“I take as my guide the hope of a saint: In crucial things, unity; in important things, diversity; in all things, generosity. America today is a proud, free nation, decent and civil, a place we cannot help but love.”
– President George H.W. Bush.
By Chip Felkel, special to Statehouse Report | One of my heroes is gone and hopefully not the ambition, desire and commitment to see our country through this lens.
A text early last Saturday from an old friend (a loyal Democrat who understands it’s not about partisanship, it is about people) informed me that President George H.W. Bush had died. It was no real shock or surprise. He was, after all, 94, and just like my own parents who shared a long loving marriage, he was likely to soon follow his beloved Barb.
And yet, I found myself truly heartbroken. Yes, for me and certainly for his family. But I was much more heartbroken for the entire country. Our 41st president epitomized “public service.” He provided us all with such a fantastic example of what it means to be a true leader. He was an incredible inspiration as a father, husband and grandfather as evidenced by the love and affection of his family. But he also showed grit and determination to serve and to succeed in the oil business in Texas, as head of the CIA, the Republican National Committee, as ambassador to China and the United Nations, as vice president and of course, as the president of the United States.
This week, through the passing of this true American leader and statesman, we have been blessed to be reminded of how our public discourse and politics should, could, and still can be. But only if we demand it.
The outpouring of tributes provided many younger citizens with a history lesson and all of us with an example of a life well-lived. George Herbert Walker Bush was about duty, honor, commitment and loyalty, while also staying humble and occasionally self-deprecating, even when lesser men would have allowed their egos to lead, rather than their heads.
His unquestionable and steadfast commitment to his country and to “doing the right thing”, allowed him to see the greater good in others and their intentions, to work with political foes to achieve big things, to build important coalitions around the world and to make hard decisions that he accepted would undoubtedly affect him directly. He was far from perfect. He made mistakes. But his intentions were never questioned.
When I joined his campaign in 1987, I could never have known just how much he would impact my life professionally and personally. At 22, I was tasked with initially establishing the statewide organization here in South Carolina for “George Bush for President” after serving on Carroll Campbell’s successful race for governor. Later, I served as executive director of Bush-Quayle Georgia for 1988 general election. It was the first state called for “41” on election night and is one of my proudest moments.
I am not objective here. I admit it. But I believe we have suffered a tremendous loss, one that many may not fully appreciate or understand. I sincerely hope and pray that all citizens will listen to these stories, reread the beautiful eulogies that were delivered and know not only that he was a truly great man, but that he was the kind of man we really want and need to be our leader. In short, I want us all to acknowledge just how fortunate we were to have this man serve as POTUS.
Character. Faithfulness. Loyalty. Service. That was 41. I have many fond memories. I burst with immense pride to have played a small role in his incredible, impactful, important life. And, I believe we all should strive to follow his example: Live life to the fullest, do the right thing, be loyal and serve others with honor. God bless you, Mr. President and the Bush family. God blessed us with your presence.
Chip Felkel, founder of The Felkel Group in Greenville, operates the RAP Index to help organizations uncover key relationships.
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