Entry: Goodbye, Mr. President Sunday, June 06, 2004




more images of Ronald Reagan

The death of former President Ronald Reagan marks the passing of one of America's finest. As President, he took on the Soviet Union and won, he slashed taxes and brought back economic prosperity, and he rebuilt America's military as well as the Republican party, both suffering so badly from the after-effects of both Vietnam and Watergate. More than that, he gave us back our pride in being Americans. Ronald Reagan gave us back our optomism, our sense that as great as America is, it will be greater still.

The late 1970's were marred by a feeling of malaise and loss of control; that America had passed her peak and was spiraling downward to her end. Vietnam had damaged our national pride and our sense of purpose, and the Watergate scandal and resignation of the President introduced a profund distrust in both our country and our leaders. We were full of doubt about ourselves and our future. Nuclear war seemed inevitable. The recession with its high inflation and the energy crisis with its long lines at the gas stations caused the economy to stutter and stumble from bad to worse. The future loomed over the country like a dark cloud. Reagan reversed all of that. His upbeat, confident vision inspired all Americans. His detractors at the time faulted him for his sunny outlook and talk of a bright future. The American people ignored the nay-sayers and elected him over sitting President Jimmy Carter, 489 electoral votes to Carter's 49. When Reagan ran for re-election in 1984, he won 49 states and 525 electoral votes in the biggest landslide in American history. We believed in him, and he delivered.

His policies, however, were not what endeared him to the American people. It was his personal warmth and sense of humor, which he kept even in the worst circumstances. When he was shot by would-be assassin John Hinckley Jr. in 1981 and was rushed to the hospital, he looked around at the surgeons and joked, "I hope you're all Republicans." When he awoke to find his wife Nancy at his side, he told her, "Sorry, honey, I forgot to duck." When testing a microphone for a sound check in 1984, he quipped, "My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you I just signed legislation which outlaws Russia forever. The bombing begins in five minutes." Of course, it turned out that the microphone was live after all.

There's no way to pick out a particular favorite quote of his; there were so many. He was, after all, known as the Great Communicator. One of the most touching Reagan quotes, however, was from his speech after the Challenger shuttle disaster in 1986. "We will never forget them nor the last time that we saw them -- this morning, as they prepared for the journey, and waved good-bye, and slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God."

Ronald Reagan has himself slipped the surly bonds of Earth, and he will be sorely missed.

Ronald Reagan Quotes from RightWingNews
Ronald Reagan Quotes part 2 from RightWingNews
Ronald Reagan's Farewell Speech to the Nation
The Reagan Legacy
   8 comments

R. Doyle
June 6, 2004   10:42 AM PDT
 
Not every President makes a historical impact in his term of office. However, President Reagan did and much more. He made a lasting impression in our hearts. Carter certainly didn't have the "peanuts" to take on the Soviet Union. We, as a nation, were in desparate need of a change. We needed a President who refelcted what America was all about. One with the tenacity of John Wayne and the charisma of Clark Gable. Someone who could kick the Soviet's asses and "woo" Americans into feeling safe about doing it. President Reagan was that and a whole lot more, and he will be missed greatly. (Though, if he could come back, he may not be able to "recall" this event. <smile>)
ViriiK
June 8, 2004   11:09 PM PDT
 
Although I was born in 1984, it makes me feel that he was my grandfather all the time.. I grew up with my father being so proud of him when he was in the military under Reagan's command. The dream and love that Reagan prove to all Americans helped my father love his country more than he did.

I salute President Reagan for being our hero when we needed him in those times. My father who is currently in Iceland cried his heart out when he got the news. I won't be doing so because I've yet to understand the feeling my father had.

There's my 2 cents
ViriiK
JM
June 8, 2004   11:40 PM PDT
 
>I've yet to understand the feeling
>my father had.

Well, to give you an idea, imagine feeling the lowest you ever have. You just lost your job, your friends despise you, you have bills piled up to your eyeballs, you have no money and no one to turn to for help. You feel like your past was a waste and your future is a road to nowhere.

Now imagine that a guy comes out of the blue, picks you up out of the gutter, and tells you it's going to be alright if you're just willing to take charge of your problems. You want to believe in him. You give him a chance.

He shows you how to turn your whole life around. He tells you how to regain your pride in yourself. He gives you a future when you thought you had none. HE believes in YOU.

Now multiply that by approximately the population of the United States. And it's still just the one guy that does the helping.

That's how your father feels, I think.
Laura
June 9, 2004   06:17 AM PDT
 
I feel that too often(and led by the media) many get caught up in minutia - gas prices, prisoner abuse entitlements etc. These things are important to us, but pale in comparison to freedom and liberty. We need to get our priorities straight.
RIP President Reagen. Thank you for a job well done.
Name
June 9, 2004   04:43 PM PDT
 
nice site
Will
June 9, 2004   08:58 PM PDT
 
hey, are you using free movable type?
JM
June 9, 2004   09:36 PM PDT
 
I'm just using whatever free tools Blogdrive provides. :)
michelle from Tx
June 10, 2004   02:12 PM PDT
 
I was young when Ronald Regan took office but, from what i understand and remember, he did what americans hope he would do; Change the world for the people then and for our children of today..
My heart goes out to the Reagan Family, Mr President, you will be dearly missed.. RIP

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