George Bush warns of domestic extremism, appeals to ‘the country I know’
Former President George W. Bush warned that the country was falling into division and extremism, former President George W. Bush on Saturday called for a return to the spirit of cooperation that emerged 20 years ago after the 9/11 attacks—almost Immediately-.
Delivering the keynote address at the National Memorial to the victims of Flight 93, who shot down their airplane hijacked by al-Qaeda terrorists before it was used as a weapon against the nation’s capital, Bush called for “gathering within.” of violence”.
“There is very little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home,” he said. “But in their disdain for pluralism, in their defiance of human life, in their determination to desecrate national symbols, they are the children of the same dishonesty. And it is our constant duty to confront them.”
Bush’s warning comes barely eight months after supporters of then-President Donald Trump attempted to reverse the results of the 2020 election, a violent uprising in the US Capitol. It marked some of Bush’s scathing criticism of that attack and appeared to be an implicit criticism of Trump’s brand of politics.
Bush regretted that “a lot of our politics has become a naked appeal to anger, fear and outrage.”
He admitted that he had no easy solution. Instead, he inspired the heroism of the Flight 93 victims and the resolute spirit of a wounded nation to emerge stronger from the tragedy.
“On the day of America’s trials and tribulations, I watched millions instinctively hold a neighbor’s hand and rally for one another,” Bush said. “That’s the America I know.”
He said Islamophobia, racism or selfishness could have come to the fore after the attacks, but the country rejected them, adding, “This is the nation I know.”
“It’s not just about nostalgia, it’s the truest version of myself,” Bush said. “This is who we were, and what we can be again.”
Bush’s appeal for unity drew praise from President Joe Biden, who visited Shanksville shortly after Bush spoke, watching his speech on Air Force One on a flight from the 9/11 commemoration events in New York.
“I thought President Bush made a really good speech today,” Biden said. “Actually.”
Biden also prioritized national unity, telling reporters on Saturday, “That’s the thing that’s going to affect our well-being more than anything else.”
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