Former President George W. Bush has voiced “anguish” at the “brutal” treatment of George Floyd by Minneapolis police last week that caused his death and led to waves of national unrest.
In a five-paragraph message Tuesday, the 43rd U.S. president said he and former first lady Laura Bush decided to speak out.
“Laura and I are anguished by the brutal suffocation of George Floyd and disturbed by the injustice and fear that suffocate our country,” Bush wrote. “Yet we have resisted the urge to speak out, because this is not the time for us to lecture. It is time for us to listen.
“It is time for America to examine our tragic failures — and as we do, we will also see some of our redeeming strengths.”
Bush called protesting against injustice “a strength” and noted Floyd’s death is part of a “long series of similar tragedies.” He declared that the “doctrine and habits of racial superiority, which once nearly split our country, still threaten our Union.”
Bush also condemned the violent reactions that have occurred in nearly every major U.S. city over the past week.
“Looting is not liberation, and destruction is not progress.
“But we also know that lasting peace in our communities requires truly equal justice. The rule of law ultimately depends on the fairness and legitimacy of the legal system. And achieving justice for all is the duty of all.”
In closing, Bush called for “empathy, and shared commitment, and bold action, and a peace rooted in justice. I am confident that together, Americans will choose the better way.”
Former President Barack Obama addressed the unrest in a lengthy message Monday, which encouraged activists to demonstrate peacefully and make changes politically.
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Let us start with you George Bush. What about the systemic injustices you performed upon the American people with your NAFTA agreement? An agreement which has undermined the USA through and through. China has over 97% of our pharmaceuticals and they are now using it as a weapon against our citizens for the privilege of your precious NAFTA agreement, our steel industry, cattle industry, fish industry, textile industries and on and on it went didn’t it? This was all done under cover and agreements made with China, who unleashed a disease on the USA and the world, all the while the American people were begging you not to sign the NAFTA AGREEMENT! You were instrumental George Bush in the loss of countless numbers of jobs through this NAFTA agreement. Remember that GIANT SUCKING SOUND of jobs leaving this country Ross Perot told us about. He was right. Because that is exactly what happened.
Don’t talk to “We the people” blacks, whites or any race of people here in America about SYSTEMIC racism. What you did was an injustice to all races in this country. Go back to your mansion, the rest of us out here will fight the battles. You too are an empty suit. All hat, no cattle and enriched yourself in the process. The real tragedy was you were ever in office for you are responsible for a lot of the mess we are in now.
Not to mention 8 years of complete silence while the racist Obama was busy dividing the country.
A more cynical person might suspect his latest comments of being a left-handed attack against Trump, who had nothing at all to do with George Floyd’s death.
Project, project, project.
Yes, let’s do mention that Dr & also the threats of severe consequences made by Bush admin & military leaders against citizens if they even thought about protesting against Muslims after 9/11, much less engaging in nationwide burning, looting & assaults on law enforcement.
The idea of elected leaders doing nothing to stop massive numbers of people gathering to take over & block streets & highways when history has proven many of them will inevitably devolve into violent mobs to burn & loot is akin to betraying the nation to anarchy & mob rule.
Floyd’s death by a rogue cop deserves same justice as any person of any race death by rogue cop, no more & no less.
If elected leaders won’t use force needed to protect citizens from wanton rampant violence, looting & burning down of entire cities then individual citizens have the right & are in fact compelled to use force to protect themselves, their property. & indeed the survival of the nation at large from annihilation.
Constant unjust & manufactured accusations of inborn racism against all white skin people who refuse to surrender to brutal govt sanctioned anarchy will do nothing but create real racism.
I completely forgot about those threats he made to us, if we EVER dared protest against islam..
I voted for that idiot, Bush, and his father! What a disappointment they have been!
OK. Failure 1. WE ELECTED YOU and your father to office
Failure 2, we elected OBAMA to office..
Oh George, you and your buddy Obama about did America in. Obama s racism for white and blacks was disgusting. Your giving away American people jobs. Helping to bring in Muslims into America which was illegals. You are one world order elite who needs a good *** kicking for all your lies. Just shut up.George , no one care what you have to say. You traitor to the constitution and America.
Nor did he ever speak out against the COPS BEING TARGETED DURING obama’s tenure, CAUSE OF HIS RHETORIC towards officers..
You two should be ashamed. I’m sorry that you are racist, but most of us, out here aren’t. And, we are tired of people like you trying to pin their problems on us. There are a whole lot of good blacks, and many that are just average, going about their day, working to make a living, and take care of their family, just like the rest of us. But, when people like you try to shame us for doing just that, when we have never seen the color of a persons skin, that’s despicable. Most of these killings have nothing to do with the race, and everything to do with career criminal druggies. It is a shame, because this beating up and even killing others, vandalizing, and burning down property that belong to others, is only going to make more people angry. We can see that a whole lot of these thugs, doing this, are white and hispanic, too. We can see. And, we know what happened to this country when geo pulled manufacturing out of here, which supplied most of our jobs. What a shameful legacy you have, george.
George, please resume your non combative and submissive stance that you employed during the eight years of the Obama administration. You know the drill, imagine that you are still President and the MSM is assailing you, and just assume the position.
Ex-presidents should just go away. Quietly and forever, even – no, particularly when citizens hold them in high regard. It’s bad enough that big-mouth Obama can’t stop announcing his unintelligent opinions.
On my list of ‘tragic failures’ Jorge you are at the very top. It sicked me to have to vote for you, as I knew you were nothing more than an Open Borders Liberal.
For me, BOTH Bush’s were tragic failures.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK at the choices we had, it was either them, OR THE COMMUCRAT.. I don’t think ANY OF US would have liked seeing Al gore the bore, Kasicho, or Mccain as president after clinton.
OR For his pops, Dukakis…