June 12, 2004
Remembering Reagan
This has been a somber and hectic week for many of us, in light of what happened one week ago, on Saturday afternoon. There has been so much said since then about President Ronald Reagan, and about the incredible things that he accomplished during his life, for those around him, for our communities, for our country, and for the betterment of the entire world. I hope that even after this week is over, many of us will continue to keep President Reagan, and his family, in our thoughts and prayers, and that we never forget the great impact that his leadership and policies had on our nation, our people, and on millions of people across the globe.
After hearing the news about President Reagan, I called the Chairwoman of the College Republicans at Eureka College (President Reagan's alma mater), and we decided to arrange a gathering at the college the following evening. On Sunday, some students members met at Eureka College, and spent time there at the Reagan Peace Garden, and the Reagan Museum. This was a poignant and emotional occasion.
Today, there was an official, public memorial service for President Reagan at Eureka College, and I was glad to attend. I wanted to point out, for the purpose of this blog entry, something that I had discovered from this news article about today's event. Today was actually the anniversary of one of the greatest - and most amazing - foreign policy addresses in the history of the modern world. This speech exemplified the political and moral courage of President Reagan, and showed that determined optimism, when accompanied by hard work, dedication, perserverance, and the grace of God, can make things happen that many had once considered to be impossible.
Check out the text of the speech that our president gave at the Brandenberg Gate in Berlin, seventeen years ago today.
www.reaganlegacy.org/speeches/reagan.brandenburggate.htm
(June 12, 1987)
Just a couple of years after delivering this speech, President Reagan's ambitious demand became reality. Countless people throughout the world, and in our nation, owe President Reagan an enormous level of appreciation and gratitude for promoting the values of liberty, security, and strength - basic American values that created prosperity and growth among our people, and which also liberated (without war!) millions of people in foreign countries, who were no longer forced to live under totalitarian regimes. The world is, without a doubt, a great deal better off because Ronald Wilson Reagan was able to serve as the leader of the United States.
There is a great deal more that I could say - and that I will say, in the future - about President Reagan. All Americans have some kind of connection to the Reagan years, but my fellow Illinoisans have been paying their respects to our former president in special ways... He was actually the only U.S. president born in our state, and our local environments and hometown values clearly impacted him. The Illinois towns of Tampico (where he was born), Dixon (where he grew up, and where there was a major memorial service the day before yesterday - at which our liberal, Democratic state governor actually revealed that he voted for Reagan - both times!), and Eureka (where he went to college, and then even came back, to serve on the Board of Trustees), have all been having very special events during this week in honor of their favorite son. Our state provided the roots for the conservative revolution led by the man who would become the greatest president of our time, and this is a somber and poignant occasion for Illinoisans, and for millions throughout our country, and for many across the world as well.
GOD BLESS RONALD REAGAN.
As usual. This site is populated by the left and there are no posts or comments by conservatives. What a JOKE. Hint…close down the conservative side and make this site what it always was. Unabashedly Liberal and tilted to the left as the layout prescribes and defines.
Posted by: dr who? at June 14, 2004 01:24 AMDr..um.. who?, there are some pretty dedicated conservatives here, actually. And it’s funner to be in a place where you’re the minority, and have to make up for your lack of numbers with sheer ovewhelming intellectual power and unassailable arguements. :)
Posted by: Martin at June 14, 2004 01:31 AMMartin, use of the word “funner” doesn’t help your argument of “sheer overwhelming intellectual power”… ;-)
More seriously, though, there are more liberals on this site than conservatives, but there’s a core group of conservatives who make for good debate partners. Certainly not something like Daily Kos, as dr who? appears to think.
As for remembering Reagan, one would do well to note his failings as well as his successes. The Nation has a good (if rather partisan) series of articles on them.
Posted by: ceejayoz at June 14, 2004 01:01 PMMaybe I’m missing something but dr. who? sure picked the wrong post. “As usual?” This post is about has far as having a liberal slant as I can imagine. Talk about your non sequiturs.
Posted by: 9thwave at June 14, 2004 05:03 PMJust a note, the government’s preoccupation with memorializing Reagan this last week has cost tax payers millions of tax dollars. Shutting down both houses of Congress for a week was enormously expensive, as will be the special or extended sessions trying to catch up on their already delinquent calendar schedule to conduct the “people’s” business.
It is important to honor the passing of a president, but, deficits and debt being what they are, couldn’t the government spared the taxpayer’s some expense on this event?
Posted by: David R Remer at June 14, 2004 10:03 PMA critical commentor here, I suspect is a former WatchBlog writer who could not abide our rules against flame baiting and critiquing the messenger, and was dismissed for his inability to abide rules of fair play. Since that was back in October, it would appear this commentor still hasn’t found a life, and subconsciously can’t disassociate himself from the fine format that WatchBlog has established by those who can abide the rules.
If it is the same person, lack of self-restraint will overcome him again regarding our rules and he again will lose his addicted fix to WatchBlog. This is one of the liabilities of allowing anonymous access to comments at WatchBlog, but, like democracy, it is preferable to give everyone a voice allowing spoilers as well, than to restrict access across the board. Spoilers who can’t abide simple rules however, ultimately spoil the outlet only for themselves when they lose access.
It is really humorous however, that one so critical of WatchBlog is inescapeably drawn to its format. Telling of how their mind works to some extent.
Posted by: David R. Remer at June 14, 2004 10:16 PMDavid, I wonder if shutting down goverment for a day didn’t actually SAVE money. Is there some justification for saying otherwise? Operation costs for goverment offices, all the mail-trucks not having to gas up, etc.—seems to me that could have more than off-set any funeral expenses.
At any rate, it seems like a pretty empty complaint. We’ve always spent public dough for presidential funerals, and I suspect that the majority of the public isn’t begrudging it.
I remember when JFK junior’s plane went down, and the Navy spent millions, on Clinton’s orders, to search for and raise the remains—something that would never happened for a regular citizen. And JFK junior never even held public office. I thought that was okay, actually, because the general public sentiment was probably for it, but it was far more questionable than spending public funds for the funeral of an actual two term president.
Posted by: Martin at June 15, 2004 12:35 AMI don’t know, Martin, but, I suspect the federal employees all remained on the payroll on the day of the funeral. Wouldn’t want the huge government population getting ticked off at Reagan for depriving them of 20% of their paycheck, eh?
Congress is really behind now, giving the Democrat’s some leverage. It was reported on C-Span this week that Republicans are taking up only non-controversial bills in both houses for votes this week, since, the time constraints do not afford the Republicans the luxury of putting forth a number of initiatives which will get stalled in the Senate, reflecting an inability to get anything major done.
There were a number of Reagan policies I could not support, but, I agree with you, I find no harm done in honoring the passing of a President. I saw where Bush was gracious enough to honor Clinton when his painting was presented to the Whitehouse. Quite a change from when Bush remarked the first thing he would do as President is scrub down the Oval Office.
Posted by: David R Remer at June 15, 2004 07:09 AM
