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"With the news of Barbara Bush's passing on Tuesday, lawmakers and officials from around the world shared fond words about the former first lady."
Bush, described as "a relentless proponent of family literacy," died at the age of 92, a spokesman for the family confirmed.
The BBC adds:
She was a fierce advocate of civil rights and went against many of her husband's Republican party supporters with her more liberal view on abortion rights.
In a statement from the White House, President Donald Trump said Mrs Bush would be long remembered for her devotion to country and family, "both of which she served unfailingly well".
Barack and Michelle Obama described her as "the rock of a family dedicated to public service" and as "an example of the humility and decency that reflects the very best of the American spirit".
Another former US president, Bill Clinton, said Mrs Bush was "feisty in support of her family and friends, her country and her causes".
Sources:
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Wednesday April 18 2018, @09:08PM (10 children)
Politically, I have little if anything to agree with any of the Bushes about anything. I think they're the sort of people that could and did kill thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of people outside of the US for personal financial gain, and that doesn't make you my friend. Barbara Bush obviously wasn't as involved in the family business as Prescott, George, George, and Jeb, but she certainly fit in well with them.
On a personal level, though, I know the Bushes were friendly enough with my great-grandmother, a fixture of high-society Washington DC from the 1920's until the 1980's at least, to socialize with her and write back and forth. I would have enjoyed the chance to at least get any stories and anecdotes Barbara Bush might have had.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Azuma Hazuki on Wednesday April 18 2018, @09:41PM (9 children)
Politicians, especially the modern GOP, are masters of compartmentalization. They see nothing incongruous about doting over their pets but dropping white phosphorous on (the wrong set of...) little brown kids overseas. I think most people are like this to some extent, but especially politicians. It's entirely possible for a sociopath to be friendly and charming on the surface, and indeed this is one of the diagnostic traits.
That said, Barbara Bush was not responsible for the evils her husband and son perpetrated. Those two are going to share a double-wide lava crater in hell.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 5, Interesting) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Wednesday April 18 2018, @10:05PM
Psychology Today's take [psychologytoday.com].
If you hurt an innocent person but consider yourself to be a good person your mind will have to find some way to resolve the conflict between your evil act and your heavenly self-image.
The way that's commonly resolve is to conclude that the innocent you hurt was not really innocent and that they deserved your cruelty.
This is why homelessness is often criminalized in places where everyone is a church-going citizen.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Wednesday April 18 2018, @11:03PM (1 child)
But Babs? At least she had that killer put-down for Palin when she said she was running for president.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 19 2018, @08:57AM
Well, don't leave 'em hanging.
On Larry King Live, the former first lady said, "I sat next to her once. Thought she was beautiful. And she's very happy in Alaska", Bush said, chuckling. "I hope she'll stay there."
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Thursday April 19 2018, @12:18AM (5 children)
To say that she was not responsible for her husband's evil is technically correct. She did, however, find him socially acceptable enough to marry.
To say that she was not responsible for her son's evil is a lot more questionable. She did, after all, raise him in the way that she thought appropriate. I'll agree this doesn't make her wholly responsible, in and of itself. But it sure raises questions of "What values did she try to teach while raising him?".
I will not shed any tears over her death. She may, however, have been past the point where she was doing people active harm, or supporting such, so cheering also seems inappropriate. It's too bad she didn't die a few decade earlier, though. Say eight. Over her lifetime I think it's fairly clear that she has been a net social detriment, and didn't even try very hard to be a positive influence. Of course, I'm just judging by public facts that I happened to encounter, so don't take this too seriously.
Please note, I don't need to agree with people about what will be a net public benefit to accept that they are trying to be a public benefit. When I say "She didn't appear to try to be a net public benefit" I mean that judging her by her apparent beliefs, neither her goals nor her actions were attempts to benefit the public.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Thursday April 19 2018, @12:23AM (2 children)
I still didn't say it quite right. Let me try again:
When I say "She didn't appear to try to be a net public benefit" I mean that judging her by her apparent beliefs, neither her goals nor her actions were attempts to benefit the public as she saw public benefit.
Let me contrast this to Hillary Clinton, who is, admittedly, a corrupt politician. But in many ways she attempts to do things that she sees as public benefit. Perhaps it's only to win political points, but still she does them. Many times I doubt that any public benefit would actually materialize, but that's not my point.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Magic Oddball on Thursday April 19 2018, @02:03AM (1 child)
'Appeared to be' based on what, though? While her husband was in office, she dedicated a surprising amount of time/effort to researching and promoting literacy (particularly adult literacy) as well as its role in homelessness and poverty. It's about as much as any recent First Lady has done, realistically speaking.
Try reading old interviews with her or quotes from them sometime; you'd probably be very surprised at a lot of the attitudes she said.
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Thursday April 19 2018, @06:48PM
The typical political office of the first lady is to act socially in ways that decrease criticism on her husband. So while those are laudable actions, they can't be taken at face value unless she continued them after he left office. If this is so, which I haven't heard asserted, then I should rethink my position, and possibly even apologize. (I'm a bit dubious about that though. There's still the family to explain. OTOH, perhaps she didn't know what kind of man she was marrying, and had strong beliefs against divorce, and made innocent mistakes in bringing up her son, and... )
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 2) by jelizondo on Thursday April 19 2018, @01:49AM (1 child)
Hold your horses buddy! My mom (may she rest in peace) tried to raise a God-fearing son and instead got an atheist engineer. Indeed I went to church until I was about 15, at which time somehow or other I found Russell’s "Why I Am Not a Christian" and turned against what she and my father (and most family) believed.
I don’t think Mrs. Bush is responsible for whatever her son did or for that matter, her husband. I wish I was a believer to say that she (and her husband and son) will be judged, but I know History will not be kind to them, so it’s as much comfort as I can get.
May she rest in peace and may Americans learn to distrust rich guys looking out for other rich guys.
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Thursday April 19 2018, @06:42PM
And that's why I don't hold her wholly responsible, and why I tempered the criticism to "is a lot more questionable".
Statistically people grow up to treat other people the way their parents have taught them is appropriate. But this is not inevitable. So she may not be a vile as her son causes her to appear. But that's the way to bet.
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.