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Picture of the day -
December 16, 2005
President Ronald Reagan
Photo courtesy of the
Reagan Library.
Ronald Wilson Reagan was a man who exceeded expectations and overcame
adversity throughout his entire life. A sports lover, he excelled in
football at Eureka, Illinois' Eureka College, but after graduation he failed to
make it to the professional level - so he became a popular sportscaster.
Next, Reagan set his sights on an acting career, but he never gained super-star
status despite having acted in numerous movies over his career - so he became
the president of the Screen Actors Guild.
Politics was next on his agenda, and in 1966 he was elected Governor of the
state of California, and he was subsequently re-elected to the post in 1970.
Reagan ended up being one of the nation's most popular Governors.
Ronald Reagan had succeeded after facing disappointment many times throughout
his life, but his greatest challenges were yet to come. In 1980, he ran for
President of the United States against Jimmy Carter, an unpopular incumbent who
had presided over one of the worst recessions in history and whose leadership during
the Iran hostage crisis had been less than stellar. For perhaps the first time in his
life, Reagan had an easy task before him - he won the election in a landslide....
Only to be shot by a would-be assassin just 69 days later. Severely wounded, he
was rushed to George Washington University Hospital. Even though he could barely
breathe and in deep pain, he never lost his trademark sense of humor. As he was
being prepared for emergency surgery, he looked up at his wife Nancy and said,
"Honey, I forgot to duck." A few minutes later, he smiled at the surgeon in
charge of the operation and said "I hope you're a republican!" The doctor
replied "Today, Mr. President, we're all Republicans." He came through the
operation just fine, and before long he was back in the Oval Office.
Reagan's job as President was often confrontational as many of his views were
considered extreme by the opposition. A man of conviction, he always stood his
ground - and he excelled at taking his case directly to the American people. He
connected with an audience so well that he was given the moniker "The Great
Communicator".
Reagan was often parodied as a not-so-bright, but lucky politician with little
more to his credit that the gift of gab and dumb luck. Nothing could be further
from the truth. He was actually a highly intelligent man with strong
convictions, some of which scared the living daylights out of his detractors.
As the world sat on the brink of nuclear annihilation, many called for Reagan to
make concessions and cut deals with the Soviets in an attempt to appease them
and prevent a nuclear war. Instead, he set his sights on building up the U.S.
military and pushing his Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) - dubbed
"Star Wars" by his opponents. Afraid that SDI would escalate the arms race and
ultimately lead us into World War III, they called Reagan naive and dangerous, his
actions sure to cause our own demise.
Once again, Reagan exceeded all expectations. On June 12, 1987, he stood
resolutely at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and gave what is perhaps the most
important speech ever given. About halfway through the speech, standing there
steely-eyed and unblinking, Reagan looked into the television cameras and
said...
"General
Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet
Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate!
Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
The Soviets had bankrupted themselves in a futile attempt to keep up with the
United States in the ever-escalating arms race, and they found themselves facing
the real possibility that SDI would render their huge arsenal of nuclear weapons
ineffective. Gorbachev realized that they had lost the cold war and the wall
indeed fell in short order - but not at the hands of the Soviets...they simply
stood by and watched as Germans on both sides of the "iron curtain" attacked it
with sledge hammers and chisels.
In no time at all eastern Europe once again consisted of free and sovereign
nations - Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia... One by one the nations of the
Soviet block fell with a reverse domino-effect, their citizens breathing the air
of freedom for the first time since the second World War - and all because of
the vision, strength and moral courage of one man: President Ronald Wilson
Reagan.
This giant of history literally changed the world, and the world will forever be
grateful for his efforts. In the face of adversity and ridicule, he led the
United States to victory in perhaps the most important battle we have ever been
engaged in. Once again he had exceeded all expectations.
When Reagan concluded his two terms as President on January 20, 1989, he and
Nancy quietly left the White House aboard Marine One to begin their new lives as
private citizens at Rancho del Cielo, their beloved ranch that overlooks
California's Santa Ynez Valley and the Pacific Ocean. There they lived happily
together, riding horses, chopping wood...just enjoying each other's company
during their golden years.
But adversity wasn't through with the Reagans. In 1994, they learned that the
former President had Alzheimer's Disease. On November 5 of that year, Ronny
released a personal letter to the people of the United States which ended with
the following words:
"In closing, let me thank you, the American people, for giving me the great
honor of allowing me to serve as your president. When the Lord calls me home,
whenever that may be, I will leave the greatest love for this country of ours
and eternal optimism for its future.
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."
Even while staring into the
face of enormous personal struggle, the spirit of Ronald Reagan shined through.
Always the optimist, he had once again displayed the kind of character that
would make any mother and nation proud.
Ronald Reagan's last years on this earth were spent with his beloved Nancy by
his side, caring for him and protecting him long after he could no longer do so
for himself. On June 5, 2004, he passed away in peace at
Rancho del Cielo. He
was 93 years old, making him the longest lived American President to date. The
Great Communicator is once again enjoying a new life in a new home - and no
doubt still exceeding expectations.
Ronald Wilson Reagan
1911 - 2004
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