Thank you President Reagan, for your leadership and showing us through your own example, of what being an American is all about.
Reagan is who inspired me and helped me to be interested in politics. By the time I was 10, I knew I loved Reagan and supported him. He has always meant very much to me.
He was not perfect and he did make some mistakes. But when he did, it was because he was trying to do the right thing. But he did many correct things too, and gave us strength and optimism, and made us proud to be Americans. The hollow shell of an military in the 70s was turned into a very strong military just years later, capable of facing down the Soviets and winning, without having to go nuclear. The 70s army was outclassed in equipment, and would have to resort to lobbing buckets of instant sunshine to have stopped the Red Army.
I have watched much of the coverage over the past couple of days, and I will come out and admit to a couple of emotional moments. First, when Michael Reagan mentioned how late in life, he and his dad finally were able to show emotion towards each other, and even when Ronald did not know that was his son, he still knew that was the man who always gave him a hug and that one time when Michael was leaving without giving him a hug, there was Ronald at the door with his arms open, waiting.... And seeing the applause and support given to Nancy also. It wasnt just because she was his wife, but also knowing what all she has done and had to endure over the past 10 years in taking care of him.
I attended a tribute service here in Albuquerque yesterday, given in his honor. There was a nice audience there, even some who still had some Reagan campaign buttons and were wearing them. Many of the speakers had personal stories about Ronald, and each considered themselves lucky to have known such a person.
There were even a few protestors, who were not able to realize the inappropriateness of their timing, after all, we have lost a former President. They had their misguided signs of "Morning in America was a nightmare" and "I mourn the nicaraguan dead". Funny that you saw no signs about mourning anyone that died from Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Castro, or Ortega. While part of me wanting to confront them, the rest of me knew it was also a wrong time, and would have just validated their pathetic existence and given them fond memories.
But as the service was ending, the thoughts of many were expressed by a young boy, maybe 12 years old, who turned in the direction of those protestors and said "What a bunch of losers!" While it was not quite any terms Reagan would have said, we all still had to laugh, since our sentiments were still being expressed quite aptly.