A President Remembered; George H.W. Bush (41)

“…I now lift my pen to sign this Americans with Disabilities Act and say: Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down. God bless you all,” these powerful words were spoken on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush.

President George H. W. Bush’s legacy compares to President Washington and President Lincoln similarly in how they helped a number of people achieve independence. In 1776, George Washington led Americans to freedom from the British. Abraham Lincoln started the legal route to end slavery in 1863 with the Emancipation Proclamation. Also, in 1865, he enacted the thirteenth amendment with the senate and congress. On July 26, 1990, President Bush let the words of our founding fathers guide him as he signed the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).

“We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights…” The Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776. President Bush understood these words to mean every American, regardless of their race or abilities.

The Importance of Equality

President Bush, our 41st president, recognized that 43-million Americans were denied equality so he focused on working with both Democrats and Republicans to bring equality and civil rights to Americans with intellectual and physical disabilities. As a result, they created the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to remove physical and communication barriers, permitting equal access for all Americans.

We remember George H. W. Bush as a man of faith, honor, dignity, kindness, and equality. He was not afraid to share his faith, and he led by example. In his Inaugural Speech, he opened with a prayer that summed up his presidency.

“…For we are given power not to advance our own purposes, nor to make a great show in the world, nor a name. There is but one just use of power, and it is to serve people. Help us remember, Lord. Amen.”

President Bush humbly served our Nation and furthered all Americans through the ADA. He, indeed, tore down the “shameful wall of exclusion.”