Bush family always exhibited civility

As saddened as I was watching the funeral of Barbara Bush, I was even more so at the thought of how we’ve discarded the mantle of civility she and her family have so wonderfully displayed.

“Civility is claiming and caring for one’s identity, needs and beliefs without degrading someone else’s in the process,” say Tomas Spath and Cassandra Dahnke, founders of the Institute for Civility in Government.

Tom Ridge, former Republican governor of Pennsylvania and the first secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, once said, “Ask anyone who has sat across a table from Joe Biden or John McCain, and they’ll tell you the same thing — that these are men of principle who hold strong to their beliefs and will argue passionately in defense of their positions. But they also understand that one need not demonize their opposition in order to effectively govern.”

Amy Gutmann, president of the University of Pennsylvania, and Dennis Thompson, the Alfred North Whitehead Professor of Political Science Emeritus at Harvard University. wrote, “Yes, elections are a time for fiery oratory and passionate debate. But they are for a season, and each season must pass. After Election Day must come the time for our leaders to demonstrate true political leadership and return to the shared task of building the great table of American freedom and prosperity.”

Linda Lingle, the sixth governor of Hawaii and its first Republican, said, “Politicians all too often think about the next election. Statesmen think about the next generation.”

James J. Vargo North Ridgeville