Our points of light will be remembered

Not satisfied with denigrating Sen. McCain at his Montana rally, Trump decided to ridicule President George H.W. Bush, another patriot who put his life on the line serving his country. Trump's ugly words: " 'Thousand Points of Light,' I never quite got that one. What the hell is that? Has anyone ever figured that one out? It was put out by a Republican, wasn't it?"

And the crowd cheered.

Jenna Bush Hager responded by tweeting a quote her grandfather, now 94, wrote in 1997 about kindness. "You ask about The Pursuit of Happiness at a good time in my life," Bush wrote. "I have pursued life itself over many years now and with varying degrees of happiness. Some of my happiness still comes from trying to be in my own small way a true 'point of light.' I believe I was right when I said, as president, there can be no definition of a successful life that does not include service to others. So I do that now, and I gain happiness. I do not seek a Pulitzer Prize. I do not want press attention. I don't crave sitting at the head table or winning one of the many coveted awards offered by the many organizations across the land. I have found happiness. I no longer pursue it, for it is mine."

The Points of Light Foundation, the nonprofit that mobilizes millions of people each year to participate in volunteer work, quoted the 41st president: "We can find meaning and reward by serving some higher purpose other than ourselves, a shining purpose, the illumination of a thousand points of light … we all have something to give."

History will remember Sen. John McCain and President George H.W. Bush as respected American heroes. Trump and his cheering crowds - not hardly.

Helen Torscher

Crystal Lake