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Penguins send struggling forward Daniel Sprong to Ducks

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Dave Eggers to open spring writers series at Wilkes University

This week, the nation will bid farewell to President George H.W. Bush, who shuffled off this mortal coil on Friday, aged 94.Americans are rightly praising Bush as a war hero, statesman, gentleman and family man.But humans are confusing, contradictory and complicated creatures. When speaking about politicians, multiply all of that a few times.President Bush&#8217;s passing has sparked renewed consideration about the impact of his many years in public office, and how that legacy will affect us all in years to come.We believe such assessments are appropriate and fair at this time, but it is also our hope that pundits, readers and social media users will also do so in a way that shows some class &#8212; respect for the dead and his family, if not necessarily for his policies.Some commenters have been quick to praise the late president, while others are loudly criticizing him, but in reasoned tones.Still others, as we see all too often, are behaving anything like the &#8220;kinder, gentler nation&#8221; that Bush exhorted us to be.It may be wrong to view his presidency through rose-colored glasses but it&#8217;s also understandable in our hyper-politicized social media age that some people will look back three decades and long for a time when politics seemed less brutal, less personal &#8212; likewise Americans&#8217; everyday discussions on the subject.Historians rightly debate Bush&#8217;s conduct of the Persian Gulf War and its aftermath. They debate whether he acted in good faith when he pardoned six defendants in the Iran-Contra affair.And as you read this, debate over Bush&#8217;s 1988 &#8220;Willie Horton&#8221; campaign ad has reignited, with many seeing that ad as a means of stirring fears of black crime among white voters, and thus a precursor to the often more crude racial politics of our own era.Others, meanwhile have criticized Bush for his attitudes and lack of action on HIV/AIDS. In more recent times, we have read that several women claim the former president groped them.But we also read about the heroic Navy pilot, the bipartisan pragmatist, the champion for disability rights who signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law. His humanitarian work after leaving office is also noteworthy.Yes, humans are confusing, contradictory and complicated creatures. George Herbert Walker Bush was one of them, who enjoyed great wealth and great power. History will decide whether he used those gifts wisely.In our discussions with each other, however, hopefully we can all take some inspiration from one of his most famous letters, which has been frequently shared in the days since Bush&#8217;s passing. It is the note he left President Bill Clinton, his successor, on leaving office. This message to the man who had just defeated him in a bitter election campaign bears repeating:Dear Bill,When I walked into this office just now I felt the same sense of wonder and respect that I felt four years ago. I know you will feel that, too.I wish you great happiness here. I never felt the loneliness some Presidents have described.There will be very tough times, made even more difficult by criticism you may not think is fair.I&#8217;m not a very good one to give advice; but just don&#8217;t let the critics discourage you or push you off course.You will be our President when you read this note. I wish you well. I wish your family well.Your success now is our country&#8217;s success. I am rooting hard for you.Good luck&#8212;GeorgeIt would be a much better world if we would see each another&#8217;s success as our country&#8217;s success, too, rather than treating other Americans as mortal enemies. We won&#8217;t apologize for arguing in favor of civility.Remember that this week as we pay tribute to a man for his service to this great nation.&#8212; Times Leader<style>
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<div class="neCaption">In this Feb. 11, 1991, file photo, President George H.W. Bush talks to reporters in the Rose Garden of the White House after meeting with top military advisors to discuss the Persian Gulf War. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_AP18294060844995.jpg</photo0><caption0>In this Feb. 11, 1991, file photo, President George H.W. Bush talks to reporters in the Rose Garden of the White House after meeting with top military advisors to discuss the Persian Gulf War. </caption0><photoCredit0>Ron Edmonds | AP file photo </photoCredit0></div></div>

Our View: Amid complex legacy, let’s learn from Bush’s service, civility