Great men

The alarm rang, and, out of habit, I flipped on the television. There were the bubbly blondes, as always, providing the local weather (rain again) and traffic (accidents everywhere). From there, it was on to The Big Story, the aftermath of yesterday's shooting at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, and a look at the 88-year-old man accused of shooting a security guard to death.

I wondered for a moment what happens in the life of a person to carry the kind of hatred the alleged shooter supposedly has for people of color and Jews for so long. And then, I contrasted that with the approach of two men whose birthdays will be marked in the next two days.

A s it happens, my father, James Benjamin Kent, Sr. , was born on this day 89 years ago. I'll spare you all the details of his life, which ended August 27, 2006, except to say that he helped raised six productive and well-adjusted children (five with my mother and one with my stepmother). My father worked hard, was kind to his friends and neighbors and everyone he came across, and loved his God fiercely. He was also a World War II veteran who was awarded two Bronze Stars for meritorious service.

I also thought of former President George Herbert Walker Bush, who will be 85 tomorrow. The former President and I will never see eye-to-eye politically, but I admire his service to his country, both militarily and since he left the Oval Office. He, like my father, worked hard, raised a family and, from all appearances, has maintained a sunny disposition. Indeed, Mr. Bush intends to mark his 85^th birthday tomorrow by jumping out of a plane, to replicate his assignment as a paratrooper in World War II.

Older Americans come in for a hard time in our youth-obsessed society, and the events of yesterday probably won't help in the minds of many. But we all ought to be mindful of the sacrifices and contributions of the men who helped keep this country great and strong during and after World War II.

Men like James Benjamin Kent, Sr. and George Herbert Walker Bush.