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Text of Ron Reagan Jr.'s Remarks at Father's Burial Service
AP ^ | june11, 2004

Posted on 06/11/2004 9:00:42 PM PDT by nuconvert

Text of Ron Reagan Jr.'s Remarks at Father's Burial Service

The Associated Press

Jun 11, 2004

Text of remarks by Ron Reagan Jr. at Friday's burial service for former President Reagan, as transcribed by eMediaMillWorks Inc.:

RON REAGAN JR.: He is home now. He is free. In his final letter to the American people, Dad wrote, "I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life." This evening, he has arrived.

History will record his worth as a leader. We here have long since measured his worth as a man. Honest, compassionate, graceful, brave. He was the most plainly decent man you could ever hope to meet.

He used to say, "A gentleman always does the kind thing." And he was a gentleman in the truest sense of the word. A gentle man.

Big as he was, he never tried to make anyone feel small. Powerful as he became, he never took advantage of those who were weaker. Strength, he believed, was never more admirable than when it was applied with restraint. Shopkeeper, doorman, king or queen, it made no difference, Dad treated everyone with the same unfailing courtesy. Acknowledging the innate dignity in us all.

The idea that all people are created equal was more than mere words on a page, it was how he lived his life. And he lived a good, long life. The kind of life good men lead. But I guess I'm just telling you things you already know.

Here's something you may not know, a little Ronald Reagan trivia for you, his entire life, Dad had an inordinate fondness for earlobes. Even as a boy, back in Dixon, Ill., hanging out on a street corner with his friends, they knew that if they were standing next to Dutch, sooner or later, he was going to reach over and grab hold of their lobe, give it a workout there. Sitting on his lap watching TV as a kid, same story. He would have hold of my ear lobe. I'm surprised I have any lobes left after all of that.

And you didn't have to be a kid to enjoy that sort of treatment. Serving in the Screen Actors Guild with his great friend William Holden, the actor, best man at his wedding, Bill got used to it. They would be there at the meetings, and Dad would have hold of his earlobe. There they'd be, some tense labor negotiation, two big Hollywood movie stars, hand in earlobe.

He was, as you know, a famously optimistic man. Sometimes such optimism leads you to see the world as you wish it were as opposed to how it really is. At a certain point in his presidency, Dad decided he was going to revive the thumbs-up gesture. So he went all over the country, of course, giving everybody the thumbs up.

(UNINTELLIGIBLE) and I found ourselves in the presidential limousine one day returning from some big event. My mother was there and Dad was, of course, thumbs-upping the crowd along the way, and suddenly, looming in the window on his side of the car, was this snarling face. This fellow was reviving an entirely different hand gesture. And hoisted an entirely different digit in our direction. Dad saw this and without missing a beat turned to us and said, "You see? I think it's catching on."

Dad was also a deeply, unabashedly religious man. But he never made the fatal mistake of so many politicians wearing his faith on his sleeve to gain political advantage. True, after he was shot and nearly killed early in his presidency, he came to believe that God had spared him in order that he might do good. But he accepted that as a responsibility, not a mandate. And there is a profound difference.

Humble as he was, he never would have assumed a free pass to heaven. But in his heart of hearts, I suspect he felt he would be welcome there. And so he is home. He is free.

Those of us who knew him well will have no trouble imagining his paradise. Golden fields will spread beneath a blue dome of a western sky. Live oaks will shadow the rolling hillsides. And someplace, flowing from years long past, a river will wind toward the sea. Across those fields, he will ride a gray mare he calls Nancy D. They will sail over jumps he has built with his own hands. He will, at the river, carry him over the shining stones. He will rest in the shade of the trees.

Our cares are no longer his. We meet him now only in memory. But we will join him soon enough. All of us. When we are home. When we are free.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: burial; funeral; reagan; reaganfuneral; ronaldreagan; ronreaganjr; transcript
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To: nuconvert

Thanks for the post. Outstanding tribute.


81 posted on 06/12/2004 3:52:50 AM PDT by PGalt
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To: jbstrick; whadizit
Let's choose our battles wisely here.

Yes. Good advice.

82 posted on 06/12/2004 3:54:49 AM PDT by leadpenny
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To: ambrose
My beliefs are my own

Hmmm... So how do you reconcile your belief above with the following:

"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Matthew 28:18-20

83 posted on 06/12/2004 4:17:29 AM PDT by AmericaUnited (It's time someone says the emperor has no clothes.)
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To: nuconvert

There were only two people who really mattered in this fabulous ceremony and they are Ronnie and Nancy. It was her goodbye, which included the worlds caring and support, a support which amazed her and I think amazed all of us.

I was glued to the TV during all of this great tribute, with misty eyes and heavy heart, yet with a feeling of relief for Ronnie and Nancy. I was brought out of the appreciation and awe of this tribute only by the sight of the way Michael was treated. He was treated like a "runt of the litter", trying to get close to his mother. he was the only one of the children, who impressed me as genuine.

Ron Jr. broke the magic of the moment,with his attempt at bringing politics into this great tribute and his remarks, although elegant, rang hollow after his obvious reference to our current President.

Some people just can't help basking in the limelight of others and one of them was the pastor, he was obviously enjoying this moment in the eyes of the world and felt the world be captivated by his personal history and his demenor was that of an actor, playing the role of his life. He should have taken lessons from Sen. Danford on sincerity.

The world has paid a great tribute to a great man, but everyone should realize, that it was not about them, but a goodbye from Nancy to Ronnie. May he rest in Peace.


84 posted on 06/12/2004 5:05:05 AM PDT by RetSignman
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To: nuconvert

I know many here don't lke that one line. Is it possible we are reading too much into it? I defer to those who know Jr.'s behavior better than I do. But, I didn't hear a "jab." I think he was trying to exalt his father, and, perhaps, just did that in a way that could be misconstrued. But,, like usual, I could be wrong.


85 posted on 06/12/2004 5:13:47 AM PDT by Types_with_Fist (God Bless Ronald Reagan!)
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To: Types_with_Fist

A Salon interview with RR Jr. Just to let you know how much he hates Bush.
By David Talbot

April 14, 2003 | The Bush inner circle would like to think of George W.'s presidency as more of an extension of Ronald Reagan's than of his one-term father's. Reagan himself, who has long suffered from Alzheimer's disease, is unable to comment on those who lay claim to his political legacy. But his son, Ron Jr., is
-- and he's not pleased with the association.

"The Bush people have no right to speak for my father,
particularly because of the position he's in now," he said during a recent interview with Salon. "Yes, some of the current policies are an extension of the '80s. But the overall thrust of this administration is not my father's -- these people are overly reaching, overly aggressive, overly secretive, and just plain corrupt. I don't trust these people."

Reagan spoke with Salon from his home in Seattle, where he lives with his wife, Doria, a psychologist. A former ballet dancer ("At 45, I'm afraid those days are over"), he has worked in recent years as a magazine journalist and a TV personality, currently hosting dog shows for the Animal Planet network ("I live 'Best in Show'"). He and Doria have three cats, but no children ("They're
like kids, without the tuition"). Though he never followed his father into politics, Reagan takes a strong interest in public issues, serving on the board of the Creative Coalition, an organization founded in 1989 by performers like Susan Sarandon and Christopher Reeve to politically mobilize entertainers and artists. Reagan recently moderated a Creative Coalition panel discussion in San Francisco on the topic of free expression during wartime, featuring Alec Baldwin on the left and Michael
Medved on the right (and a smoldering Sean Penn in the audience).

Reagan, still as lean as he was in his dancing days, has a sharp tongue -- but like his father, he has a knack for softening his barbs with a charming affability and disarming sense of humor.Reagan took a swipe at Bush during the 2000 GOP convention in Philadelphia, which featured a tribute to his father, telling the
Washington Post's Lloyd Grove, "The big elephant sitting in the corner is that George W. Bush is simply unqualified for the job... What's his accomplishment? That he's no longer an obnoxious drunk?" Since then he's been quiet about the current occupant of the White House -- until now.

Some observers have compared Bush's persona as an intellectually challenged but politically gifted leader to that of Reagan. But the younger Reagan vehemently rejects the analogy. "The gunslinging cowboy, the actor who just read his lines -- that stereotype doesn't fit who my father really was.

"My father had decades of experience in public life. He was president of his union, he campaigned for presidential
candidates, he served two terms as governor of California -- and that was not a ceremonial office as it is in Texas. And he had already run for president, against Ford in '76, nearly unseating the sitting president in his own party. He knew where he was coming from, he had spent years thinking and speaking about his views. He didn't have to ask Dick Cheney what he thought.

"Sure, he wasn't a technocrat like Clinton. But my father was a man -- that's the difference between him and Bush. To paraphrase Jack Palance, my father crapped bigger ones than George Bush."

Reagan says he doesn't have anything personal against Bush. He met him only once, at a White House event during the Reagan presidency. "At least my wife insists we did -- he left absolutely no impression on me. But Doria remembers him very negatively -- I can't repeat what she said about him, I'd rather not use profanity. I do remember Jeb -- a big fella, seemed to be the brightest of the bunch. And of course their parents were very
charming."

But Reagan has strong feelings about Bush's policies, including the war in Iraq, which he ardently opposes. "Nine-11 gave the Bush people carte blanche to carry out their extreme agenda -- and they didn't hesitate for a moment to use it. I mean, by 9/12 Rumsfeld was saying, 'Let's hit Iraq.' They've used the war on
terror to justify everything from tax cuts to Alaska oil
drilling."

Of course, Reagan's father was also known for his military
buildup and aggressive foreign policy. "Yes," he concedes, "there are some holdovers from my dad's years, like Elliott Abrams and, my God, Admiral Poindexter, who's now keeping watch over us all.
But that observation doesn't hold up. My father gave a speech a couple years after he left the White House calling for 'an international army of conscience' to deal with failed states where atrocities are taking place. He had no thought that America should be the world's policeman. I know that for a fact from conversations I had with him. He believed there must be an
international force to intervene where great human tragedy was occurring. Rwanda would have been a prime example, where a strike force capable of acting quickly could have gone in to stop the slaughter.

"Now George and Dick and Rummy and Wolfy all have a very
different idea about America's role in the world. It was laid out by [Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul] Wolfowitz back in '92 -- Iraq is the center of the Middle East, its axis, and it's of such geo-strategic importance that we can't leave it in the hands of Saddam. We need to forcibly change that regime and use Iraq as a
forward base for American democracy, setting up a domino effect in the region, and so on. My father, on the other hand, was well aware of the messiness of the Middle East, particularly after [the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in] Lebanon."

Reagan says his opinions about the war were not changed by the rapid fall of Baghdad. "Look, whether or not Saddam was a bad guy, or whether the Iraqi people were terribly oppressed, was never the issue. I mean I'm happy for the Iraqis, but that's not what this was all about. Nor was the military conclusion ever in doubt; this was the Dallas Cowboys playing a high school team. Their army was a third the size it was in '91, and it didn't give us much trouble then.

"And the weapons of mass destruction? Whatever happened to them? I'm sure we'll find some," he laughs. "They're being flown in right now in a C-130.

"There were, and will be, a lot of people killed over there. And if you don't care about the Iraqi casualties, what about the American? We stand to lose more people in the next months of occupation than we lost in the weeks of war. One of the reasons we escaped largely unscathed so far was because our military moved so fast. But now we're sitting targets -- we have to
establish bases, patrol the streets, guard checkpoints. We're
sitting targets for suicide bombers and other terrorists."

Reagan's parents were notoriously remote from their four
children. Ron Jr. reportedly had the closest relations with his parents and he remains close with his mother, Nancy Reagan, who as the keeper of the Reagan flame is often called upon to
dedicate public sites bearing her husband's name. Reagan says his mother shares his "distrust of some of these [Bush] people. She gets that they're trouble in all kinds of ways. She doesn't like their religious fervor, their aggression."

Reagan says his family feels particularly alienated from the Republican Party over its opposition to embryonic stem cell research, which could have significant benefit for Alzheimer patients like his father. "Now ignorance is one thing, ignorance can be cured. But many of the Republican leaders opposing this research know better, people like [Senate Majority Leader] Bill Frist, who's a doctor, for God's sake. People like him are blocking it to pander to the 20 percent of their base who are mouth-breathers. And that's unconscionable -- there are lives at
stake here. Stem cell research can revolutionize medicine, more than anything since antibiotics."

Reagan, who says the label "progressive" would fit him, does not belong to a political party. "I'm certainly not a Republican; I couldn't belong to any party that had leaders like Tom DeLay. And the Democrats are too busy trying to out-Republican the Republicans."

His father entered politics at a relatively late stage in his life, after careers as a sports broadcaster, actor and General Electric pitchman. Has Reagan ever considered running for office? No, he insists, "I have no political ambitions. For one thing, I'm not interested in raising all that money. It's just not the life I want to lead. When is the last time you heard a politician
speak his mind? McCain? Yes, he came close. But I once asked him at a Creative Coalition meeting, 'You talk passionately about this nexus of money and influence that is corrupting our democracy. Why don't you name names?' His response was a demurral.

"I have no problem with public service. And yes, better people should be running for office. But personally I just can't see myself doing it, to live in Washington D.C., the whole package. I was immersed in that my whole life. I saw politicians up close and there were so many who just repulsed me."

What if a group of concerned citizens approached him and helped raise money for his entry into politics -- would that make a difference? "You mean like they did with George W.? 'Hey, you've got name recognition, that's all that matters -- we'll give you millions of dollars to run!' Imagine coming to a man with just two years' experience in public office, and a ceremonial one at
that. Imagine installing such a blank slate in the presidency of the United States! This is a regency, not a presidency.

"And they told us, 'Don't worry about W. not knowing anything, good old Dick Cheney will be his minder.' Dick Cheney? And this was going to be compassionate conservatism? Dick Cheney is to the right of Genghis Khan, he wants to drill in your backyard, he wants to deny black people their rights --it was all there in his
voting record for us to see. What were we, rubes?"

While Reagan rejects a political career, he clearly doesn't shy from speaking out. What if GOP conservatives, who still lionize his father as the greatest president of the 20th century, pressure him to shut up? "That wouldn't be a smart thing for anyone to do."


86 posted on 06/12/2004 5:16:49 AM PDT by CaptainK
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To: CaptainK

Fairly recent article too. Thanks. Well, if that line was directed at Bush, it was entirely inappropriate. For that matter -- this being a eulogy -- if it was aimed at anybody, it was inappropriate.


87 posted on 06/12/2004 5:20:52 AM PDT by Types_with_Fist (God Bless Ronald Reagan!)
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To: whadizit

I still don't understand, though, why every media person, every news story, has to emphasize that Michael Reagan is the "adopted" son. He was adopted as a baby, not as a 20 year old. I don't care for the distinction, frankly. I can see if it is explained as part of family background, i.e., Ron and Nancy had two children; by his first wife, President Reagan had a daughter, and they adopted their son Michael, or something like that... but everytime Michael's name is mentioned, it seems to be prefaced with "adopted son." I think that is just irrelevant and disrespectful.


88 posted on 06/12/2004 5:26:54 AM PDT by GraceCoolidge
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To: GraceCoolidge
but everytime Michael's name is mentioned, it seems to be prefaced with "adopted son."

I've noticed this too. However, Michael addressed it directly. It has obviously been on his mind his whole life, as I imagine it would be for any adoptive child. And, I feel for him about it. He was very grateful, graceful and respectful toward his father. A wonderful eulogy.

89 posted on 06/12/2004 5:32:40 AM PDT by Types_with_Fist (God Bless Ronald Reagan!)
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To: nuconvert

Memo to Ron: There you go again.


90 posted on 06/12/2004 5:39:19 AM PDT by auboy
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To: Types_with_Fist
As an adoptee myself, I can understand Michael's sensitivity on the subject. I thought Michael's eulogy was by far the most heartfelt of the three, and the great love he had for his dad came through. The sympathy he showed at the casket for his stepmom Nancy was very real and personal, and I was touched to see Ron step back and let Michael in.
91 posted on 06/12/2004 5:52:51 AM PDT by IndyTiger
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To: jammer
Obviously, you did not hear Chris Matthews and Howard Fineman and even Pat Buchanan, all were going on about the passage from Ron Reagan's graveside eulogy to his father.

They left a bad tast in my mouth after the beautiful ceremony. They wanted to divorce President Reagan from GW Bush. All three had that as their aim. I felt the nonsense had all returned .. Blissfully without those harpies all week.

92 posted on 06/12/2004 6:07:39 AM PDT by ontos-on
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To: ontos-on

They turned the phrases: "he did not wear his religion on his sleeve like some politicians" "He thought God had saved him from assasination for a purpose, he took that as a responsibility rather as some do, as a mandate." (quotes indicate paraphrase) into directly aimed at Bush.


93 posted on 06/12/2004 6:12:22 AM PDT by ontos-on
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To: over3Owithabrain

the dems were complaining their "perspective" wasn't included in the funeral. Well, it looks as if Ron gave them their wish and merfifully, it was brief. He is old enough to know better and too old to grow up and he had his moment. It was inappropriate and mean spirited. He made it "all about him" for his few minutes. I guess there is always a person who does this at a funeral. I thought it was unforgivable and a dishonor to his father and mother. But in the big scheme of things, he is unimportant. It didn't spoil anything for me just reminded me that RR like all of us has a few relatives who embarass us at times.


94 posted on 06/12/2004 6:18:05 AM PDT by cajungirl (<i>swing low, sweet limousine, comin' fer to Kerry me hoooommmee</i>)
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To: beckett

you hit the nail right on the head,,I think you've got it!


95 posted on 06/12/2004 6:19:23 AM PDT by cajungirl (<i>swing low, sweet limousine, comin' fer to Kerry me hoooommmee</i>)
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To: arasina

I thought he bashed Kerry?


96 posted on 06/12/2004 6:21:31 AM PDT by angcat
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To: ontos-on

I can't help but wonder why any Freepers were listening to Chris. I watched it on C-Span and after listened to commentary on Fox. I was just inspired by all the entire broadcast and mentioned to my family this morning how touched I was by all the children's remarks although I was very impressed with Micheal. Now I sign on FR to read all of this controversy about something which I preferred to take at face value and thought was just beautiful. Yes, I know that Ron hates Bush, but I don't need to dwell on that right now, and I prefer to believe he truly was eulogizing his beloved father after some very controversial years of a strained relationship.


97 posted on 06/12/2004 6:24:34 AM PDT by upcountry miss
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To: CaptainK

Thanks for the post. Now we know Ron and what he is. But he is a little man of no importance. How sad.


98 posted on 06/12/2004 6:25:09 AM PDT by cajungirl (<i>swing low, sweet limousine, comin' fer to Kerry me hoooommmee</i>)
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To: nuconvert
It was excellent, and even if the 'mandate' quote was a reference to President Bush, he had the right and perhaps even the duty to state it, if he truly believes this difference exists. And there's nothing to indicate he made the statement cynically. President Reagan's funeral was the perfect time and place to make it.

The Republicans can't be so insecure and thin-skinned as to be made angry by his statement.

He was President Reagan's son, at this historical moment to disparage him, is to disparage his Father. IMO, President Reagan understood that good people can disagree on things, and it would behoove a lot of people to come to that belief.

99 posted on 06/12/2004 6:28:53 AM PDT by AlbionGirl
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To: Dan from Michigan
I don't see anything wrong with it either. Folks who wish to read into Ron's comments need to calm down. Their criticism says as much about their own politically-charged mind as it does about Ron's. Given the choice of how to interpret his remarks, they've opted to assume the most insidious, political interpretation possible.

How sad, for them.

100 posted on 06/12/2004 6:30:07 AM PDT by NittanyLion
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