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NoMoreCBS.com -- Show CBS that you are willing to defend the Reagan legacy
No More CBS. com ^ | October 28, 2003

Posted on 10/28/2003 8:14:35 PM PST by ReleaseTheHounds

Ronald Reagan entered office at a time of great despair. The American economy was in the worst shape since the Great Depression. Inflation ran above 12%, and unemployment exceeded 7%. Consumers felt the pinch of the energy crisis and sky-high interest rates.

The Unites States’ standing overseas also was diminished. We looked helpless as Islamic militants in Iran held Americans hostage for the 444 days prior to Reagan’s inauguration. In the most recent chapter of the century's great ideological conflict, the Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan with impunity. The Breshnev doctrine - wherever communism takes hold, it never leaves - reigned.

The Watergate scandal, military failure in Vietnam, and the directionless presidency of Jimmy Carter had sapped America of its natural pride. Carter himself acknowledged a crisis of confidence. "It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our Nation. The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and the political fabric of America."

* * *

Reagan took bold actions to reverse these sorry trends - bold actions that ran squarely against the conventional wisdom of the time and required taking political risks. Embracing economic policy that would end inflation meant enduring a recession in 1981-82. Talking tough about the evils of communism shocked the sensibilities of "realists" in the State Department who did not believe it possible to win the Cold War.

But by 1984, Reagan’s vision for America was working. Supply-side tax cuts, deregulation, and restraint in domestic spending was producing an economic boom that continued almost uninterrupted (save a short downturn in 1990-91) for 18 years. In foreign policy, the Breshnev Doctrine had yielded to the Reagan Doctrine. Communism was not only contained, it was rolled back. Slowly, at first. And then faster than anyone expected.

Reagan was re-elected in an unprecedented landslide. The American people respected his leadership, trusted his personal integrity, and recognized in Reagan the compassion, fairness and idealism that is central to the American spirit.

* * *

This is not to say that Reagan was perfect, or that his administration was free of mistakes. The historical record ought to be researched, scrutinized and debated, so that all Americans can learn from the Reagan Administration’s successes and failures.

But the Reagan Legacy must not be smeared.

There is always a gap between history as it occurred, and history as it is remembered. Those of us who believe history plays a constructive role in illuminating today’s circumstances must work to close the gap. That involves standing up to those who ignore Reagan’s achievements and invent episodes inconsistent with Reagan’s own attitudes, in order to cast his Presidency in a negative light.

* * *

Americans and the world at large owe a great debt to President Reagan. He restored America’s pride. He helped unleash an 18-year economic boom that delivered unprecedented levels of prosperity. And he played a leading role in ridding the world of Soviet Communism that was responsible for more than 20 million deaths during the 20th century.

A first, small step to repaying that debt is to vigilantly set the record straight by reminding our fellow citizens of the true legacy of Ronald Reagan.


TOPICS: Announcements; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: boycott; petition; reaganlegacy; thereagans
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Please sign this petition... Send CBS a message. I know there are other boycott websites going up -- this one deserves your attention... This one makes the case... fair and balanced.

A small price to pay: give up the NCAA basketball tournament, the Masters, AFC football -- that's all I watch on CBS... a small price to pay to honor the best president of my lifetime.

Send CBS a message! Sign the petition! No More CBS! Boycott now, going into Sweeps!

Visit this website... Great Reagan resources and references... and more to be added, I'm sure.

Please add your PING! lists!

1 posted on 10/28/2003 8:14:36 PM PST by ReleaseTheHounds
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To: Triple; tcostell; George W. Bush; Tamsey; Cyber Liberty; SupplySider; finnman69; lizbet; SAJ; ...
Please circulate to your PING! lists! And please join this petition -- this one deserves the attention of every FREEPER.
2 posted on 10/28/2003 8:17:40 PM PST by ReleaseTheHounds
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To: Timesink; Hillarys nightmare; Pokey78; kattracks; Uncle Hal; genefromjersey; TomB; samtheman; ...
Fellow Freepers, please add your PING! lists! A worthy petition and a worthy website. TIA.
3 posted on 10/28/2003 8:25:49 PM PST by ReleaseTheHounds
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To: ReleaseTheHounds
Check out this post - http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1009309/posts Almost 600 signatures in less than a day. If you can check out this site for more details.
4 posted on 10/28/2003 8:28:16 PM PST by spero
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To: spero
That post has a link to a petition that reads:
To: CBS We the undersigned will not watch the biased CBS miniseries "The Reagans," which unfairly distorts the historical record of President Reagan. Furthermore, we promise to boycott all products advertised during its airing.
5 posted on 10/28/2003 8:30:08 PM PST by spero
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To: ReleaseTheHounds
"....and unemployment exceeded 7%"

Actually it was as high as 10.8% in 1982.

When he left office, 20 million jobs had been created in 8 years and the unemployment rate was as low as 5.1% the last year he was in office.
6 posted on 10/28/2003 8:41:20 PM PST by Jackson Brown
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To: ReleaseTheHounds
bump
7 posted on 10/28/2003 9:31:39 PM PST by GOPJ
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To: ReleaseTheHounds
Boycott CBS sponsers. That's the best way to hurt them. We still need opposition researchers to monitor See-BS. They are on the run. They are promising to modify the movie. Too little too late! I don't care if they yank it entirely at this point. Their attempted raid on history must be dealt with. We need to finish these clowns.
8 posted on 10/29/2003 2:35:50 AM PST by Arthur Wildfire! March (Most conservatives study the opposition. Most liberals try to shout it down.)
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To: ReleaseTheHounds
Ronald Reagan is clearly a giant among Presidents. I believe he ranks among the greatest of our leaders.
9 posted on 10/29/2003 4:09:15 AM PST by TAIPAN22001 (hh)
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To: TAIPAN22001
Ronald Reagan: The best there ever was... the best there ever will be. JMHO. Bump for more FREEP participation!
10 posted on 10/29/2003 5:32:46 AM PST by ReleaseTheHounds
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To: ReleaseTheHounds
We all need to support the Gipper!!
11 posted on 10/29/2003 9:17:38 AM PST by LuvTheGipper
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To: ReleaseTheHounds
bump
12 posted on 10/29/2003 9:24:19 PM PST by GOPJ
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To: LuvTheGipper
CBS is so low that they'll smear a defenseless, sick old man for ratings. They'll rewrite history, offend a significan portion of the American public, and tell a pack of lies any reasonably literate person could spot instantly, and do it all for the sake of pleasing a disgusting self-absorbed so-called enterainer and her equally clueless spouse.

Lowest of the low, smearing a sick man who cannot defend himself. They would never have dared to do this to someone who could.

Jerks.
13 posted on 10/29/2003 9:32:29 PM PST by Judith Anne (Cyanide, mercury, and botulinum toxin are medically and industrially useful friends to mankind.)
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To: ReleaseTheHounds
keep this up for later. i'm at the gym.
14 posted on 10/30/2003 8:02:52 AM PST by mgist
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To: ReleaseTheHounds
This issue seems to be gaining momentum (as it should); it may end up being just like the good old days when the Dixie Chicks got a good Freepin...
15 posted on 10/30/2003 12:00:52 PM PST by Born Conservative ("Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names" - John F. Kennedy)
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To: LuvTheGipper
Recommended: Reagan's War by Peter Schweizer.
16 posted on 10/30/2003 12:03:18 PM PST by gipper81
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To: ReleaseTheHounds; b4its2late; Recovering_Democrat; Alissa; Pan_Yans Wife; LADY J; mathluv; ...
Hope you don't mind a non-dittohead topic, but I think this is worthy of a PING.


17 posted on 10/30/2003 12:05:05 PM PST by Born Conservative ("Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names" - John F. Kennedy)
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To: gipper81
Read it and a number of other "Reagan Books" -- also try "How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life" -- a great read!
18 posted on 10/30/2003 1:03:06 PM PST by ReleaseTheHounds
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To: Born Conservative
Thanks for the support, Born Conservative... I was also "born conservative" but really got fired up as a senior in high school in 1964 when Barry was running for president and getting slammed by the liberals of his day (American Association of Psychologists warning that he was "unfit" to be president). And I remember that actor Ronald Reagan making his debut with a speech supporting Barry late in the campaign -- "A Time for Choosing"... That speech changed my life: I finally had hope and confidence that there were rational people, patriotic people out there who someday might lead the country. The Reagan Revolution started that day in October 1964!
19 posted on 10/30/2003 1:06:53 PM PST by ReleaseTheHounds
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To: Born Conservative
BC: And today, we have another reminder of the Great Ronald Reagan... The GDP grew at an annualized 7.2% in the 3rd quarter of 2003... The fastest growth of any quarter since 1984 -- the peak of the 18 year BOOM tied to Reagan's Supply-Side Tax Cuts started in 1981... Yes, it takes some time for those tax-cuts to work their magic through our economic system, but work they DID... and nothing like history repeating itself.
20 posted on 10/30/2003 1:13:56 PM PST by ReleaseTheHounds
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