POINTS OF LIGHT SHINE ON AMERICA'S GOODNESS

This is in tribute to a governmental award program, a rhetorical frill and the idea for which they stand. In these days when political speeches have a shelf life only a bit longer than a sound bite, there is a phrase that still rings true in the Bush presidency: "a thousand points of light." As this administration moves to its conclusion, and the 1,000th point of light is about to be recognized, this passage bears witness to the more human aspects of the nation where we live. Its impact is that it spells out, and encourages, the goodness America is capable of.

People may recognize "a thousand points of light" as a central theme in George Bush's acceptance speech at the 1988 Republican convention. Speechwriter Peggy Noonan, in her book "What I Saw at the Revolution," recalls including the phrase to characterize the nominee's views on "local control, local involvement and where the real well~springs of American energy are." In part, the speech went like this:

We are a nation of communities, of thousands and tens of thousands of ethnic, religious, social, business, labor union, neighborhood, regional and other organizations, all of them varied, voluntary and unique ... a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky. Does government have a place? Yes. Government is part of the nation of communities not the whole, just a part.

The words themselves are nice to read. But they are significant, as all words should be, in what they represent. In America, these words say, everyone has a part to play. It needn't be done collectively, as in the case of government's sweeping attempts to be all things to all people. Rather, it can be done individually, utilizing the care and common sense that is part of our national fabric. George Bush understood there is a core of people whose concern for mankind was capable of raising this nation to great heights. His "thousand points of light" program recognizes that.

Every day of the Bush administration, a Point of Light has been recognized with a presidential letter and certificate. The honorees range from a Houston girl who spends lunch hours with disabled schoolmates to the Spokane woman who organized an AIDS hospice. It was never about politics; it was about volunteerism, about Americans helping America be a better place. The 1,000th Point of Light will be awarded on New Year's Eve, and the president will name his 1,020th on his last day in office.

Citizens needn't be in government to make a difference. Government can solve some problems; a great many it can't solve. The points of light mentioned in the speech emit from all Americans who step forward, whether routinely or out of necessity, and make their citizenship count for something. It is within us all to be a point of light, and we are pleased a thousand and more have been recognized in the last four years.