Faithwire
  • Watch
  • Go!
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • SCOTUS
  • Life
  • Religious Liberty
  • News
  • Politics
  • Faith
  • Opinion

The Critical 6 Words Everyone Missed During George W. Bush’s Viral Speech

Pool Photo by Luke Frazza/Getty Images
Pool Photo by Luke Frazza/Getty Images
Share Tweet
By Billy Hallowell
Editor

October 20, 2017

Countless snippets and one-liners from former president George W. Bush’s speech immediately went viral on Thursday, but as people focused in on the political nature of the speech — as well as the claim that Bush’s critiques intentionally targeted Trump — there was one sliver of the address that absolutely shouldn’t be missed: Bush’s warning about the impact of incivility on kids.

“Bullying and prejudice in our public life sets a national tone. [It] provides permission for cruelty and bigotry and compromises the moral education of children,” Bush said. “The only way to pass along civic values is to first live up to them.”

Those six, simple words, upon deeper reflection, are quite stirring. While some might have overlooked this line and instead focused on some of the juicier tidbits, it commands not only our attention, but also our responsive action. “The moral education of children” has been in deep peril for quite some time, but the insane levels of incivility are only exacerbating the problem.

After all, many of us have spent the past year lamenting the current state of affairs —and with good reason. Free speech is becoming a relic of the past on many American college campuses, political differences have turned many peoples’ friends into foes and social media has created and fostered an environment in which some people unleash horrific proclamations and swipes.

And, sure, many of us have laughed and giggled over some of the bizarre, strange and oft-times unhinged polical spats that have unfolded over the past 18 months, with scores of voters viewing last year’s U.S. presidential debates as more of WWE Pay-Per-View events than respectful discussions between two leaders aiming to secure the most distinguished position in the world.

Indeed, many of us also cheer on social media when we see our favorite pundits slay their competitors in 140 characters or less, as we like, share and oft-times add our own comments into the mix.

A lot of these dialogues are benign, but if we’re being honest, we know many of them aren’t; without a doubt, some of the statements and proclamations shooting back and forth across the political aisle go above and beyond the line of acceptability.

We’ve become desensitized to the cultural mess that we’ve created, and, while that’s tragic and embarrassing enough for us all as thinking adults, it’s downright dangerous and problematic for our kids.

There’s an entire generation out there watching the incivility unfold — young, impressionable minds that are being shaped and reshaped by the behavior of those around them. Our actions and unrestrained incivility are sending an unfortunately powerful message that behavior and dialogue that seems unhinged, crazy or morally unrestrained is perfectly acceptable.

Many will and have responded to Bush’s warning by placing the blame on Trump, the media and our overarching political establishment. And, sure, they deserve some of the blame, but the reality is that regular, everyday citizens have absolutely no control over those individuals and forces.

What we can steer, however, is our own behavior and reactions. And at risk of sounding corny or cliche: we are where the real change begins. Bush was right when he said that bullying and nastiness set a “national tone.”

And while our leaders have failed miserably to set the right standard, we are the ones who must pick up the mantle, as the sum of our parts could totally change the trajectory of our nation — all it takes is a little effort, goodwill and self-restraint.

So much of our society is broken and so many of the messages coming from powerful channels are leading all of us — and most pressingly, our kids — down the wrong path. When we allow hate, nastiness, bigotry and cruelty to become a norm, we absolutely compromise the “moral education” of our children.

It’s time we think deeper before we feverishly type and post an angry political response on social media. It’s time we become better listeners. It’s time we respect others — even those we disagree with. The children are watching. Let’s be better.

Latest

  • News

    Charges Dropped Against Christian Woman Arrested After Silently Praying in Her Head Outside Clinic — but She Plans to Continue the Battle

  • Entertainment

    What’s the Biggest Mistake Christians Make When Balancing Truth & Love? Christian Singer Mike Donehey Unveils His Take

  • News

    ‘A Football Coach…Not a Pastor: NFL Legend Deion Sanders Targeted by Atheists for Alleged ‘Unconstitutional Actions’

  • News

    ‘God Is With Me’: Woman Was Just Seconds From Potential Death When 3,000 lb Boulder Burst Through Her Living Room

  • News

    PRAY: Police Search For Answers After NJ Christian Councilwoman Killed Outside Her Home


Sponsored
Sponsored

Newsletter
Signup

Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Charges Dropped Against Christian Woman Arrested After Silently Praying in Her Head Outside Clinic — but She Plans to Continue the Battle
  • What’s the Biggest Mistake Christians Make When Balancing Truth & Love? Christian Singer Mike Donehey Unveils His Take
  • ‘A Football Coach…Not a Pastor: NFL Legend Deion Sanders Targeted by Atheists for Alleged ‘Unconstitutional Actions’
  • ‘God Is With Me’: Woman Was Just Seconds From Potential Death When 3,000 lb Boulder Burst Through Her Living Room
  • PRAY: Police Search For Answers After NJ Christian Councilwoman Killed Outside Her Home

Archives

  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016

Categories

  • Christian Persecution
  • Coronavirus
  • culture
  • Culture
  • Entertainment
  • Faith
  • Faith
  • Family
  • George Floyd
  • Go!
  • Israel
  • Life
  • Life
  • Lifestyle
  • Media
  • Men
  • Mission Haiti
  • News
  • News
  • Opinion
  • P.O.V
  • Politics
  • Politics
  • Sponsored
  • Sports
  • Virtue
  • Women

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Navigation

  • Watch
  • Go!
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Staff
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Sign up to get our newsletter your inbox every day.

Newsletter Signup

Do you want to read
more articles like this?