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A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....06-10-04...."President Reagan Changed everything"
JohnHuang2; Dutchess; Billie | JohnHuang2

Posted on 06/09/2004 10:08:53 PM PDT by dutchess



A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day
Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.
A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.
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~ Billie, Mama_bear, dutchess, Aquamarine,










President Reagan changed everything

by JohnHuang2


Ronald Wilson Reagan, conservative revolutionary, visionary hero, genuine patriot, cheerful warrior, freedom's champion, America's beloved 40th President, died late Saturday. He was home at Bel Air district of Los Angeles, his loving family at his bedside, when he then slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God, as he famously said of the Challenger crewmen. Reagan was 93.
"This is a sad hour in the life of America," said Bush, noting that "A great American life has come to an end." In France to mark the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landing, Bush spoke movingly as he fought back tears. "Ronald Reagan won America's respect with his greatness, and won its love with his goodness," Bush told reporters. "He had the confidence that comes with conviction, the strength that comes with character, the grace that comes with humility, and the humor that comes with wisdom."
Reagan, the Great Communicator, the original mis-underestimated President, is the reason why I got interested in politics to begin with. Quite young at the time, I wasn't much interested -- nor versed -- in the 'issues' back then, beyond the usual High School stuff. Things like monetary policy, the Laffer curve and the Gold Standard didn't much interest me. Not yet at least. Like my dad, who considered politicians by nature "crooks -- every last one of them," I was cynical to the bone about politics and politicians.


Then along came Ronald Reagan. He laid such cynicism and distrust to rest.
Truly a breath of fresh air, Reagan was so unlike your typical politician at the time. He shattered every negative stereotype. He was a leader you knew in your heart you could trust. Believing in Reagan was easy. It came so naturally. The warmth of sincerity beamed from his face, it rang in his every word. Reagan taught us this trust was not misplaced.
He also taught us to be proud to be Americans. He taught us not just to dream, but to dream big, and to never give up on those dreams. And he taught us why that was important. His ability to connect was extraordinary, his rapport with ordinary folks exceptional. A forceful leader of conviction, he renewed our national sense of mission and purpose, he restored our sense of direction, rekindling that can-do spirit in all of us. He rebuilt our nation's defenses. A trailblazer and role model, Reagan transformed America's political landscape. Through the sheer force of unshakable idealism, a revolution -- the Reagan Revolution -- was born. America never looked back. Putting the kabosh on the Carter recession through tax cuts, Reagan sparked the longest and strongest peace-time expansion in U.S. history, an era of unparalleled prosperity and growth. The pompous elite set dismissed it early on as 'trickle-down' "Reaganomics". Eight years and 23 million jobs later, Reagan got the last laugh. With renewed incentives to work, save and invest, federal revenues doubled, even as inflation and interest rates plummeted. Carter spoke drearily of limits, of deep malaise; Reagan promised a renaissance. Carter talked bleakly of hardship and woe, claiming America's best days were behind her; Reagan spoke cheerfully of that Shining City upon a Hill. The Reagan vision prevailed.


But Reagan left an indelible mark not just on economics. Reagan changed the course of history itself. A powerful voice for freedom, Reagan hated communism with every fiber of his being. At every opportunity, even against advice of top aides, he loudly and forcefully spoke against it, famously calling the Soviet Union the Evil Empire, the focus of evil in the modern world and a threat to freedom everywhere. In Reagan, tyranny had no greater enemy, freedom no better champion. "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" thundered Reagan before a cheering crowd at the Brandenburg Gate. Needless to say, Foggy Bottom was none too thrilled -- in vain Foggy Bottomites kept scratching out that line from his speech. Reagan kept putting it back in. The Gipper never flinched.
His love of liberty unyielding, Ronald Reagan was a glowing tribute to human freedom. To lovers of liberty toiling behind the ugly Iron Curtain, to all who yearned for freedom, Reagan proved a powerful inspiration, his words a bedrock of hope and strength during tyranny's darkest hours.

A giant of his times, Reagan prided himself as the Incurable Optimist who would not accept 'Containment' as the only option in dealing with communism. He was also the quintessential Realist. If others had forgotten the lessons of history, Reagan hadn't. 'Peace Through Strength' and 'Roll Back' weren't just slogans, they were part of Reagan's successful road-map to victory. From support for Nicaraqua's Freedom Fighters, to the watershed U.S.-led liberation of Grenada, America was on the march. Against a hailstorm of elite ridicule and scorn, Reagan confidently predicted communism's eventual demise, vowing to lead the way. Back then, such words were pure heresy.
"The years ahead will be great ones for our country, for the cause of freedom, for the spread of civilization," Reagan declared at a Notre Dame commencement address in 1981. "The West will not contain communism, it will transcend communism. We will not bother to denounce it; we'll dismiss it as a sad, bizarre chapter in human history whose last pages are even now being written."
A few short years later, tumultuous events vindicated those words thoroughly, as Reagan led the West to victory in the Cold War. The Gipper's steadfast and uncompromising commitment to restoring our nation's defenses -- particularly SDI -- and aggressive U.S. support for freedom movements inexorably broke the back of Soviet communism. Yet again, Reagan's chorus of critics had egg on their faces. The rest, as they say, is history.
Want another reason why Americans love the Gipper so well?


Well, looking back, who can forget that razor sharp wit, his penchant for disarmingly charming and memorable one-liners and quips, the magnetism and warmth, the decency and kindness of President Reagan? A man of unconquerable spirit, his exemplary life personified the very values that made America great. Reagan's was a true pick-yourself-up-by-your-own-bootstraps life story, a genuine rags-to-riches guy.
Through tragedy, Reagan, a deeply religious man, early on forged a bond with the public. Barely two months in office, an assassin's bullet nearly took his life. Two bullets, actually. But even in such harrowing circumstances, Reagan's poise and grace, his wit and charm never relented. He had just regained consciousness at George Washington University Hospital, when he jokingly told a nurse holding his hand: "Does Nancy know about us?"
Laying on the operating table before surgery, Reagan uttered what became his most memorable quip. Gazing up at his surgeons, he said: "Please, tell me you're all Republicans."
President Reagan, just in case you're lurking here, let me say, from the bottom of my heart, we can never thank you enough for all you did, Sir. We will always love and cherish your memory.
To Nancy and the family, we extend our condolences and offer our thoughts and our prayers.


God bless President Reagan, God bless the United States of America.
Anyway, that's...
My two cents









THIS WEEK'S THREADS

06-07-04...Military Monday
06-08-04...Theme-less Tuesday
06-09-04...Let Us Have MUSIC

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping'
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TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons
KEYWORDS: freepers; fun; military; patriotic; ronaldreagan; surprises; veterans
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To: Aeronaut
All is fine except the over 90 degree heat wave we're having today.

How's it going with you?

41 posted on 06/10/2004 7:10:13 AM PDT by Pippin (God Bless Ronald Reagan 1911-2004 RIP)
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To: Pippin

Good morning back. (((Pippin))) to you also.


42 posted on 06/10/2004 7:13:28 AM PDT by Texagirl4W (If President Bush loses the 2004 election because of his stand on abortion, he is still the winner.)
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To: Pippin

I live in a land far far away from you. An urban land, of many liberal democRats and some conservative republicans, a land called the area of KCMO...


43 posted on 06/10/2004 7:14:31 AM PDT by PreviouslyA-Lurker (Any day the chipmunk poops on someone else's pillow is a good day. --- stolen from T'wit)
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To: dutchess; JohnHuang2
Beautiful tribute to a great man that I loved and will dearly miss!

" Only authentic Americans loved Reagan." ~ Ann Coulter

44 posted on 06/10/2004 7:17:52 AM PDT by Aquamarine
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To: Diver Dave
John, I just finished your prize-winning commentary - It's the Best!

Good morning, Dave. Yes, and *both* your posts here were, too. So many FReepers have the most wonderful way with words, and you've always been one of them.

45 posted on 06/10/2004 7:25:30 AM PDT by Billie
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To: MeekOneGOP; Jim Robinson

Great picture of the Meekie and the Boss!


46 posted on 06/10/2004 7:27:24 AM PDT by Billie
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To: GailA; The Mayor

Good morning thank you to those who bring us our daily coffee and our daily bread.


47 posted on 06/10/2004 7:28:48 AM PDT by Billie
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To: dutchess

Check out tribute on "www.nationalmorality.com"


48 posted on 06/10/2004 7:29:17 AM PDT by Texboy
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To: MEG33

Good morning, Meg - thank you for coming by to pay tribute to President Reagan today.


49 posted on 06/10/2004 7:30:35 AM PDT by Billie
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To: Billie; Pippin; All

Good morning!


50 posted on 06/10/2004 7:36:52 AM PDT by MEG33 (John Kerry's been AWOL for two decades on issues of National Security)
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To: lonestar
Hi, lonestar (Weinie, too),

Loved your recollections in your post this morning, but this stood out the most:

My mother's Alzheimer's appeared about the same time as President Reagan informed the country he was in the early stages. Yesterday when she heard the military bands she started "dancing." I turned up the music. It seemed the right thing to do.

It was the right thing to do. Bless your mother's sweet heart.

51 posted on 06/10/2004 7:38:25 AM PDT by Billie
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To: dansangel; .45MAN
Good morning, Dan's Angel and Angel's Dan. And Happy Birthday, Dan! Hope your day is ***supercalifragilistic!***

Have missed you, dansy - good to see you this morning.

{{{{{{{{{Dansy}}}}}}}}}} [[[[[[[[[[.45Man]]]]]]]]]]

52 posted on 06/10/2004 7:43:25 AM PDT by Billie
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To: PreviouslyA-Lurker

You sing so much better than I - LOL!!

Thank you ((((((PA-L)))))))


53 posted on 06/10/2004 7:43:30 AM PDT by dansangel (*PROUD to be a knuckle-dragging, toothless, inbred, right-wing, Southern, gun-toting Neanderthal *)
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To: Pippin
((((((((Pipster))))))))))

Happy Birthday [[[[[Pippin's Dad]]]]]

54 posted on 06/10/2004 7:44:48 AM PDT by dansangel (*PROUD to be a knuckle-dragging, toothless, inbred, right-wing, Southern, gun-toting Neanderthal *)
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To: dansangel
You sing so much better than I

I practice in the car...

55 posted on 06/10/2004 7:44:59 AM PDT by PreviouslyA-Lurker (Any day the chipmunk poops on someone else's pillow is a good day. --- stolen from T'wit)
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To: Pippin
All is fine except the over 90 degree heat wave we're having today.

How's it going with you?

It is only 59 here, and a gloomy overcast makes it complete. But, it is still a great day.

56 posted on 06/10/2004 7:45:42 AM PDT by Aeronaut (Status quo, you know, that is Latin for 'the mess we're in'. RR)
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To: Billie
Thank you {{{{{{{{{{Billie-Blue}}}}}}}}}}

I'm *slowly* getting back to normal - have been expending most of my energy *working* - ugh - and a little FReeping on the side.

Missed you, too, Miss Billie.

57 posted on 06/10/2004 7:46:31 AM PDT by dansangel (*PROUD to be a knuckle-dragging, toothless, inbred, right-wing, Southern, gun-toting Neanderthal *)
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To: Mo1
That drawing is fantastic! I hate to call it a cartoon, because it's so poignant. This has been a tough week for all who love this man, and tomorrow will be even more emotional - the week only leading up to his final resting place on this earth.
58 posted on 06/10/2004 7:47:11 AM PDT by Billie
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To: PreviouslyA-Lurker
I practice in the car...

Uh-*HUH*! So *that's* the secret.

I've been practicing in the shower - I can see that's a waste of time.

:-)

59 posted on 06/10/2004 7:47:44 AM PDT by dansangel (*PROUD to be a knuckle-dragging, toothless, inbred, right-wing, Southern, gun-toting Neanderthal *)
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To: Billie
This has been a tough week for all who love this man, and tomorrow will be even more emotional - the week only leading up to his final resting place on this earth.

I am totally wiped out from it all

I don't know how Nancy does it ... What a strong women she is

God Bless you Nancy

60 posted on 06/10/2004 8:01:53 AM PDT by Mo1 (That's right Old Media .... WE LOVED PRESIDENT REAGAN)
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