Bush funeral coverage betrays history needed for future progress, enlightenment

I've waited to comment for coverage to fade following the near week long honoring following the death of 41st president George H.W. Bush. Much of the commentary resides on the extremes of adulation for his assumed decency, kindness, good cheer among other laudable attributes; and vilification of alleged monstrous deeds of a murderous foreign policy abroad and neglect of the forgotten, whether AIDS victims, the poor, the marginalized at home. You won't get a smidgen of the latter on mainstream media which coalesced to deify H.W. as another chapter of American exceptionalism.

But as one who both lived through Bush's entire career of government service and cherishes history, I know a fair amount of the latter allegations being denied to most of our 326 million Americans. That is unfortunate if we are to understand and learn from the failings and mistakes of the people we entrust with our well being and future. The same deification was apparent at the funerals of two other presidents who died long after leaving office: Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. There is no established rule on state funerals for such former political leaders. We would, I believe, benefit if such matters were strictly family affairs. That might allow a more honest public assessment of the deceased's role in the American Story which is not being served by the whitewashed versions presented as establishment narrative.