Journey back to Hope
During a visit to the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library, I wondered: How could things have changed so far, so fast, in only five years? How had all of those accomplishments simply vanished under George W. Bush?
By Archbishop Bruce J. Simpson
An Advocate.com exclusive posted, September 16, 2005
Recently I had to fly to Little Rock, Ark., for business and also paid a visit to the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library. It was a bright, sunny, warm day in Little Rock as I drove down President Clinton Street and parked. My first impression was that it was a very modern architectural design: in the form of a bridge, representing a bridge to the future.
As I entered the library, there sat one of the limousines from the presidential fleet that Clinton used. I paid my $7 and entered this monument to the history of a man who ran this country for eight years. As I wandered through the exhibits, I was overwhelmed not by the number of exhibits but what they represented. I read many letters to the president from a wide diverse section of humanity and noted that many of them were signed “Love...” That’s how people felt about Clinton. I personally met the man a couple of times, and I was struck by his smile and warmness.
We forget actually what Bill Clinton did accomplish while president because of the impeachment episode, Whitewater, and other distractions from his job that Clinton went through—all organized and ran by the Republican Party and the far right.
We forget about things like the Camp David peace accords; six million jobs created in just the first two years of his presidency; the lowest combination of inflation and unemployment in 25 years; a $600 billion deficit reduction in three years, the first time since Harry Truman that the deficit went down three years in a row. [...] Read the long list of his accomplishments here, and I wonder if you will weep, as I nearly did, for our country. I wish we would eliminate the amendment that keeps him from running for President again. http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid20750.asp
© Virginia Metze
By Archbishop Bruce J. Simpson
An Advocate.com exclusive posted, September 16, 2005
Recently I had to fly to Little Rock, Ark., for business and also paid a visit to the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library. It was a bright, sunny, warm day in Little Rock as I drove down President Clinton Street and parked. My first impression was that it was a very modern architectural design: in the form of a bridge, representing a bridge to the future.
As I entered the library, there sat one of the limousines from the presidential fleet that Clinton used. I paid my $7 and entered this monument to the history of a man who ran this country for eight years. As I wandered through the exhibits, I was overwhelmed not by the number of exhibits but what they represented. I read many letters to the president from a wide diverse section of humanity and noted that many of them were signed “Love...” That’s how people felt about Clinton. I personally met the man a couple of times, and I was struck by his smile and warmness.
We forget actually what Bill Clinton did accomplish while president because of the impeachment episode, Whitewater, and other distractions from his job that Clinton went through—all organized and ran by the Republican Party and the far right.
We forget about things like the Camp David peace accords; six million jobs created in just the first two years of his presidency; the lowest combination of inflation and unemployment in 25 years; a $600 billion deficit reduction in three years, the first time since Harry Truman that the deficit went down three years in a row. [...] Read the long list of his accomplishments here, and I wonder if you will weep, as I nearly did, for our country. I wish we would eliminate the amendment that keeps him from running for President again. http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid20750.asp
© Virginia Metze
Starmail - 20. Okt, 11:34
