Posted on 06/05/2004 3:05:55 PM PDT by Jeff Head
These are my feelings at the passing of a truly great American...one that history will show whose life and service to this nation we were all tremendously priveleged to have personally witnessed.
Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) was simply the greatest President in my lifetime, and I believe the greatest President of the 1900's. Probably among the greatest three Presidents this nation has ever had.
He epitomized the traditional American spirit of positive, can-do attitude, reliance on fundamental moral principle eminating from faith in God, dedication to the principles of individual liberty and a commitment to the soveriegnty and independence of this great, free Republic we call the United States of America.
His foreign policy "brought down the wall" and curtailed one of the greatest menaces to freedom the world has ever known. Contrary to revisionist and liberals/marxists/socialists who would want to bestow some of that glory and honor on the likes of Gorby...the world knows...God knows...that it was Ronald Reagan and his drive and vision that ended that particular incarnation of the Evil Empire. History shall record it so.
His economic policy turned the misery index into a boom for American industry and into personal opportunities for growth for the individual American citizen. I lived through Carter's misery index, having gotten married as a young 22 year old during that disasterous administration...and having grown up seeing the Rockafeller Republican mechanisms before Reagan...I personally saw and lived through the unbelievable difference Ronald Reagan made.
We were proud of our nation, proud of ourselves, proud of the flag and proud to be called American citizens under Ronald Reagan. His enthusiasm was contaiguos...his optimism was inspriring and his ability to communicate and get even many who did not initially agree with him to come around to the "American" way of thinking was legend.
In some ways I feel as though a sterling light, a great shining beacon on a hill has gone out...even though his administration ended years ago.
Despite that, his influence has remained...and it is now up to us to ensure it continues.
We have several challenges in our time...the great challenge of terrorism based on Islamofascism and the even worse evil (IMHO) of one of its chief abettors and manipulators for its use against America...another evil empire in our time, the Red Chinese and those globalists who are enabling them. We also have the even more insidious challenge of the continued encroachment on personal liberty, on our national soveriegnty and independence that many enemies and sappers amongst us, within our own perimeter, us continue to foist on our Republic. They do it under many names, in the name of the UN, NGO's, globalism, choice for death, so called third ways that are nothing more or less that the way of tyrants past and present, Environmentalism, sustainable habitats that are in reality controlled habitats...and the list goes on and on. I pray we can follow in Reagan's footsteps and resolutely meet these challenge head-on as the Gipper did.
God bless and rest you Ronald Reagan...and God comfort and keep you Nancy.
We will always be prepared, so we may always be free
To freedom, and to the man of our time who was most influential in preserving it.
I’ve always believed that this land was set aside in an uncommon way, that a divine plan placed this great continent between the oceans to be found by a people from every corner of the earth who had a special love of faith, freedom and peace. - Ronald Reagan
May we come together and unite in liberty, morality and commitment according to that dream, according to that vision.
I understand, Jeff. Certainly I understand your love and respect and sense of shared honor with our late President Reagan. Heaven knows I love him, too, and mourn his loss.
The people who love Ronald Reagan seem to love him at least in part for his seemingly native qualities -- his natural rapport or "personal touch" with others, and his keen, lively sense of humor.
Yet this was a man who had the personal courage to carry through initiatives that he thought and believed were right and just, ever serving the interests of the United States and more generally, the interests of the free world. He believed that. You believe that. I believe that.
Certainly he has been the greatest president in my lifetime, in terms of his ability to literally change the world in support of providing greater scope to liberty, opportunity, and justice, in the former Soviet bloc and elsewhere.
Now we must carry the vision, the human project, forward from there.
That's all. May God bless President Reagan, and comfort his family -- especially his beloved Nancy -- in this time of sorrowful loss.
Thank you for that...I was unaware of the story...but clearly, God had His hand in it and the words of that youth now echo in truth down through they years to us all.
Ditto those feelings.
GREAT analogy. II Chron 7:14!
Reagan was the greatest president of the 20th century, for the reasons you listed and many more.
Only when the human spirit can worship, create, and build, only when people are given a personal stake in determining their own destiny and benefiting from their own risks, do societies become prosperous, progressive, dynamic, and free.
Thank you.
...and in carrying on that vision, we may develop, invoke and practice the same personal courage and faith as he had in those same beliefs, those same funadmental principles and in the Creator who is their source.
Too many to write...he was a blessing and a gem across so many spectrums.
We'll all miss The Gipper. But his legacy lives on and will live on forever.
Try as they might, obscufate as they will, the enemies of liberty and truth can NEVER get past that simple fact.
I turned the radio on to see what the problem was and learned that LBJ was making an appearance in SFO to actually win an election to be POTUS. I supported Goldwater and was REALLY pist off!!! Headed the other way was an old beat-out pick-up truck and a U-Haul trailer with 4X8 foot sheets of plywood stood on end to hold what looked like a poor family's every earthly possession. On the back sheet was the following message: "We're going back to Nebraska where the bullshit is REAL!"
That almost convinced me to do the same, but in a couple of years an actor in Hollywood began a campaign for Governor of CA and I had learned to love him already as master of ceremonies on the GE theater TV program, along with his Death Valley Days and commercials for Boraxo soap. He also had made a great speech in support of Barry Goldwater, so I began to have hope for CA.
Skipping ahead to after Ronnie changed not only the State, but the world, I went to his library in 1999 searching for solace after losing my own bid for re-election. I learned even more and was reminded of something profound about President Reagan at that beautiful site.
Not only did he support individuality and free enterprise, he deeply admired those in this shining city on a hill that used their freedom to succeed and make this a stronger nation in the process. There is a huge plaque on one of the walls with the names of uncountable "Captains of Industry" that contributed from their fortunes to this "Mutual Admiration Society," much as the founding fathers pledged their fortunes and in their case, even their very lives to the cause of freedom.
A lot of people don't seem to like wealthy folks, but Ronald Reagan understood that it wasn't stubbornly proud "poor people" that had hired him to be an actor, announcer, or spokesman! He knew there was no pride in being poor and that in Ameirca you could change your life if you could get past instant gratification. Legal immigrants proved it constantly!
I believe... This is what gave the man his eternal sense of optimism and enthusiasm for America and it's Americans!!! The man was and is still an inspriration to me to study his ways. The Library has a school, or training system for youthful conservatives that I sincerely hope is still operating and producing another "Happy Warrior" for our near future.
See Jeff, your tribute is also inspiring... Thanks!!!
A sad and tearful bump for the Gipper.
Thanks Jeff.
Exactly, I am hoping this nations mourns for President Reagan like Judah, especially Jeremiah, wept for King Josiah. I know I will. I am hoping someone around here in central Indiana has some kind of memorial for him. I'd go in a heart beat.
How do you tell a Communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin.
Ronald Reagan -Remarks in Arlington, Virginia, September 25, 1987
Only when the human spirit can worship, create, and build, only when people are given a personal stake in determining their own destiny and benefiting from their own risks, do societies become prosperous, progressive, dynamic, and free.
You are welcome my friend. Keep after 'em...for the Gipper.
His wisdom and wit were boundless.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.