OK, the man sometimes looks like a goober.
But in this photograph, taken last week in Washington, D.C., I choose to believe that President Bush is demonstrating genuine empathy and emotion for two guests of honor in the audience, as he presented a major policy address on Cuba.
Behind this wonderful photograph, there is a sad story about a brave man, torn away from his wife and daughter, because of his opposition to evil.
His name is Jorge Luis González Tanquero.
Read his story, read their story, here.
People can criticize and make fun of Bush all they want. He sometimes deserves it. But if there’s one thing Mr. Bush has that no one can take away, it is genuine compassion and concern for others.
I truly believe that.
Robert,
You could not have said it better. Thanks! It’s indeed in instances like this,in my opinion, that President Bush exudes character and integrity, in spite of being under constant criticism. It must be so difficult to make choices when you know that no matter what you “can’t win” in some people’s eyes.
I wish you well 🙂 Melek
“What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great person is one who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.”~ Emerson
I’m with you Robert. And Marc, yeah, he does kind of look like the poster boy for gooberness in this picture, but at least he doesn’t bite his lip and stick his thumb up when he wants to look sincere.
I had the good fortune of interviewing Bush several times in the 1990s, when he first ran for governor of Texas. I never thought he would be a future president, but I remember him as a genuinely personable manm and yes, nice man Looking at the picture, and another I posted at Uncommon Sense, I think that’s whom Marlenis and Melissa met last week.
But more than that, we should be proud that the president used his bully pulpit to draw attention to Cuba’s political prisoners.