11: 59, January 20, 1989--tears filled my eyes. A lot of it was sadness but some of it was fear too. Fear--fear that whoever took Ronald Reagan's place could never live up to the great expectations he set forth in the conservative movement. My fears were soon realized as George H.W. Bush soon departed from the Reagan Revolution. Fear--fear that was instilled by my grandfather two days before he died, sad at what America had become in the 1970s, and knowing it was a special man who restored the American spirit. I wanted morning in America to last forever.
It was eight great years. It didn't start off too pretty, but there was a lot to fix. Of course, there I sat in third grade learning that President Reagan had been shot. I worried the one man who I believed could fix America wasn't going to make it. There he was smiling and waving from his hospital window, giving the Presidency class even it Reagan's toughest moments.
Ronald Reagan is one of my many heroes. He understood the American spirit and new how to revive it and give it life by simply having faith in the American people. Now we look at the mess we are in today, and our current president tells us we have to be good international citizens. Those words wouldn't ever come out of Reagan's mouth. He knew America was more than a place on the map. That it was a set of values, principles, ideas, and competitiveness that should be spread around the world for the rest of the world to adopt. Not the other way around like we are being told to do today.
I understand Reagan's 11th Commandment, but when I look at the current Republican party, even in 2011, I believe they are long lost from Reagan's road of conservatism. Oh, sure many will embrace him tomorrow just like Mark Kirk did in a Chicago newspaper, but Republicans like Kirk are so distant from Reagan. It just saddens me they don't work on themselves to model themselves in Reagan's image before jumping on the Reagan celebration bandwagon.
Reagan restored the American economy my creating an environment that businesses could be competitive without the heavy hand of government slowing them down and robbing them of large profits. In doing so, these very same companies wound up paying more in taxes as their profits reached new highs putting Americans back to work. It wasn't about borrowing large amounts of money from countries like China and the spending it on shovel-ready jobs in hopes of spurring a boom. Reagan did it with across the board tax cuts that freed the investors in this country from a top marginal tax rate that paralyzed them and kept them from investing further.
Today, we have politicians who think their a rock star, and they brag like they are doing us a favor by spending trillions just like Obama does. Reagan was humble and as his presidency was winding down he summed up ever so simply.
“All in all, not bad, not bad at all.”
I look back at Reagan's life, a life I have studied in books while walking in his footsteps in the towns he grew up in while I lived in Illinois. I celebrate Ronald Reagan's life and his presidency throughout my own life, and I feel fortunate to have seen America in her best days thanks to the Reagan revolution. There is a great sadness as well. As I see Republican after Republican take center stage to run for President of the United States, I listen ever so closely comparing most words to those of Reagans. None of them compare because they don't have the convictions and the character of Ronald Reagan, and it's really the sadness of knowing the greatest president that will have served in my lifetime is now a recollection of fading pictures that are beginning to show their age. I have given up thinking any Republican can match the greatness of Reagan, but if most of them would at least try to emulate the man, the party could truly be great once again.
I had the honor of seeing Ronald Reagan twice while he was President. The first time was at Hammons Student Center on the campus of what was Southwest Missouri State in 1984. We signed out of school early to get tickets. Then I saw him again four years later at the Springfield Airport when he campaigned for George H.W. Bush. I don't think I have ever felt the presence of greatness as I did both those times they announced Ronald Reagan and he came out onto the stage.
Thank you Mr. Reagan for showing me the value of conservatism and creating a revolution of conservative beliefs. I write this blog today because of the greatness you taught me the eight years you served as my President. Happy 100th Birthday where ever you are.
