Word
Gems
What is a
man but the sum of his thoughts?
President
Ronald Reagan:
Conclusion:
Morning in America
from the website: godblessronaldreagan.com
"My friends: We did it. We weren't just marking time. We made a
difference. We made the city stronger, we made the city freer, and we left her in good
hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all. "
-Ronald Reagan From Farewell Address
Throughout the 1980’s President Reagan constantly beat the expectations of
his critics. He was successful where they said he’d fail. He went against
conventional logic and was victorious. He was a man of conviction, patriotism, and liberty
when those ideals were scoffed at. No, he was not America’s most intelligent
president, but he had faith in the American people and a common sense that proved to be
the right course for America. In fact, Speaker Gingrich is a very edified and intelligent
individual, yet his tenure as speaker was a disaster, whereas Reagan’s was a success.
Reagan embodied the American spirit and didn’t rely on pollsters, politicos, and the
other specialists to dictate what he was supposed to believe.
Reagan was often mocked and derided for his gaffes, lack of attention to
details, and a loose management style. These are generally irrelevant or
erroneous criticisms. Even Sam Donaldson, in his book Hold On Mr. President, conceded that
Reagan was in charge of his administration and that Carter was given to his share of faux
pas. There was never any evidence that Reagan napped while he should have been working,
but he often played into this stereotype with comments like, “I’ve heard hard
work has never hurt anyone, but I figure, why take the chance?” While Reagan did not
pay incredible attention to every aspect of his administration, he clearly was focused on
what he wanted to accomplish not what some pesky bureaucratic position encompassed. In
contrast, Carter was quite the opposite and was far less focused on any agenda.
Reagan was a man of conviction. The issue of abortion was one that
became prominent during his term in office. While his political advisers warned him of the
political consequences that may ensue, Reagan dismissed their fears. Regardless of one’s
view on the issue, Reagan deserves to be commended for putting his beliefs before that of
politics. Unlike FDR, who was unwilling to even touch the controversial issue of civil
rights, Reagan was willing to take an unpopular stand on an important issue. Reagan never
cared about the political fallout of his decisions.
His patriotism inspired the nation and yielded him great foreign policy success.
He spoke of John Winthrop’s, “shining city on the hill”. He eloquently
commended the men who had fought on the beaches of Normandy. He supported the military and
returned honor to that institution. He gave America its first military successes since
Vietnam. He spoke of America’s morality in the face of the godless Soviet Empire. He
believed in the greatness of this land and through his words and policies restored
American pride, making her great again.
Reagan has been the subject of the greatest character attacks that any
president has faced. It would be a wonder to see how great we would consider
Washington, Lincoln, or FDR had they faced similar scrutiny. A man who restored an
economy, won the cold war and conquered malaise is considered only a mediocre president
(at best) by many in the ranks of the intellectual elite. There probably has never been a
greater miscarriage of judgment by historians. While Reagan has received some credit from
former critics, he still is widely disparaged and has hardly had justice done to his
legacy. In larger sense, however, Reagan never minded who received credit for great acts,
as long as he did what he believed was right. It was Reagan who said, “It’s
amazing what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.” Ronald
Reagan may never receive his due from the liberal historians and media, but at least those
of us who can recognize what Reagan did for this country can take some solace in the fact
that America, on its way to moral decline and decay, for one presidency, had a true
leader, committed to the values and ideals of this great country. May God bless our 40th
president, Ronald Wilson Reagan.
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