Ryan Mecca | 'He Did Not Lead on AIDS': For Bush, Activists See a Mixed Legacy

         President George H.W. Bush, who passed away this past Friday, signed the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Ryan White Care Act, both creating a huge turn-around in the care of those with HIV/AIDS. Hilary Rosen, a human rights advocate, states that Bush did a lot, however, didn't do as much as he could; she believes this is because of the fact that many of those suffering from AIDS are gay and Bush had negatives opinions on those who were homosexual. Many think that Bush was more of a "'love-the-sinner, hate-the-sin'" person, as he hinted at not truly accepting the gay population, often being skeptical of passing specific acts if they had to do with the LGBTQ+ community.
         Many people are considering former president George Bush's legacy far after his term, now that he's passed just a few days ago. I think that this article is directed towards those who may have mixed feelings or think that Bush left an amazing legacy, as it's important for them to understand that while he was a great leader, he did not do as much as he could have for the gay community and for the funding of AIDS care. The author, Liam Stack, seems to have mixed feelings, including both counterarguments to Bush's possible bad-leadership and interview quotes from those who did believe that he could've done a lot better.  As the younger generation, it's becoming increasingly important for us to be knowledgeable of these sort of situations so that when we do get our chance to vote, we are ensuring that we are voting for who we think we are voting for.
         Similar to how George Bush's legacy on AIDS care is controversial, Abraham Lincoln's legacy on slavery in the U.S. is also controversial. Some believe that Lincoln didn't really do much to end slavery in the U.S., considering he didn't want to free all slaves at first and that his Emancipation Proclamation only freed slaves in rebelling territories; these slaves were forced to still fight for their freedom further by enlisting in the army once in Union territory.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/03/us/george-bush-hiv-aids.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FUnited%20States&action=click&contentCollection=world&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection