Sep 10, 2018 4 min read

In the days following Sept. 11, 2001, Laurabeth Bush of McDonald caught the attention of President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, for a comment she made in a Pittsburgh newspaper article about children’s responses to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Following the attacks, Wendy Johnson of Lawrence submitted an email that was included in the story, and wrote that her great-niece, four-year-old Laurabeth, couldn’t comprehend how terrorists could hate people they don’t know.

Laurabeth’s suggestion: “Why don’t we just tell them our names?”

During a 60 Minutes television interview less than a week after the attacks, the former first lady, moved by the comment, mentioned Laurabeth’s idea.

Two months later, President Bush referred to the little girl’s suggestion in a speech. He went on to say, “We can’t tell them all our names, but together, we can show them our values.”

Laurabeth’s quote appeared in newspapers and magazines across the country, including Newsweek. She still has a scrapbook her great-aunt assembled that contains the articles that mention Laurabeth’s simple solution for finding peace.

“I always thought it was neat. I’d talk about it a lot in school, and I’d take the scrapbook to school and my teachers always thought it was interesting.”

Recently, the former president and his wife surprised Laurabeth and her husband, Donovan, when they sent a congratulatory letter to the couple to celebrate Laurabeth and Donovan’s Sept. 2 wedding.

The letter read, “Dear Laura and Donovan, Congratulations! May the joy you share on your wedding day be a source of lasting happiness. In your new lives together, be generous, laugh a lot, and enjoy each moment. We send our very best wishes for a happy day and a happy life.”

It was signed by both George W. and Laura Bush.

The Bushes (Laurabeth and Donovan) were delighted by the well wishes they received from the Bushes (George and Laura).

“It was so cool,” said Laurabeth. “The best part about the letter is that I had no idea my aunt had contacted George Bush’s office at all. I was completely blind-sided. “It was crazy and cool, and I was shocked (George W. and Laura Bush) would take the time to do that.”

It was Johnson’s idea to contact the former president’s office to inquire about a letter acknowledging the newlyweds’ marriage.

“I emailed his office, and his assistant emailed me back within an hour or two, and then she called me that same day and said it was a cool story,” said Johnson, who picked up Laurabeth from daycare on 9/11 and talked with her about what had happened that day. “The assistant was really into it and said she knew they’d want to do a letter.”

Johnson said Laurabeth’s optimistic outlook on how people should treat each other hasn’t changed, 17 years later.

“She’s the kind of person who still sees that as her view of life, that getting to know people makes a difference in how you treat each other, and it does matter,” said Johnson.

Laurabeth agrees.

“I really would like to think that my point of view has kind of stayed the same. I still have that belief for the most part,” Laurabeth said. “I like to think that once you get to know someone, once you get to know their back story, you get to know who they are as a person. It opens your mind to them as human beings. I think that getting to know someone can change your perception of them.”