I barely remember seeing the watergate hearings when I was a kid, since they pre-emted cartoons I wanted to watch. I remember being bummed out that Carter won the election in 1976, and the depressing talk through that time of Iran, stagflation, and energy shortages. But Ronald Reagan is the first president I was old enough to really understand and admire. I was spoiled. I knew he was a great man, but I didn’t realize at the time that I was coming of age while America was being led by one of the greatest presidents ever. He truly turned the country around. He inspired us with his optimism and faith in all things that are right.
Among his many great quotes is this one:
“I cannot help but feel that there was some divine plan that placed this continent here between the two great oceans to be found by people from any corner of the earth — people who had an extra ounce of desire for freedom and some extra courage to rise up and lead their families, their relatives, their friends, their nations and come here to eventually make this country.”
And here’s a great quote from his friend Margaret Thatcher about him:
“In his lifetime, Ronald Reagan was such a cheerful and invigorating presence that it was easy to forget what daunting historic tasks he set himself. He sought to mend America’s wounded spirit, to restore the strength of the free world and to free the slaves of communism,”
And he did all that!
Below is President Bush’s Eulogy
Remarks by President Bush in Eulogy for Ronald Wilson Reagan
The National Cathedral
Washington, D.C.
THE PRESIDENT: Mrs. Reagan, Patti, Michael, and Ron; members of the Reagan family; distinguished guests, including our Presidents and First Ladies; Reverend Danforth; fellow citizens:
We lost Ronald Reagan only days ago, but we have missed him for a long time. We have missed his kindly presence, that reassuring voice, and the happy ending we had wished for him. It has been ten years since he said his own farewell; yet it is still very sad and hard to let him go. Ronald Reagan belongs to the ages now, but we preferred it when he belonged to us.
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