Today,
we are celebrating the life of former President George H.W. Bush. I was
watching the memorial service on television (which is still ongoing) and hearing
all the moving accounts of his life made me realize what an amazing impact he
has had on our world.
He
treated everyone as a friend, was loyal, but also enjoyed life to the fullest.
His early near-death experience as a navy pilot and the loss of his crew taught
him to cherish every moment he had.
He
always cared for other people. He cultivated relationships. As an ambassador,
he made great efforts to talk with world leaders on a regular basis. Then, as
President, he still did not stop that habit. He would call them for no
particular reason just to check how they were doing. That made it a lot easier
to form coalitions when the U.S. needed a favor from other countries.
In
relation to people with disabilities including epilepsy, President Bush was the
one who signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law in July 1990.
Without him, I think there would have been less of a chance that such sweeping
legislation could have been passed. Bush’s administration was probably the last
where real bipartisanship was in full play. Thanks to Tony Coehlo, the primary
author of the ADA, and many other supporters on both sides of the aisle, the
ADA passed, allowing it to reach the president’s desk for his signature. Of
course, President Bush acknowledged the criticisms of the new law such as its
vagueness, cost, and litigation to come, but this is what he had to say:
“Let the shameful wall of exclusion
finally come tumbling down.”
We
have made some progress, but we are still working on making that wall come tumbling
down. With continuing awareness activities and fundraising for epilepsy
research, one day that day will come!
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