Reflecting on Values with George H.W. Bush at 100

George H.W. Bush was born 100 years ago this month on June 12, 1924.  His presidency is notable for me personally not because I have memories of it, but because I was born during it.  So it's a fitting occasion to consider the times in which I was born, and how he made his mark on them.  This idea came to mind because the George H.W. Bush Library is hosting a summer film series this year featuring movies that debuted in theaters during his presidency, including Aladdin, Mighty Ducks, Hooked, and The Little Mermaid.

Certainly, George H.W. Bush was a polished, educated individual, having graduated from Yale, with the honor of Phi Beta Kappa, just as I got inducted into PBK when I graduated college.  He also served in the US Navy during World War II, like my grandfather did.  So it's fitting that, after venturing off to work in teh oil industry, he would continue to serve his country in many ways.

Listening to his inaugural address gives me many insights into the tone he set for his presidency.  For starters, he was inaugurated in the bicentennial year of George Washington's first inauguration as president under the newly established US Constitution.  He used the same as George Washington for the Oath of Office.

He also succeeded Ronald Reagan, who helped energize the USA during the 80's, and that sense of optimism is present in President Bush's address.  He encouraged the country to seize the opportunity at hand as totalitarianism was on the wane and to press forth into a new, more optimistic era, and show goodwill to the world at large.

President Bush also offered a prayer in his speech, which was one of many special touches during his speech.  He referred to the inaugural ceremony as a gathering on "democracy's front porch", which gave me the sense of a homey, familiar setting.  Then, he emphasized the importance of community organizations, which can do so much good to serve their neighbors, even more so than government.  That surely was a backdrop for his Points of Light initiative.  He also spoke to the idea that rather than leaving lots of financial assets to the next generation, we should show them what it means to be a good citizen and neighbor, showing care and goodwill for others.  That was also part of his rhetoric in wanting to work with the rest of government, including Congress, to work for the benefit of the people of the USA.

Ultimately, at the end of the speech, he emphasized the idea that going into the future, the best course would be to uphold high moral principles in all proceedings.

As I see it, some of these talking points echo in the presidency of his son, George W. Bush, who worked to get faith-based initiatives involved in addressing social problems and helping benefit society at large.  So while I may not remember anything about the first Bush presidency, I came aware of sociopolitical matters in the second Bush presidency and came to appreciate the importance of strong values in upholding society.