I adore you, Ronald Reagan. When I proudly shook your hand during one of your local campaign stops just a month before your first election to the Presidency, and you looked me warmly in the eye, I felt as if I were shaking the hand of one of the greatest men in the entire history of mankind. During the eight years that followed, you proved me right.
How far we've fallen as a nation/society since you bid farewell to the White House a mere sixteen years ago.
During the Reagan Era, many of the nations of the world were facing serious economic and political upheaval, and some of the peoples of those nations were turning, in desperation, to leaders whose aims and credentials were less than stellar. But America was an exception to that rule: In you, the American people saw the potential for stability -- and not merely stability at any cost, but stability obtained through reasonable measures, which were based on choosing right over wrong, and long-term success over temporary comfort. In short, despite the sense of panic which seemed to permeate our national psyche, we didn't opt for quick fixes, or empty promises. Instead we placed our hope for the future in the hands of a man who exuded virtue in leadership.
In the forward to your book, ‘Speaking My Mind’, you wrote, ‘I don't believe my speeches took me as far as they did merely because of my rhetoric or delivery, but because there were certain basic truths in them that the average American citizen recognized ... what I said simply made sense to the guy on the street, and it's the guy on the street who elects presidents of the United States.’
Unfortunately, Mr. Reagan, it appears that, given sixteen intervening years, the priorities of the average American guy on the street have changed to the point where your concerns, and your well-reasoned and well-intentioned methods of addressing those concerns, are no longer held in the same esteem as they once were. And America is paying a dear -- perhaps deadly -- price for that shift in national priorities.
Many current polls show President Bush and John Kerry in a virtual dead heat for the Presidency. That alone is evidence enough of how terribly far we have strayed off of the path you laid out for us.
I believe that there are three major essential areas of effective leadership which you possessed in almost super-human abundance: (1) patience; (2) willingness to accept responsibility; and (3) placing value on virtue/goodness.
On Patience:
You never promised us a quick fix for the ailments that troubled us. On the contrary, you often warned us that we would have to bite the bullet, and stay the course -- at the same time, assuring us that the rewards would be well worth the sacrifices. We understood you, and followed your lead -- ready to make any sacrifices you asked of us, because we sincerely believed that you had our best interests at heart, and that, despite the inevitable bumps we might encounter, America would be better off at the end of that road you were so painstakingly mapping for us.
Many of our current leaders (and would-be leaders – especially those in the legislature and judiciary, and those of a leftist bent) are cut from different cloth. They choose to identify a national crisis on a weekly basis, make a radio or campaign speech addressing said crisis, promise to throw a specified/unspecified (depending on which way the political wind is blowing) amount of taxpayer dollars at the crisis, and then move on to their next matter of business, which is usually inventing next week's crisis (and the required dollar amount which will be required to remedy it).
They are cut from different cloth indeed. Flimsy, gauzy, see-through stuff.
Trouble is, the mentality of America 2004 seems to have shifted from visionary to short-sighted. We no longer seem terribly concerned with the future in which our children will find themselves living. Of more importance seems to be the present, and its comforts, in which we survive from day to day. We seem to prize those quick fixes that you warned us against embracing, and (with the exception of our courageous forces in Iraq) we turn away from solutions which require sacrifice, long-term commitment, and involvement. We are listening to the clarion call, pounded home loudly and incessantly in the media, that, because we have been involved in the war in Iraq for more than a year, we are floundering in a ‘quagmire’. Have we forgotten the long-term sacrifices that we were called upon to make during World War II? How many of us really comprehend the magnificent significance, and the incomparable courage and honor that are being commemorated, in today’s celebration of Operation Overlord and D-Day? How many of us even care?
We could spend an eternity trying to understand what has brought about this change in priorities/values (the breakup of the family, the emergence of the media as a powerful molder of the societal psyche, the leftists' hi-jacking of our education system....), but that's not my purpose here. I merely want to tell you how much, in hindsight, I value what you did for America -- and how I grieve over the fact that we no longer seem to admire those selfless leadership abilities which you so masterfully used to restore hope and dignity to our republic.
On Accepting Responsibility:
It is said that the true mettle of a leader is tested under trying circumstances (‘It is by presence of mind in untried emergencies that the native metal of a man is tested’ ... Lowell).
Despite the mainstream media's incessant attempts to drag you through the mud by exaggerating your shortcomings, or even manufacturing problems out of whole cloth, your eight years in the White House were glorious, and scandal-free, with the exception of the Iran/Contra Affair.
Your response to Iran/Contra was that of a leader who places his own legacy, and his own self esteem on the back burner, in order to preserve the concept of justice, and the Constitution. You did not, at any time, seek to divert public attention from the fact that, despite the fact that Oliver North and John Poindexter had done things about which they had not advised you, you were the man at the helm. You trusted those under you to obey the law, and, despite the fact that an initiative with noble aims (i.e., developing a relationship with Iranian moderates in an effort to bring the hostages home) took on a new dimension about which you were never told, you chose not to point the finger at those responsible (and thus, away from you).
Instead of deflecting blame from yourself, you seemed to bend over backwards to accept the responsibility for being misled. Charitably, you stated, ‘Because I was so concerned with getting the hostages home, I may not have asked enough questions about how the Iranian initiative was being conducted ... as a result, on the day that John Poindexter came to the Oval Office to resign, I didn't ask him the questions I now wish I had.’
You never practiced the art of buck-passing. All bucks stopped at your feet.
In stark contrast, many of our current leaders (and would-be leaders – especially those in the legislature and judiciary, and those of a leftist bent) avoid the buck whenever it is convenient or politically attractive. Some of their methods for ‘buck avoidance’ include:
(1) It never happened (and, even if it did, I declare it an irrelevant/personal matter).
(2) I did not do it/Someone else was in charge of that.
(3) The incident is exaggerated. There's a (usually vast, and invariably right-wing) conspiracy out to ‘get me.’
(4) I'm not quite sure what you mean by ‘is.’
They are cut from different cloth indeed. Flimsy, gauzy, see-through stuff.
Placing Value on Virtue/Goodness:
In your address to the 1992 Republican Convention you said (referring to the democrats), ‘They put on quite a production in New York a few weeks ago. You might even call it slick. A stone’s throw from Broadway it was, and how appropriate. Over and over they told us they are not the party they were. They kept telling us with straight faces that they’re for family values, they’re for a strong America, they’re for less intrusive government. And they call me an actor.’
IMHO, here is the most pronounced difference between your leadership and theirs:
You had, as your vision, the preservation of freedom (both here at home, and on a global scale. As a representative example of the global concept, one need only ask a Grenadan, unindoctrinated by American mainstream media propaganda, what he thinks of Ronald Reagan. The plaudits would be unending....)
You sought to free us from government interference in our lives. You sought to free us from the notion that we are somehow dependent on the state for our well-being. You sought to free us to dream of that ‘shining city on a hill.’ And you sought to have America do all that was allowable under international law to secure those blessings for others as well.
By practicing what you preached, you earned the trust and respect, not only of your fellow Americans, but of leaders and their people throughout the world – some of them our bitter ideological enemies. And you did it without ever once concerning yourself with how history will remember you. You were too busy leading to concern yourself with something so egocentric as writing your own legacy. Your legacy wrote itself. And it did so magnificently.
The ‘Reagan Legacy’ can be seen in the absence of the Berlin wall; in the dissolution of the Soviet Union; in the feeling of dignity and pride that was pervasive in our republic during your tenure in office; in the might, capability, effectiveness, and freedom-preserving focus of the American military, which was the unflinching standard during your watch; in the unparalleled sense of economic well-being which permeated the 80's; in the resurrected life which was breathed into entreprenurial enterprise as a result of your low-tax/hands-off economic policies; and, perhaps most importantly, in the love and esteem with which those of us who followed your leadership hold you. You, sir, are an unparalleled American treasure.
Lincoln once lamented, ‘You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the wage-earner by pulling down the wage-payer. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.’
Many of our current leaders (and would-be leaders – especially those in the legislature and judiciary, and those of a leftist bent) have honed into a art form the ability to mouth your words. They say all that you did regarding freedom, but what they do bears no resemblance to their words. They are slaves to an ideological agenda which requires the subjugation of the citizenry to the state – and, in some cases, the subjugation of the state to global agendas and interests. But, their tactics require (actually demand) deceit in order to realize that agenda.
They would have us believe that they have our freedom, our security (both national, and personal), and our economic well-being at heart. In order achieve that monumental deception, they speak as you spoke. It has even been reported that representatives of the Clinton administration often requested copies of your speeches from the Reagan Library in order to understand your appeal (namely, speaking the truth, which is apparently a foreign concept to such people). They, and their kind, regularly used – and continue to use -- your ideas, your vision, your mannerisms, in an effort to win the hearts of the people. And then they proceed to have their way with America, doing as they wish, despite the parameters to which they are held by the Constitution, and despite the fact that their deeds belie their words.
Trouble is, too many Americans are listening to these types of leaders, and neglecting to watch them. The listening to is easy. The watching requires more attentiveness, even vigilance. And too many of our countrymen are preoccupied with more pressing matters to pay attention to his sleight-of-hand maneuvers.
It is on this differentiation that the future of our republic will be determined. To those who care enough to pay attention -- to recognize the insidious wolf-in-sheep's clothing demeanor of many in current leadership positions (especially those of a leftist bent), there is a need to cry out to the rest of the populace -- to those who are lazily prone to accept political rhetoric at face value: ‘Wake up! They are not who they claim to be! They are not doing what they claim to be doing!’
The majority of Americans cannot continue to accept, at face value, leadership which says what we want to hear, and then proceeds to do as they wish -- which, in the case of much of the (especially congressional and judicial) leadership in this country requires the eventual subjugation of American citizens to the state, and the eventual subjugation of the American state to globalist governance. Simply put, the future of our republic will lie in the willingness of her people to take the time, and expend the effort, to look beneath the surface. Believing the words from the mouth of a leader is a conscious choice that must be made by every concerned citizen. As with any choice, it cannot be made without critical thought.
I'm afraid, Mr. President, much of the (especially legislative and judicial) decision-making for your beloved Republic now lies in hands that are other than good, and she has suffered major battle wounds in the process. Thanks to you, Bill Clinton inherited the most powerful, most respected nation in the history of the world. But, even before his inauguration speech had ended, he had already set about to dismantle America. At his side were a myriad of leftists, both Republican and Democrat, who share his dream of utopian, one-world government.
Yet there are those of us out here who intend to see to it that the tyrants do not continue to have their way with her. There are those of us out here who pray daily for another Reagan – for another Reagan era.
As you appear to be moving closer to meeting your Creator, we selfishly, and despite your and your family’s agony of the past few years, desperately don’t want you to go. We believe that, with your passing, will also pass the greatest visible example of what is good and decent and moral and honest and courageous about this country. And that frightens us. Because the scheming and indecent and immoral and dishonest and cowardly among us are gaining more power with every passing day.
Even in illness, you have served as a beacon – a port in the storm -- for liberty-loving Americans during two of the most faltering, irresolute, tumultuous decades of our existence. Without that beacon, we will have to look around for another upon which to fix our gaze – and there is no other that shines as brightly.
God bless you, Ronald Reagan. Prayers of a grateful nation are being offered for you, and your beloved Nancy. When He quietly calls you home – be it today, or somewhere further down the road – please know that countless of your countrymen will grieve deeply. But, through the timeless inspiration you provided, we will continue to stand firm in all of those principles you held to be immutable and sacred. In your honor ... and in defense of human liberty.
~ joanie
That's a wonderful letter you wrote, just wonderful.
I was getting some laundry out of the way and came back to the computer ... I just clicked over to this page and quickly click-scrolled down to a section where I could not see to whom it was addressed, nor who had written it.
Within two sentences, I recognized your writing. I thought to myself, has to be her. Scroll down a little more and, yes.
Wonderful and analytical, as always.<P.Thank you.
You are so literate, I'm just in awe.
Hope you are well.
What can I say except THANK YOU!
Patience...Responsibility...Values
sw
When this great man passes he takes with him the values of his generation, values all Americans of his generation were expected to possess in order for them to build this nation into the best, strongest, and fairset nation history ever witnessed.
It was not an easy task.
I'm reminded of a scene right out of the motion picture, "Network," when Howard Beal announces the CEO of the network, George Ruddy, died & how we were all in a LOT of trouble, and, he goes on to state the reasons why he believed so. That an insignificant man like George Ruddy was the only one who stood between sanity & madness.
Ronald Reagan had that role for us, stood firmly between sanity & madness.
To all I've pinged, please take a moment to hop over HERE & read a heartfelt & extremely moving tribute to an American icon written by one of Free Republic's, -- and America's -- best.
OK?
Joanie, you wrote: "Even in illness, you have served as a beacon – a port in the storm -- for liberty-loving Americans during two of the most faltering, irresolute, tumultuous decades of our existence. Without that beacon, we will have to look around for another upon which to fix our gaze – and there is no other that shines as brightly."
In Ronald Reagan's own words, "I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead."
The thing I'll remember most when I reflect back on Ronald Reagan the man will have to be his depthless, unending faith in The United States of America.
And in particular?
...in the American people.
You may be the best thinker and best writer I have ever known. Every one is a masterpiece.
At some point in the future...Historians will look back on the time of Ronald Reagan and marvel that such men even existed.(and some will doubt that they did).
He tapped into the simple truths that founded this Nation...truth...honour...responsibility...and (the biggie) Freedom. When he spoke you could feel those traits in his words...and you could see those traits in his life.
But.....we must understand that even tho we will miss him ...the main question has always been what will WE do???? We have been taught by a great teacher...who has filled our lives with honourable and couragous deeds and actions...and filled our hearts and minds with words that will live on forever. Words of truth and honour.
The next step will forever be ours also.
Do we just mourn the passing of a Great Man....or do we actually act on the beliefs he taught.
Only time will tell......
redrock
Beautiful eulogy, Joanie.
President Reagan did what most politicians seem uncapable of doing: Give credit to the American people for their hard work, for creating jobs, and a robust economy.
He took responsibilty when it was laid at his feet, where others would just point a finger of blame.
President Reagan did not have the opportunity to be an elder statesman, after he left office. He was robbed of that opportunity, and...so were we.
The words that will forever ring in my ears:
"Mr Gorbachev; TEAR-DOWN-THIS-WALL!"
That took an incredible conviction to stand up to the Soviet Union; a conviction which Lilyputian liberals thought would cause a war.
And President Reagan won the Cold War, without firing a shot.
Let's honor President Reagan's courage and convictions; Let's win one for the Gipper.