Bill Clinton Helps Raise Money for Columbine Memorial

Pol Light Moment #162 occurred on July 20, 2004, when Bill Clinton visited Columbine, Colorado to help raise money for the Columbine Memorial to honor victims of the Columbine Massacre that took place on April 20, 1999. It was the worse school shooting in history to date.  Bill Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States and served from 1993-2001. He also served as the Governor of Arkansas from 1983-1992.

Bill Clinton met privately with survivors and family members of victims of the Columbine tragedy on July 20, 2004. That night he spoke at a gala in Denver to help raise approximately $300,000 for the memorial.

Bill Clinton promised to help the Columbine Memorial Foundation raise the necessary money to complete the memorial. He told the family members and survivors, “I’m really proud of you. I’ll help you raise the rest of the money. That’s the least I can do (Quoted in Clinton meets with Columbine Families, Associated Press, July 21, 2004).

The Columbine Memorial was completed and opened to the public on September 21, 2007. You can find out more about the Columbine Memorial Foundation on their website.

Quote Light: Bill Clinton has a page on the Quote Light blog.

Bill Clinton has been featured in other Pol Light moments and can be found by searching this blog with the Bill Clinton Label.

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

The photo of Bill Clinton is in the public domain.

Bill Cinton Speaks at Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial Service

                                Bill Clinton  / Oklahoma City Bombing Aftermath                                               

Pol Light Moment #149 occurred on April 23, 1995, when Bill Clinton  gave the eulogy for the victims of the Oklahoma City Bombing. Bill Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States and served from 1993-2001. He also served as the Governor of Arkansas from 1983-1992.

On April 19, 1995, a truck-bomb exploded at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 168 people died in the blast (History.com: Oklahoma City Bombing). A memorial service was held for the victims on April 23, 1995, and Bill Clinton gave the eulogy in his capacity as President at the time of the tragedy.

The entire text of the message is available on the American Rhetoric website. The following is a video from American Rhetoric featuring Bill Clinton delivering the eulogy for the Oklahoma City victims.

Quote Light: Bill Clinton has a page on the Quote Light blog.

Bill Clinton has been featured in other Pol Light moments and can be found by searching this blog with the Bill Clinton Label.

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

The photo of Bill Clinton is in the Public Domain.  Also, the photo of the Oklahoma City bombing aftermath is in the Public Domain.

Bill and Hillary Clinton Share About Marriage Counseling

Pol Light Moment #119 is when Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton shared about going through marriage counseling to save their marriage. While both had written briefly about their marriage counseling, Bill Clinton personally discussed it on the Ophrah Winfrey Show that aired on June 22, 2004. Bill Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States and served from 1993-2001. He also served as the Governor of Arkansas from 1983-1992. Hillary Clinton served as a U.S. Senator from New York from 2001-2009 and Secretary of State from 2009-2013.

Below is the portion of the Oprah Winfrey Show where Bill Clinton discussed the fact that marriage counseling with Hillary Clinton was helpful to him. In the interview Bill Clinton said, "I'm not only not ashamed for having done this counseling, I'm very proud of it. And it was helpful to me. And if it hadn't worked out for us, I would still be glad I did it (Oprah Winfrey Show, June 22, 2004)."

Books: Bill Clinton first shared about his marriage counseling in his book called My Life that was published in June 2004. Hillary Clinton also shared about her marriage counseling in her book called Living History that was first published in June 2003.

Bill and Hillary Clinton have been featured in other Pol Light moments and can be found by searching this blog with the Bill Clinton Label or the Hillary Clinton Label.

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

The photo of Bill and Hillary Clinton is in the Public Domain.

Bill Clinton Convinces Fleetwood Mac To Reunite for Inaugural Ball

Bill Clinton

Pol Light Moment #86 is when Bill Clinton brought the rock music band known as Fleetwood Mac together for his Inaugural Ball on January 19, 1993. Bill Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States and served from 1993-2001. He also served as the Governor of Arkansas from 1983-1992. The Fleetwood Mac song "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow" had become the unofficial campaign song for Bill Clinton in his 1992 Presidential Campaign.

Because of some conflicts in the group, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie, and Steve Nicks of Fleetwood Mac had not been on the same stage performing since 1982 (Ultimate Classic Rock, 20 Years Ago: Fleetwood Mac Performs at President-Elect Clinton's Inauguration). Bill Clinton was able to convince the group to put aside their differences and reunite to do a live performance together of their song Don't Stop for his Inaugural Ball  on January 19, 1993, the evening before he was sworn in as President (History.com, This Day in History).

Here is a video of Fleetwood Mac performing at Bill Clinton's Inaugural Ball.

Quote Light: Bill Clinton has a page on the Quote Light blog.

Bill Clinton has been featured in other Pol Light moments and can be found by searching this blog with the Bill Clinton Label.

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

The photo of Bill Clinton is in the public domain.

Bill Clinton Becomes a Vegan

Pol Light Moment #67 is when Bill Clinton made public his decision to become a Vegan on August 18, 2011.  Bill Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States and served from 1993-2001. He also served as the Governor of Arkansas from 1983-1992. A Vegan is a person who doesn't eat meat or fish or anything made from animals, such as dairy or eggs.

The following is a video of Bill Clinton talking about his vegan diet.

Bill Clinton described his diet this way: "I went on essentially a plant-based diet. I live on beans, legumes, vegetables, fruits... I drink a protein supplement every morning, no dairy, I drink almond milk mixed in with fruit, and a protein powder. It changed my whole metabolism and I lost 24 pounds, and I got back to basically what I weighed in high school (The Bill Clinton Diet)."

Clinton's journey with the Vegan lifestyle was precipitated by surgery for heart disease in 2004 and the desire to lose weight for his daughter Chelsea's wedding in the Summer of 2010. Regarding the reason he became a Vegan, Bill Clinton said, "I just decided that I was the high-risk person, and I didn't want to fool with this anymore. And I wanted to live to be a grandfather. So I decided to pick the diet that I thought would maximize my chances of long-term survival (Bill Clinton Reveals How He Became a Vegan, AARP)."

More Information: You can find more information on the Vegan diet that Bill Clinton follows at these pages on the Internet: 

• Bill Clinton Declares Vegan Victory, USA Today
• From Omnivore to Vegan: The Dietary Education of Bill Clinton, CNN
• Wait When Did Bill Clinton Become a Vegan, Mediaite.com

Quote Light: Bill Clinton has a page on the Quote Light blog.

Bill Clinton has been featured in other Pol Light moments and can be found by searching this blog with the Bill Clinton Label.

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

The photo of Bill Clinton is in the public domain.

Bill Clinton Keeps Memorials Open During Government Shutdown

Pol Light Moment #64 is President Bill Clinton keeping the war memorials and Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC open during his government shutdowns in 1995 and 1996. Bill Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States and served from 1993-2001. He also served as the Governor of Arkansas from 1983-1992.

Due to budget disagreements between the Legislative and Executive branches of the government, the US Government was shutdown and all non-essential services suspended from November 14 through November 19, 1995 and then again from December 16, 1995 to January 6, 1996. Bill Clinton decided as President that the war memorials and Lincoln Memorial could remain open. There were no staff providing information services, but the public was still able to enter the grounds of these government memorials in Washington D.C. on their own.

For vintage photographs of war memorials being open during the 1995 and 1996 shutdown reference the article War Memorials Remained Open During Previous Shutdown in The Daily Caller.

Quote Light: Bill Clinton has a page on the Quote Light blog.

Bill Clinton has been featured in other Pol Light moments and can be found by searching this blog with the Bill Clinton Label.

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

The photo of Bill Clinton is in the public domain.

Bill Clinton Leads Haiti Earthquake Relief

Bill Clinton

Pol Light Moment #6 is Bill Clinton leading long-term earthquake relief efforts for the country of Haiti. Bill Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States and served from 1993-2001. He also served as the Governor of Arkansas from 1983-1992. Bill Clinton has been serving as United Nations Special Envoy for Haiti since his appointment in May, 2009 (Source). The former President uses his Clinton Global Initiative to help with some of the needs of Haiti.

On January 12, 2010 at 4:52p.m., a 7.0 Magnitude earthquake hit Haiti. The earthquake hit about 16 miles from Haiti's capital city and impacted 3 million people. About 200,000 people perished and millions were left homeless. Bill Clinton was on the ground in Haiti within a week after the diaster and he visited Haiti 13 times in the year following the earthquake (Source). For more information on the earthquake see the Wikipedia page on this event.

Here is a CBS news video of Bill Clinton encouraging support for relief for Haiti a few days after the earthquake hit.

For more information on how Bill Clinton has lead the relief for Haiti read these online articles.

• Bill Clinton and the Country that Never Was
• Bill Clinton on Hospital Tour in Haiti
• Bill Clinton's Lasting Legacy May be Haiti

Quote Light: Bill Clinton has a page on the Quote Light blog.

Bill Clinton has been featured in other Pol Light moments and can be found by searching this blog with the Bill Clinton Label.

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

Photo: The photo of President Bill Clinton is the official photo of a US Government official and is in public domain.  The image of Haiti is from Wikipedia.