As the nation pondered the majesty of President George H.W. Bush’s state funeral Wednesday, Martha MacCallum had two wonderful guests on her Fox News program, John Lee and Mark X. Cronin.

Who are they? Remember those wild socks the late president so enjoyed? They were manufactured by a company called John’s Crazy Socks, son John and father Mark’s company.


John has Down syndrome and has always loved wild patterned socks. (So did my late mother. I wish I had known about the company before she died.) In 2016, John had this great idea to go into the sock business with his father. And so they did.

The company’s mission statement? “Happiness Through Socks.” They sure succeeded in lifting the spirits of an ill and elderly ex-president. The vivid socks depicting books that Bush wore to his wife Barbara’s funeral, in honor of her passion for reading, were from John’s. I believe he is being buried wearing another pair manufactured by the company.

And why should we be surprised? People with Down are part of the fabric of society. They offer profound contributions — particularly in the love department. We should welcome them with open arms, not pursue bioethics-prenatal policies aimed at eradicating them from the face of the earth.