The Thousand points of light was a recurring phrase in speeches given by George H. W. Bush

George H. W. Bush

George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...

. The term was coined by speechwriter Peggy Noonan

Peggy Noonan

Peggy Noonan is an American author of seven books on politics, religion, and culture and a weekly columnist for The Wall Street Journal...

. In his inaugural address on January 20, 1989, Bush said:

I have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good. We will work hand in hand, encouraging, sometimes leading, sometimes being led, rewarding. We will work on this in the White House, in the Cabinet agencies. I will go to the people and the programs that are the brighter points of light, and I will ask every member of my government to become involved. The old ideas are new again because they are not old, they are timeless: duty, sacrifice, commitment, and a patriotism that finds its expression in taking part and pitching in.

Origin

In The Magician's Nephew

The Magician's Nephew

The Magician's Nephew is a fantasy novel for children written by C. S. Lewis. It was the sixth book published in his The Chronicles of Narnia series, but is the first in the chronology of the Narnia novels' fictional universe. Thus it is an early example of a prequel.The novel is initially set in...

published in 1955, C. S. Lewis

C. S. Lewis

Clive Staples Lewis , commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist from Belfast, Ireland...

 wrote "One moment there had been nothing but darkness; next moment a thousand, thousand points of light leaped out..."

Award

The phrase was taken as the name for the "Thousand Points of Light" award, an award given by the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network

Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network

The Points of Light Institute is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization in the United States of America dedicated to engaging more people and resources in solving serious social problems...

 to honor volunteerism.

Allusions

"Point of Light

Point of Light

"Point of Light" is the title of a song co-written by Don Schlitz and Thom Schuyler and recorded by American country music artist Randy Travis. It was the lead-off single released from his album, High Lonesome. It was his twenty-first single overall...

" is the title of a song co-written by Don Schlitz

Don Schlitz

Donald Alan "Don" Schlitz, Jr. is a country music songwriter. For his songwriting efforts, Schlitz has earned two Grammys, as well as four ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year awards...

 and Thom Schuyler

Thom Schuyler

Thom Schuyler is an American songwriter. Schuyler wrote songs recorded by more than 200 various artists including "16th Avenue" for Lacy J. Dalton, "Love Will Turn You Around" for Kenny Rogers, and "Long Line of Love" for Michael Martin Murphey.In 1983, Schuyler signed to Capitol Records and...

 and recorded by American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 artist Randy Travis

Randy Travis

Randy Travis is an American country music singer and actor. Since 1985, he has recorded 20 studio albums and charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, 22 of which were number one hits...

, which deals with the contributions of teachers, and refers to this program. It was the lead-off single released from his album, High Lonesome.

Neil Young

Neil Young

Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...

 criticized the theme in his song "Rockin' in the Free World

Rockin' in the Free World

"Rockin' in the Free World" is a song by Neil Young, released on his 1989 album Freedom. Two versions of the song were released, similar to the song "Hey Hey, My My " of Young's Rust Never Sleeps album, one of which is performed with a predominantly acoustic arrangement, and the other with a...

":

We got a thousand points of light
For the homeless man
We got a kinder, gentler,
Machine gun hand

Bad Religion

Bad Religion

Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...

 references the slogan in the song "Heaven is Falling" from their 1992 album Generator

Generator (Bad Religion album)

In October 2011, the album was ranked number three on Guitar World magazine's top ten list of guitar albums of 1992.-Track listing:#"Generator" - 3:21#"Too Much to Ask" - 2:45#"No Direction" - 3:14#"Tomorrow" - 1:56...

:

It sounds like heaven is fallin'.
You promised me a new day a-dawnin'.
I've seen a thousand points of light,
Like so many points of hatred, shame, and horror.

Bruce Dickinson

Bruce Dickinson

Paul Bruce Dickinson is an English singer, songwriter, airline pilot, fencer, broadcaster, author, screenwriter, actor and marketing director, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden....

 referenced the phrase in the anti-war song "1000 Points of Light" his 1994 album Balls to Picasso

Balls to Picasso

Balls to Picasso is a Hard rock album by Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson, released in 1994. It is the second effort in Dickinson's solo career and the first released after he had officially left Iron Maiden....

Todd Snider

Todd Snider

Todd Daniel Snider is an American singer-songwriter with a musical style that combines Americana, alt-country, and folk.-Biography:...

 referenced this phrase in the 1994 song "My Generation Part 2":

We'll buy anything from Diet Sprite
To One Thousand Points of Light

The title of the 21 Jump Street

21 Jump Street

21 Jump Street is an American police procedural crime drama television series that aired on the Fox Network from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes. The series focused on a squad of youthful-looking undercover police officers investigating crimes in high schools,...

episode "Blinded by the Thousand Points of Light" is also a mocking reference to the first President Bush, who had recently assumed the presidency when the episode aired.

Dana Carvey

Dana Carvey

Dana Thomas Carvey is an American actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for playing the role of Garth in the Wayne's World movies.-Early life:...

 often used the phrase in his famous Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live

Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...

impressions of President Bush.