“The Pet Goat” revisited: ten years later
Ever wonder about the perspective of the children President Bush was reading to when he first got the news of the 9/11 attacks? They’re ten years older now, and here’s a followup to that story. Their opinions might surprise you.
(Hat tip Althouse.)
[NOTE: For those of you who think the book’s title was actually “My Pet Goat,” please see this.]
Seven minutes the President took to transition children from possible trauma to normalcy. Shows a man with composure and humanity. Shows a strong leader, not a weak leader.
It is a truism and this example is one of many: One of the ugly truths about leftist intellectuals and activists is their love for the abstract idea and their ability, even desire, to sacrifice others for it.
Even though I had not yet un-drunk the Kool-aid when 9/11 happened, I always thought the criticism of Bush for continuing to read to the kids was unfounded. What was he supposed to do, jump up from the chair, put on his Superman cape, and fly out the window to go to New York to hold up the WTC with his bare hands? Even back then, I thought he had done absolutely the right thing by not panicking the children in the class.
Realistically, the amount of time he spent finishing the story he was reading to the class probably affected nothing–there is no action he could have taken in those seven minutes or so that would have materially changed any outcome on that day–so why all the fuss? It’s rather childish, actually–the cry of a five-year-old who is mad at Daddy for not being able to stop every bad thing in the world from happening.
The following is just my own opinion. Feel free to disagree or agree with my opinion. On 5/5/2011, an opinion writer on foxnews [dot] com, gave a statement like: “Give Obama his due…he did the right thing by sending the military to kill or capture Bin Laden. And George W. Bush did the wrong thing…Bush didn’t join Obama recently, when Obama laid a wreath at the NYC 9/11 attack site”.
I’m really trying to hold my tongue about this opinion piece. Bush made “the wrong choice”? If you are free to go, or not go, to a graveyard, I feel that either of those choices is ok and correct. No custom forces you to go to one. Perhaps the opinion writer is mad that “Bush doesn’t support Obama enough”. Oh really? Bush doesn’t have to support any current or former president.
In fact, why would Bush want to support Obama? Obama has blamed Bush for every war + issue in: the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, + maybe every problem under the sun.
After all, it is possible that Bush made a wise move, by not appearing at a 9/11 attack site with Obama and that ceremony. For if Bush had met Obama there, all the Bush-haters could then take the photo of the two presidents and say: Ha, Ha, George Bush, you couldn’t “get” the guy who did 9/11, and Obama did!
With all the unfair blame + sneering that Bush’s opponents throw at him, he maybe has made a distinct, wise choice, by not entering the current 9/11 political nastiness, rancor and blame games. Any ex-president can choose how he wants to be seen in current political events.
Jay Tea at WizBang.com posted an excellent response to those critizing President Bush not attending today’s event @ Ground Zero:
http://wizbangblog.com/content/2011/05/04/thanks-but-no-thanks.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Wizbang+%28Wizbang%29
When you see the type of cold and detached machine of a man liberals longed for as President, you get a little insight into why they hated GWB. He was all too flawed by his humanness.
TR,
Why anyone would accept a BHO invitation other than Oprah escapes me. Look at BHO’s treatment of Ryan or the SCOTUS. Why show up to be insulted by the narcissist in chief? GWB is too polite, so I’ll offer this response on his behalf: Fold it 5 ways and stick it where the sun never shines.
SteveH says, “When you see the type of cold and detached machine of a man liberals longed for as President, you get a little insight into why they hated GWB. He was all too flawed by his humanness.”
Well said!
Bush has enough class not to be bothered personally by what his opponents said about him, but I suspect that he can’t quite forgive that they didn’t leave politics at the water’s edge. Obama never said a critical word to the Dem base about the leaks on wiretapping and monitoring financial transactions. Yet those leaks made it very hard for other countries to cooperate with our intel people, and they put our country at risk. Some Dem criticisms of Bush were intended to sabotage his policies. I will never forgive them fo giving Michael Moore that seat at the Dem convention and standing in line for the premiere of his movie. Standing behind a crackpot instead of standing behind your country is despicable. I’m glad that the kids who were there at the Pet Goat reading on 9/11 have finally had a chance to share their side of the story.
Nicely put, SteveH, Parker and expat.
I think you have very polite and practical ideas. Very cool!
All the above comments are so right on.
As for finding what those kids thought who sat with George Bush on that fateful day — the only thing that surprises me is that this article appeared in a publication having anything to do with Time, Inc. and CNN.
There have been few moments that Pres. Bush didn’t have purpose and class.
Our current President, unfortunately, lacks both.
A good article, and surprising coming from Time. I guess they can afford to be magnanimous now that their guy “got” bin Laden.
It’s nice to see that those kids get it, unlike millions of adults then and now.
The Left is so indecisive that their idea of decisiveness is Bush leaping out like a fanatic out to rage on at the world.
That’s not how it works for correct strategic decision making.
Indeed, I thought even at the time that the criticism of Bush for this was unfounded and clearly political only.
Remember that he had only a brief and fragmentary notification that something dire had happened. Since the president’s whereabouts are generally public knowledge, neither he nor his protectors knew whether he was going to be assailed himself.
Surrounded by Secret Service agent, staying right where he was until he knew more was the wisest course. And he seemed to have genuine concern for the children–jumping up and being hustled out by his bodyguards would have likely alarmed and frightened the young ‘uns.
But as noted above, leftists are all for “the children” and don’t seem to think much about actual children.