Patterico's Pontifications

7/30/2020

George Bush And His Beautiful Tribute To John Lewis At Today’s Funeral Service

Filed under: General — Dana @ 12:12 pm



[guest post by Dana]

He avoids politics, and instead focuses on the full measure of an incredible man who wholeheartedly served the nation, and loved his God:

Listen, John and I had our disagreements, of course. But in the America John Lewis fought for, and the America I believe in, differences of opinions are inevitable elements and evidence of democracy in action. We the people, including congressmen and presidents, can have differing views on how to perfect our union while sharing the conviction that our nation, however flawed, is at heart a good and noble one.

Amen.

–Dana

107 Responses to “George Bush And His Beautiful Tribute To John Lewis At Today’s Funeral Service”

  1. His talk was a good reminder that, while politics are an important facet of American life, we are not fully defined by our political beliefs. The sum total of who we are as individuals, and how we love our neighbor, is much more than that. I disagreed with Lewis’ politics, but it’s not difficult to see that he loved this country, and gave his all for it.

    Dana (292df6)

  2. Isn’t it fascinating how the day has these two memorable and distinct visions of what our country’s disagreements represent, what democracy is about, and frankly about faith?

    We will be talking about this year for the rest of our lives.

    Dustin (4237e0)

  3. Yes. I wish there was more of this thinking and recognition. It might go a long way toward softening the hard tribal edges that cut us all to the quick these days.

    2020 will go down in history, that’s for certain. But I’m hard pressed to find the positives in it, on a national level. Thankfully, we all have our personal lives where small victories and moments of joy remind us that God is still near, and we are still dear to Him.

    Dana (292df6)

  4. We’ve always known that George Walker Bush is a kind, honorable, and decent man. A lot of us — me included — were always frustrated at his unwillingness to clap-back at some of the more obnoxious slanders on his character during his Presidency, because that seemed to legitimize them in the minds of far too many.

    Maybe a lesson our progressive friends should take to heart is that if you continue to demonize men like George W. Bush you will eventually find yourself dealing with a Donald J. Trump, a lesson that Bill Maher seems to have internalized. Just as overdoing the criticism of a Barack Obama might one day land you a Rashida Tlaib.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  5. Yes, the better of the three ex-POTUS eulogies.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  6. @4. A putz as POTUS; he may say he was ‘The Decider’ but Cheney ran the show.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  7. George Bush had a kind tribute and spoke respectfully of someone who wasn’t his ally. Obama, couldn’t be more classless.

    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/07/30/obama-uses-john-lewis-funeral-to-call-for-end-to-filibuster/

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  8. @2. We will be talking about this year for the rest of our lives.

    No. We won’t.

    2020 is not 1968.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  9. Its too bad George Bush did not go into the Ministry instead of Politics

    rcocean (2e1c02)

  10. Like Carter, he’s been a much better Ex-President, than President.

    rcocean (2e1c02)

  11. Bush is a good example of how much of the world’s misery is caused by “good men”. I would have much rather have had a drinking, smoking, skirt chasing, S.O.B. President who kept us out of War, regulated the banksters, and did not push for Amnesty and cut deals with Ted Kennedy. Or spend like a drunken sailor.

    rcocean (2e1c02)

  12. @4. A putz as POTUS; he may say he was ‘The Decider’ but Cheney ran the show.

    Yes, yes, yes, DCSCA: just like the Obama Administration was run by Valerie Jarrett and Rahm Emmanuel. We get it.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  13. 11,

    …because Trump has kept misery away from the doorsteps of all Americans, far and wide, right??

    Dana (292df6)

  14. @13, and has spent like a drunken rich kid.

    Time123 (b87ded)

  15. Excellent speech by Bush, even the part about the chickens.

    Paul Montagu (1ef895)

  16. 2020 is not 1968.

    DCSCA (797bc0) — 7/30/2020 @ 12:39 pm

    My perspective is very short. First president I could vote for was W. My first impression of the democrats was Monica and my first sincere impression of Republicans was W standing in rubble with a megaphone. And I freely admit, these impressions of the respective political parties were hilariously inaccurate.

    To me, 2020 is a big deal. One insanity after another. Anger in the streets, distrust, a new problem every few weeks. A political party devoted to undoing a lot of things I believe are necessary vs a political party that isn’t devoted to anything, tweeting that the election might be cancelled because it knocks the unemployment rate off the front page.

    Is your impression that 1968 solved divisions, resolved problems? Not a rhetorical question.

    Dustin (4237e0)

  17. GW Bush: “We the people, including Congressmen and Presidents, can have differing views on how to perfect our union, while sharing the conviction that our nation, however flawed, is at heart a good and noble one.”

    I sure wish the attendees had given that line an ovation, but I guess not in these sadly divisive days.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  18. The contention that Bush “spent like a drunken sailor” is a ridiculous lie.

    By 2007, Bush had the deficit down to 1.1% of GDP, despite fighting and winning two wars.

    For 2008, with the financial crisis starting, it was 3%, with about half the difference due to decreased revenue, not increased spending.

    It was 3.5% when Trump took office, and 4.8% last year, despite “the best economy in history”.

    Dave (1bb933)

  19. I would have much rather have had a drinking, smoking, skirt chasing, S.O.B. President who kept us out of War, regulated the banksters, and did not push for Amnesty and cut deals with Ted Kennedy. Or spend like a drunken sailor.

    So you were a big supporter of Bill Clinton?

    Dave (1bb933)

  20. Libs agree that Dubya was the best Hitler we ever elected.

    If there’s a Dubya statue out there, it’ll be toppled last.

    beer ‘n pretzels (368b0a)

  21. Waiting for the nekulturny tweet from the WH.

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  22. So you were a big supporter of Bill Clinton?

    He cut deals with Ted Kennedy!

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  23. Right about now, most Democrats would prefer W to Trump. Many would prefer Nixon ’73 to Trump.

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  24. It was 3.5% when Trump took office, and 4.8% last year, despite “the best economy in history”.

    With zero % interest rates on the debt, something W did not have. If he hadn’t interest on the debt to contend with, he would have been in surplus several years.

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  25. Many would prefer Nixon ’73 to Trump.

    Don’t get Deezy-Eska excited, his heart can’t take it.

    Dave (1bb933)

  26. 18.The contention that Bush “spent like a drunken sailor” is a ridiculous lie.

    Yeah… he spent like a drunken airman in Texas Air National Guard. 😉

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  27. But W did some things that could be considered wild spending. After Clinton painfully ended farm subsidies by buying off farmers with one-time payments, W started them up again.

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  28. Clinton cut deals with Gingrich, not Kennedy.

    Dave (1bb933)

  29. drunken airman

    It’s a job requirement. Haven’t you seen The Right Stuff or Top Gun?

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  30. If any are interested here’s an excerpt from the speech of another ex-president there. And I do think that a guy who got his head broken on a bridge marching for voting rights, and spent the rest of his life working on the issue, might appreciate someone mentioning it at his funeral:

    The Voting Rights Act is one of the crowning achievements of our democracy. It’s why John crossed that bridge, why he spilled that blood. And by the way it was the result of Democrat and Republican efforts. President Bush, who spoke here earlier, and his father, signed its renewal when they were in office. President Clinton didn’t have to because it was the law when he arrived. So instead he made a law to make it easier for people to register to vote. But once the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act, some state legislators unleashed a flood of laws designed specifically to make voting harder, especially, by the way, state legislators where there’s a lot of minority turnout and population growth. That’s not necessarily a mystery or an accident. It was an attack on what John fought for. It was an attack on our democratic freedoms and we should treat it as such. If politicians want to honor John, and I’m so grateful for the legacy and work of all the congressional leaders who are here, but there’s a better way than a statement calling him a hero. You want to honor John? Let’s honor him by revitalizing the law that he was willing to die for. And by the way, naming the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, that is a fine tribute. But John wouldn’t want us to stop there. Just trying to get back to where we already were.

    Once we pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, we should keep marching to make it even better by making sure every American is automatically registered to vote, including former inmates who’ve earned their second chance. By adding polling places and expanding early voting and making Election Day a national holiday, so if you are somebody who’s working in a factory or you’re a single mom, who’s got to go to her job and doesn’t get time off, you can still cast your ballot. By guaranteeing that every American citizen has equal representation in our government, including the American citizens who live in Washington, D.C., and in Puerto Rico. They’re Americans. By ending some of the partisan gerrymandering, so that all voters have the power to choose their politicians, not the other way around. And if all this takes eliminating the filibuster, another Jim Crow relic, in order to secure the God-given rights of every American, then that’s what we should do.

    https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2020/07/john-lewiss-funeral

    Victor (a225f9)

  31. Clinton cut deals with Gingrich, not Kennedy.

    Him too. I guess I needed a /sarc tag.

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  32. Many would prefer Nixon ’73 to Trump.

    Don’t bet on it.

    “I am not a crook.” – President Richard M. Nixon, November 17, 1973

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  33. Victor, do you realize that unintentionally or not you have made the point that Obama used a Congressman’s eulogy to lay out a policy agenda that he hopes his party might pursue? Sure, it’s nowhere near as obnoxious as the Paul Wellstone funeral, or even as bad as the Ted Kennedy funeral, but it’s still on the same spectrum as those two events. At least the John McCain funeral was only used to settle personal scores; not advocate for various policy initiatives.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  34. Why should every American register to vote? Or vote, for that matter. I see no purpose, and much harm, in forcing uninterested people to cast a vote. Voting is information, and adding noise to information is usually bad*.

    ————–
    * cryptography excepted

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  35. “I am not a crook.” – President Richard M. Nixon, November 17, 1973

    “I can shoot someone on Fifth Avenue.” – President Donald Trump

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  36. We will be talking about this year for the rest of our lives.

    I dunno. We stopped talking about 1968 somewhere around 2001.

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  37. Next week’s eulogy: “And if we really want to honor the incredible life of Herman Cain, we ought to provide taxpayer-funded scholarships so that every deserving disadvantaged kid across America might have a chance to attend the same ritzy private schools as the children of the elite. And at the same we should move towards total school choice by tying government subsidies to each student rather than each school, and open innovative charter schools in every neighborhood so that all children can learn in an environment that is best suited to their own individual need, free from the meddling of union officials and craven politicians.”

    Herman Cain was never an elected official, so in some ways it would be less obnoxious to have this sort of eulogy at his funeral, but I would still find it highly distasteful and would be quite disappointed in anyone who would go that route.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  38. That’s the very reason I avoided linking to Obama‘s eulogy. I thought Bush was very considerate and artful in his tribute because he avoided politics and instead addressed the “every man“ with a universal message that we could all be inspired by. I didn’t appreciate Obama playing politics with the eulogy. And although portions of his eulogy were absolutely heartfelt and beautiful, that part was jarring. But I would venture to guess that, perhaps Lewis would’ve thought, what better time than to continue speaking out for a cause they believed it?

    Dana (292df6)

  39. But I would venture to guess that, perhaps Lewis would’ve thought, what better time than to continue speaking out for a cause they believed it?

    That’s the problem that the feminist left foisted upon us about fifty years ago. This whole “the personal is political” nonsense had led to the situation today where there is no longer any refuge from having to hear some people’s deeply-held beliefs. A friend told me once of going to a wedding reception where the maid of honor’s toast ended up being a recitation of all of the activism in which she and the bride were currently engaged. For some people it just never ends.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  40. We stopped talking about 1968 somewhere around 2001.

    Deezy-Eska didn’t get the memo.

    Dave (1bb933)

  41. “During his eight years in office, President Bush spent almost twice as much as his predecessor, President Clinton. Adjusted for inflation, in eight years, President Clinton increased the federal budget by 12.5 percent. In eight years, President Bush increased it by a whopping 53 percent.”

    rcocean (2e1c02)

  42. Bush did little to rein in Congressional spending. He rarely used the veto:

    In his eight years in office George Bush vetoed twelve bills and was overridden four times. From 1789 through 2010, the veto has been used 2,563 times by U.S. presidents, making fifty-eight the average number of vetoes issues by a U.S. president. One hundred-ten of those vetoes have been overridden (roughly four percent). Of his twelve vetoes, Bush had four overridden (thirty-three percent). This leaves him behind only James Buchanan (fifty-six percent) and Andrew Johnson (fifty-two percent) as having the most vetoes overridden by Congressional vote.60 All but one of these vetoes was issued when Congress held a Democratic majority, and while Bush’s use of the veto may have increased later in his presidency, he still remains one of the most reluctant president’s in U.S. history to use the veto.

    rcocean (2e1c02)

  43. Obama’s rant about changing the election laws to help the D’s got a standing O from the crowd. I’m not sure if Bush was up standing and clapping. The bit about ending the Filibuster got a more subdued response, although there were still plenty of applause.

    I’m not sure why everyone goes under the racist assumption that Blacks need to have easy voting. They seem just as capable as white, and should be able to vote using ID, or showing up on election day like Whites, Asians, and every other group.

    rcocean (2e1c02)

  44. And if all this takes eliminating the filibuster, another Jim Crow relic, in order to secure the God-given rights of every American, then that’s what we should do.

    That was some pretty bad and unnecessary politicizing. Getting 60-plus votes on legislation has nothing to do with denying our “God-given rights”. Shame on Barry.

    Paul Montagu (1ef895)

  45. Clinton benefitted from the one-time reduction of the defense budget after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

    Unfortunately, our other enemies didn’t disarm themselves.

    Dave (1bb933)

  46. Shame on Barry.

    The always funny Sean Spicier Twitter account had a good line:

    Nothing like an Obama speech to remind everyone why they voted for Trump in the first place— Sean Spicier (@sean_spicier) July 30, 2020

    JVW (ee64e4)

  47. Bush did little to rein in Congressional spending. He rarely used the veto.

    And yet, Bush ran smaller deficits than Trump in his first three years as president, despite a recession that started a month or two before his inauguration and despite the 9/11 attacks and despite his two tax cuts. As a percent of GDP, these are the deficits in their first three years in office.
    Bush (starting in FYE 2002 because Congress actually passed budgets back then):
    2002: 1.4%
    2003: 3.3%
    2004: 3.4%
    Trump
    2017: 3.4%
    2018: 3.8%
    2019: 4.6%
    Fiscal conservatism is dead, dead, dead.

    Paul Montagu (1ef895)

  48. JVW and Dana, I think Obama went too far calling for future changes, i doubt John Lewis would object but he should have focused on what John did, and not what he would likely have wanted. That said when Ron Paul eventually passes, it would be wholly appropriate to talk about the life he spent trying to make government smaller.

    Time123 (53ef45)

  49. Paul, the filibuster (by design) allows a minority of senators to thwart the will of the majority.

    Of course, the senate (where 40 million Californians have the same representation as 600,000 Wyomans) is already ridiculously undemocratic (again, by design).

    Dave (1bb933)

  50. There is absolutely no way Donald Trump could give a speech this eloquent, respectful and true.

    I voted for GW Bush twice. The only other president I ever voted for twice was Ronald Reagan.

    Did I agree with them on everything or support all of the policies they enacted? No, certainly not. But I knew they were both honorable men who loved America. They didn’t sow discord and division.

    Trump is not honorable, and he does not love America. He loves himself. He’s an onanist. And he’s tearing this country apart.

    Gawain's Ghost (b25cd1)

  51. Did you know that womyn Wyomans were the first to be granted the vote?

    JVW (ee64e4)

  52. I invite anyone to show me in this data where the GOP reduced spending.

    Fiscal
    Year Surplus or Deficit (-)
    1991 -438.3
    1992 -454.1
    1993 -387.5
    1994 -303.4
    1995 -237.7
    1996 -152.6
    1997 -30.4
    1998 95.5
    1999 171.2
    2000 313.9
    2001 166.1
    2002 -201.2
    2003 -468.2
    2004 -498.8
    2005 -372
    2006 -280.3
    2007 -176.6
    2008 -487.1
    2009 -1,500.80
    2010 -1,351.00
    2011 -1,325.40
    2012 -1,076.60
    2013 -670.3
    2014 -470.6
    2015 -426.7
    2016 -560.5
    2017 -627.4
    2018 -716.6

    Time123 (b87ded)

  53. I see the correct term for a resident of the ironically named Equality State is actually “Wyomingite,” so I apologize to all three of them…

    Dave (1bb933)

  54. There is absolutely no way Donald Trump could give a speech this eloquent, respectful and true.
    ****
    Trump is not honorable, and he does not love America. He loves himself. He’s an onanist. And he’s tearing this country apart.

    Which is why the Putin panty sniffers are defaming Dubya, Gawain’s Ghost. Every decent human being is an implied criticism of their orange thing.

    nk (1d9030)

  55. Did you know that womyn Wyomans were the first to be granted the vote?

    I believed that, too, but it was only as a state, I think. Utah had granted women the vote as a territory and had to take it back as condition of being admitted into statehood.

    nk (1d9030)

  56. I invite anyone to show me in this data where the GOP reduced spending.

    Well, you can see clearly that Dubya reduced the budget deficit from $499B in FY2004 to $177B in FY2007, although the deficit is not the same as spending since it also depends on revenue.

    Once they took control of the House in 2011, you can also see the deficit fell dramatically, although this was mostly due to holding spending flat as the economy grew.

    Dave (1bb933)

  57. Paul, the filibuster (by design) allows a minority of senators to thwart the will of the majority.

    True, but getting rid of it doesn’t “secure the God-given rights of every American”. That’s politicized hyperbole and nonsense.
    Obama is nothing if not a political animal. He knows that his party will likely reclaim the majority this November, where Majority Leader Schumer will rid the filibuster not long after inauguration. Politicized partisan and hypocrite that he is**, I doubt Obama would be proposing such a thing if his party were going to stay in the minority.
    **

    Again, I urge my Republican colleagues not to go through with changing these rules. In the long run, this is not a good result for either party. One day Democrats will be in the majority again, and this rule change will be no fairer to a Republican minority than it is to a Democratic minority.
    Mr. President, I sense that talk of the nuclear option is more about power than about fairness. I believe some of my colleagues propose this rules change because they can get away with it rather than because they know it’s good for our democracy.

    Paul Montagu (1ef895)

  58. Once they took control of the House in 2011, you can also see the deficit fell dramatically, although this was mostly due to holding spending flat as the economy grew.

    The sequester, the only halfway decent budget maneuver that has taken place since 2009. Naturally the bipartisan Washington DC crowd squawked about it and the very people who cut the deal went back to their bunkers and promised their allies that they would undo it first chance they got. Dems swore that poor people would starve in the streets en masse and Republicans — including alleged budget hawks like John McCain — insisted that our military would be hollowed out and we would be subject to a retaliatory invasion by Grenada. So, next thing you know, everyone shook hands and undid the only worthwhile legislation they had passed. This is how we end up with the Donald Trumps and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezes of the world being elected.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  59. I agree with Allahpundit that Obama was explicitly giving the party permission to nuke the filibuster when he brought it up during his eulogy for John Lewis. There is no more powerful Democrat than Obama, so it would be him who would make that call.

    Dana (292df6)

  60. This is how we end up with the Donald Trumps and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezes of the world being elected.

    You’re saying Donald Trump was elected by righteous fury over deficit spending, after the budget deficit had fallen from 9% of GDP to 3.5% in the years immediately preceding?

    Umm….

    Dave (1bb933)

  61. Fiscal restraint was no part of Trump’s 2016 message, unless you count getting Mexico to pay for his wall…

    Dave (1bb933)

  62. You’re saying Donald Trump was elected by righteous fury over deficit spending, after the budget deficit had fallen from 9% of GDP to 3.5% in the years immediately preceding?

    No, I’m saying he was elected because people no longer trust the established Washington elite to take any steps that rile up key constituencies, no matter how badly they are needed.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  63. And that’s why a Joe Biden Administration will be a sad, sad joke too.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  64. @35/@36.

    Was Donald Trump president when he said that lie? No.
    Was Richard Nixon president when he said that lie? Yes.

    Did the Donald ever do it? No.
    Did Richard Nixon? Yes.

    =mike-drop=

    ______

    @36/@40.I dunno. We stopped talking about 1968 somewhere around 2001.

    No, you don’t know; particular as the 1968 Nixon/Wallace campaign comparisons keep resurfacing in 2020. You’re a riot… oh wait… those are bubbing up, too.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  65. 63.And that’s why a Joe Biden Administration will be a sad, sad joke too.

    Only on SNL.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  66. I am glad somebody brought up Wellstone. The conservative outrage that at the funeral of a thoroughly political person, somebody should positively reference his politics is bizarre to me

    Absolutely, at Cain’s funeral it would be perfectly appropriate if somebody called for a realization of his dream – lower tax rates. It’s what he believed in, Why shouldn’t that be part of the commemoration?

    And, I think that George W. Bush’s eulogy was great, and I am glad he gave it. But if that had been the only eulogy it would have tragically incomplete homage to a life that was substantially political. Lewis gave up some of his private life to enact public change. That is part of what he was. Again I am glad that Bush gave that eulogy. But I am sure Obama has also an insight to what Lewis would also have wanted said in a public celebration of his life.

    Finally, someone above said Obama should have talked about what Lewis did, instead of just talking about future policy changes.

    So here is an additional quote from Obama’s eulogy:

    So he helped organize the Nashville campaign in 1960. He and other young men and women sat at a segregated lunch counter, well dressed, straight back, refusing to let a milkshake poured on their heads or a cigarette extinguished on their backs or a foot aimed at their ribs—refuse to let that dent their dignity and their sense of purpose. And after a few months the Nashville campaign achieved the first successful desegregation of public facilities of any major city in the south. John got a taste of jail for the first, second, third—well, several times. But he also got a taste of victory and it consumed him with righteous purpose and he took the battle deeper into the South.

    That same year, just weeks after the Supreme Court ruled that segregation of interstate bus facilities was unconstitutional, John and Bernard Lafayette bought two tickets, climbed aboard a Greyhound, sat up front, and refused to move. This was months before the first official Freedom Rides. He was doing a test. Trip was unsanctioned. Few knew what they were up to. And at every stop through the night, apparently, the angry driver stormed out of the bus and into the bus station. And John and Bernard had no idea what he might come back with. Or who he might come back with. Nobody was there to protect them. There were no camera crews to record events. We—you know, sometimes, Rev—we read about this and we kind of take it for granted. Or at least we, we act as if it was inevitable.

    Victor (a225f9)

  67. I am glad somebody brought up Wellstone. The conservative outrage that at the funeral of a thoroughly political person, somebody should positively reference his politics is bizarre to me

    The majority of the criticism was because Minnesota television stations chose to grant live coverage to the funeral, which took place just days before the Senate election in which the late Mr. Wellstone’s replacement would run, so it became in essence a free campaign commercial for the Democrat-Farm-Labor Party including explicit demands that mourners vote for their candidate Walter Mondale. If you think that’s appropriate then we’ll just have to disagree, I suppose.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  68. 61.Fiscal restraint was no part of Trump’s 2016 message, unless you count getting Mexico to pay for his wall…

    Welcome to 1964. Mona Charen, George Will and Rick Wilson and are looking for a fourth for bridge… to no where.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  69. I’m too lazy to go back and comb over all sixty-some comments here, so I’ll just ask:

    Is anyone here who was/is so concerned about my failure to wear a mask, also concerned about Atlanta’s willingness to allow a funeral for John Lewis when John Q. Public wouldn’t be allowed the same courtesy because CoViD?

    Gryph (76a0c3)

  70. Is anyone here who was/is so concerned about my failure to wear a mask,[…]

    Gryph (76a0c3) — 7/30/2020 @ 4:12 pm

    Oh yeah that’s all we’ve been talking about man. We super care about that one. Thanks for the update.

    Dustin (4237e0)

  71. meanwhile in the real world, that they want to bring to the rest of the country,

    https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/07/our-own-no-go-zone.php

    narciso (7404b5)

  72. Is anyone here who was/is so concerned about my failure to wear a mask, also concerned about Atlanta’s willingness to allow a funeral for John Lewis when John Q. Public wouldn’t be allowed the same courtesy because CoViD?

    I made this point on the other thread. Further, someone on Twitter pointed out that the Washington DC mayor has decreed a 14-day quarantine for anyone who travels to a hot-spot of COVID outbreaks, which includes Atlanta, unless they are there on “essential” business. I suppose a funeral for an ex-colleague and a civil rights figure will somehow be construed as “essential business,” which is another slap in the face to the rest of us who are forced to deal with the various restrictions imposed upon the hoi polloi.

    It may be a bit impolite, but I’ll declare it: the family and friends of John Lewis could have further cemented his legacy as a towering figure if they would have determined that holding a packed indoor funeral in a state with a COVID flare-up was inadvisable, and that in solidarity with the millions of Americans who were forced to forego a funeral for their own loved ones over the past four months, the Lewis family would also forego the pomp and circumstance for their own beloved. But no, Washington figures have to be lionized, even if it places lives at risk.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  73. 70. So, that’d be a “no.” Thanks for the clarification, Dustin.

    Gryph (76a0c3)

  74. @69, ppl in the thread have brought social distancing at the funeral.

    Time123 (9f42ee)

  75. @69, ppl in the thread have brought social distancing at the funeral.

    Time123 (9f42ee) — 7/30/2020 @ 5:52 pm

    With all due respect, what is the point in this comment? If he says he refuses to read the thread and explains what he thinks was said, to make his point about his mask view, what is the point of everyone defending whether we lived up or down to his expectations? All he would have to do to know what you’re saying is… read for 90 seconds or so.

    This is about attention, not ideas.

    Dustin (4237e0)

  76. 78. I copped to being too lazy to read through the thread. You were free to point to a post addressing what I asked, but instead decided that you were going to be a douchebag. Douchebaggery noted.

    Gryph (76a0c3)

  77. @69 It looks like everyone was masked, if we are comparing apples to apples.

    Nic (896fdf)

  78. Nic, Dana made that point, though I also think JVW is right that if you didn’t get a funeral for your loved ones, why do these folks get one?

    Wear a mask.

    Dustin (4237e0)

  79. I also think JVW is right that if you didn’t get a funeral for your loved ones, why do these folks get one?

    Not just that, but either having people packed together at an indoor church service in which hymns are sung is inherently dangerous — even if they are wearing masks — or it isn’t. Don’t tell me that it’s too risky for my parish to hold Sunday mass with 1/8 the usual church capacity but in the next breath claim that John Lewis’s service didn’t endanger any lives.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  80. This just about sums it up…

    https://twitter.com/brinkofill/status/1288977843133784066

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  81. Nic, Dana made that point, though I also think JVW is right that if you didn’t get a funeral for your loved ones, why do these folks get one?

    Mom always liked John best? For crying out loud!

    nk (1d9030)

  82. It’s just not fair!

    (haha)

    Dustin (4237e0)

  83. I’d mentioned that my mom had passed on 6/1. With the way things are under Governor Newssolini here in California, we were thankful we were able to have a graveside service in Utah, 40 people in attendance, where she was laid to rest.

    It would’ve been heartbreaking to not be able to hold a service. I feel for those less fortunate.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  84. The funeral was in Georgia, where the Republican governor has resisted public health measures and forbidden localities from imposing more stringent ones,

    So it’s not clear any exception was made, or necessary, for Lewis’s service today.

    The mourners were wearing masks and appeared to be seated apart in family groups. You can also see a person disinfecting the microphone before Bush speaks.

    Dave (1bb933)

  85. So it’s not clear any exception was made, or necessary, for Lewis’s service today.

    How many of the Democrats present at the service have criticized Governor Kemp for being too aggressive in reopening?

    As I wrote above, either these kind of gatherings are dangerous or they are not. If the Lewis family and all the people who attended the service doesn’t believe they are dangerous then that’s fine, but I would expect that they would support everyone else’s right to have weddings, funerals, and other church services like this. But if there are people there who would deny others the same opportunity to bury their loved ones or engage in Sunday worship, then shame on them. And I would love someone to explain why this is is apparently safe in Georgia but not in Southern California.

    I think Trump as been awful on all of this coronavirus stuff just like almost all of the rest of the commenters here do. But there is a legitimate point to be made that when we demand stringent safety regulations be put in place but then happily look the other way when favored constituencies decide the regulations are inconvenient for them then we undermine the whole idea that we’re all in this together and that our pandemic decisions are all based upon science, not politics.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  86. @81 I agree with JVW’s point. I just thought Gryph’s comparison wasn’t accurate. He was trying to make points on the idea of people being hypocrits regarding their opinion on his (lack of) mask wearing vs. the funeral, but it doesn’t work.

    Nic (896fdf)

  87. Sorry for your loss, CH.

    Dustin (4237e0)

  88. With all those people at Congressman Lewis’s funeral, why are church’s required to remain closed?

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  89. Sorry for your loss coronello, if we lose what it is to be human to grieve to share, its a greater permanent loss.

    Narciso (7404b5)

  90. It would’ve been heartbreaking to not be able to hold a service. I feel for those less fortunate.

    My family has lost two dear friends during the coronavirus, and that’s why this whole Lewis funeral situation tends to bother me so much. The first was during the heart of the pandemic, so naturally there could not be a service and thus a truly great man and pillar of our community who otherwise would have had a packed church and the bishop celebrating the funeral mass had to be quietly sent off to his eternal reward with only his wife, children, and some of his grandchildren present. The second friend died in the past couple of weeks, and though churches in Colorado have been reopened at limited capacity, it was thought best that this man, a decorated Vietnam veteran and outstanding career officer in the service of our country, should have a small family-only service and burial as well, since that was easier than trying to invite a limited number of attendees.

    In case there is any question, neither man died from COVID-related issues.

    My condolences again on the loss of your mother, Colonel Haiku.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  91. @86. Oh my, Colonel. Condolences and sympathy from me.

    It’s hard. But glad you managed some services to comfort the loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  92. Colonel Haiku, I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I’m glad you got to offer your condolences. I can relate in very close fashion and wish you the best in your time going forward.

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  93. Colonel, my sincerest condolences on your loss. And stupid me had thought your absence from the blog earlier in the year was some sort of discipline from our host.

    I also fear these things happen in bunches, my mother was told earlier this week about a growth on her pituitary gland following an MRI requested for retinal nerve issues. I may unfortunately experience what many here already have and are still coping with.

    urbanleftbehind (08b3a1)

  94. Colonel Haiku,

    Condolences.

    I asked this question at the time, but I doubt you saw it.

    Was your mother laid to rest in Springville, as with your other family member?

    norcal (a5428a)

  95. 87. People in Georgia have been cremating family members against their stated wishes because they are not allowed to bury the decedants in caskets. This was a courtesy that John Lewis received in spades because, well, he’s John Lewis. An exception was most certainly made. Unless, of course, you’re either willfully blind or simply not paying attention to what’s going on in Atlanta.

    Gryph (76a0c3)

  96. So sorry for the loss of your mom, Col.
    Enjoy those grandkids.

    mg (8cbc69)

  97. People in Georgia have been cremating family members against their stated wishes because they are not allowed to bury the decedants in caskets.

    1. I question the veracity of that statement.

    2. Moreover, I raise. Georgia is not “tough on funerals”:

    Most bodies are buried in established cemeteries, but there are no state laws in Georgia that prohibit burial on private property. Local governments may have rules governing private burials, however. Before burying a body on private land or establishing a family cemetery, you should check county and city zoning ordinances. https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/burial-cremation-laws-georgia.html

    3. WTF? Shut up! It might be the government’s business, but it’s none of yours. Sheesh!

    nk (1d9030)

  98. Thanks, all. Best wishes on your mother’s situation, ulb.

    And yes, norcal, buried in Springville.

    Colonel Haiku (0236a2)

  99. My Condolences for you mother CH. I’m glad you were able to say goodbye properly.

    Time123 (7cca75)

  100. Dave wrote:

    Of course, the senate (where 40 million Californians have the same representation as 600,000 Wyomans) is already ridiculously undemocratic (again, by design).

    Considering how Californians vote vis a vis how Cowboy Staters cast their ballots, I’d say that once again reflects the wisdom of the Framers.

    The majority of Wyomans — is that the right word? — are smart; the majority of Californians are boneheadedly stupid.

    The Dana in Kentucky (e49c8b)

  101. We have a pet cemetery on the farm: one dog and five cats are buried there. I have instructed my daughters to have me cremated and bury my ashes with the critters. I need no headstone.

    The Dana in Kentucky (e49c8b)

  102. I would challenge anyone who says that social distancing was not observed during the John Lewis funeral to source their complaints. I think 6 feet and mask wearing was enforced in general. The family previously announced their intent to do so.

    And Gryph — with respect, you know as much about what is happening in Georgia as I do about social distancing in South Dakota.

    Appalled (1a17de)

  103. Considering how Californians vote vis a vis how Cowboy Staters cast their ballots, I’d say that once again reflects the wisdom of the Framers.

    But then you say the same thing about restricting the franchise to white, male property owners.

    At least you’re an honest bigot!

    Dave (1bb933)

  104. @96. Be there for her, ulb and do what you can but don’t neglect yourself either- eat and sleep. Difficult times for any doctoring what w/this bug going around. And wear your mask.

    DCSCA (797bc0)


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