Unfortunately, for years to come, George W. Bush will now be known for an economic recession and nationalizing the banking industry. While that is partly true, that is not what he will be known for in forty years.

I do believe that after America has had a chance to get through this economic downturn, no matter whose fault it is, we will be able to see objectively the accomplishments of the George W. Bush Administration. Let’s go through them now.

• The War On Terror

Arguably his greatest achievement. I don’t care what your political affiliations are, President Bush’s decision to engage in a war on terror, which the President before him did not, has kept this country safe for the past seven years. Had we not engaged in wars in both Afghanistan & Iraq, there would undoubtedly have been another attack on our soil.

Had we not engaged in wiretapping & unconventional interrogation techniques (notice I refuse to call it torture), we would not have found out about planned attacks on our soil, and stopped them.

• Kyoto Global Warming Treaty

President Bush withdrew the United States from the Kyoto agreement, and rightfully so. China & India were exempt from the agreement, and what would have resulted would have been a much quicker & worse economic disaster than what we have now. He was the only one that had the courage to say what everyone else knew to be true, that it would be a disaster.

A rational discussion on “Global Warming” is finally possible, thanks in part to Bush. The “Consensus of Scientists” has all but collapsed and the skeptics that have been yelling about a trend toward cooling, not warming, can finally be heard.

• Global Democracy

Bush touted his plan to push Democracy to all corners of the world. He definitely got democracy, however fragile, to the middle east in Iraq & Afghanistan, but he also strengthened the fragile democracies of the Ukraine & Georgia, two former soviet states.

• Strengthened Foreign Relations

President Bush also strengthened relations with several east Asian democracies (Japan, South Korea, Australia) without causing a rift in relations with China.

He also forged very strong ties with India. A very formidable ally in the war on terror.

• Supreme Court Appointees

President George W. Bush appointed John Roberts & Sam Alito to the Supreme Court & named Roberts Chief Justice. By doing so, he made the Supreme Court decidely more conservative, however recent rulings would possibly prove otherwise. Both of these Justices are in their 50′s, which means they should be there for decades to come.

• Africa

Perhaps Pres. Bush’s least known accomplishment was his work in Africa. I guess if this was reported more it would prove the left and media wrong about conservatives being racist bigots.

President Bush used PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for Aid Relief) to help African’s with healthcare and more specifically with HIV.

“This is the best thing that ever happened to the poor people I work with,” said Edward Phillips, a Catholic priest overseeing the distribution of life-saving antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) in Nairobi, Kenya. “It’s one of the few times I’ve seen US government money really reach down to the poorest of the poor. It’s kept a hell of a lot of people alive.”

• Abortion

Perhaps one of his most important achievements is the passing of both The Partial Birth Abortion Ban and the Unborn Victims of Violence Act.

George W. Bush has always been Pro-Life, and he has proven that time and again.

This is not to say that Bush did not have his shortcomings and bad policies, because he did. Every President does. No one is perfect. This is just my effort to inform and remind the general public about some of his great accomplishment that, for me, make those shortcomings very forgiveable.

After all of these amazing accomplishments by a genuinely good man, people still felt the need to boo and shout profanities of this man at a celebration representing our countries ability to hand over the top spot in this country to someone with different political ideologies peacefully.

It is a very sad day in America when we can’t show, despite our difference in opinion, the respect that this man duely deserves for serving us and this country for the past eight years, and serving it well.

I know when President Obama hands over the keys to whoever succeeds him, I will show him the same respect that I have shown to President Bush, despite our differences.

I would like to mention a website I found. It’s called I Thank W. Please check it out, and if you appreciate what President Bush has done for us, and this country, please post why on that website. He may not get to read them all, but just knowing how many people do appreciate him will make a huge impact on himself, and his family. They have all made great sacrifices during these past eight years. Please show your gratitude.

This post was cross-posted on Red State Politics.