the first place is also part of the discussion, but for now, let’s set that question aside — against an invading nation.  What sets the course of this war apart from other American ventures is that he worked closely with the United Nations and had their support in the venture.  Moreover, he had a very clear objective, to drive Iraq out of Kuwait, and once he had achieved that goal, he got out.  That is much preferable to the endless and even less justifiable war of his son.

Fourth, while you may not see this as a positive, he raised taxes despite his previous promise, not because he never intended to keep that promise (he would have loved to) but because he saw the situation as it was, recognized the need for that tax increase, and put the health of the nation as he understood it above his own personal wellbeing.  It was political suicide, and he knew it.  I always respected that.

Fifth, he publicly resigned his membership of the NRA once they became a lobbying firm for the gun industry.  He publicly condemned the NRA for its cult of gun love.  

Sixth, he was at least in public a decent man.  He paid respect to those who argued against him, and he famously wrote a gracious note to Bill Clinton upon his inauguration.  This may seem like an obvious thing for any former president to do for his successor, but we know better than that.  

NOW, for the down side.  And I assure you, there are many out there asserting the George H.W. Bush is roasting in hell right now, or at least wishing he were.  This is, undoubtedly, a partial list, but it will be enough to see the complicated nature of the man.

First, before he became president, he ran the CIA.  This was an agency filled with dirt and crime.  The CIA during the Cold War was particularly prone to nasty things — assassinations, threats, secret wars, regime change among them — that would horrify most decent people.

Second, during his presidential campaign, Bush ran the infamous Willie Horton commercials that raised racial stereotyping to a new height, especially in political campaigns.  It was dirty, dishonest, and wrong.

Third, as the forty-first president, he virtually ignored the AIDS crisis as it blew up around him.  Resources could have been allocated, but he simply didn’t do it, likely because it wouldn’t play well with his base and because the LGBTQ community (not to mention the drug addicted) just wasn’t a priority to him.

Fourth, and maybe this isn’t fair to him, but the economy wasn’t that great under him.  He certainly didn’t do anything to make it better.  And frankly, domestic policy doesn’t seem to have been much of a priority to him, either.

Fifth, the Gulf War.  Was it really necessary?  Was it really justifiable.  I was a new priest when it took place, and I faced a lot of questions from parishioners at the time.  I remember referring to a checklist of what constituted a “just war” and concluding that it was not just.  More just than the absurd war started by his son, but still not justified.

Sixth, speaking of his son, George the elder blew it when he gave feeble attempts to justify the war started by his son.  It seemed clear from interviews he didn’t fully believe his own words — he was only saying them because it was his son.  He needed to condemn the war.

So, there are some reasons for honoring George H.W. Bush and for condemning him.  He was a complicated person, and many of the decisions he made affected a lot of people for better and for worse.  I neither condemn nor praise him — he was what he was. Presuming the existence of the loving God in whom he believed and I believe, I imagine he will have some explaining to do.  Will that lead to hell?  I have my doubts.  Because Jesus always puts mercy before condemnation.

One reason I feel moved by this is because the questions surrounding the forty-first president are the same questions surrounding each of us.  Do we burn in Hell for our most hateful actions?  Or do our positive actions outweigh them?  Or does any of that matter, and it’s all a question of what’s in our hearts? 

I don’t know, but I do know that I’ll offer Mr. Bush the same respect I’d offer any child of God, and hopefully learn from his sins while taking a positive example from his positive actions.