a fitting tribute

on the message boards at RonaldReagan.com, from Radek Novotny, of the Czech Republic.

Mr. President, thank you for breaking down communism in Europe, for safe of our life, of our freedom. We will be grateful to you to the end of our life.

Comments

[Donald W. Larson]

It's great to hear praise from an Eastern European about an American President.

President Reagan is my favorite President, I've had ten Presidents in my lifetime. Whatever Reagan did for Radek and his fellow former Communist-block citizens, he did more for Americans.

Remember the European protests 20 years ago when millions of them demonstrated for a Nuclear Freeze? Sorry, we had Reagan and he had the overwhelming support of Americans that refused a Nuclear Freeze, that made the Ruskies back down, negotiate, and finally end their Communist system.

If we had listened to the European protesters, Radek Novotny wouldn't be able to enjoy the freedom he has today. Thanks, Radek, for understanding what really matters in this world.

Don

[Susan Kitchens]

no surprise to you that I've not been gung-ho about Reagan. Personal experiences: girl scout trip to Sacramento when he was governor (was there some kinda statue nearby) and tiptoeing past "Governor Reagan's office."

I was in college during the 80 election. It was the first presidential race I voted for. John Anderson got my vote. The polling place was the big multi-purpose room of my dorm, and I watched the lounge TV as Carter conceded, and looked to my left down into the multi purpose room as polling continued. Later that night, I witnessed a girl from the next section over get carried off to be thrown into the duck pond, in honor of her birthday. I stayed near the scene too long. Being an RA, I was choice pickins for the stunt, and I was swept up and gently placed into duck pond. Being an RA, I exercised my limited authority in threats and demands that they not ruin certain items I was wearing--shoes, watch, and wool cloak). Gently, they placed me into the brackish water. I never let 'em know how much I enjoyed the whole thing. But still, geez, Reagan got elected and I got duckponded. I put the two together in my mind.

And I stop here. Did I secretly enjoy the Reagan thing, too? No. In retrospect, tho, I've far more respect for his manner of treatment on the cold war.

The fall of communism and freedoms busting out all over eastern europe are a truly glorious thing. In summer of '80, I was in E. Germany, visiting with an E. German family on a school tour of Europe; we drove through checkpoint charlie and mugged for the camera at the wall (on W. Berlin side, natch).

My grandfather, rest his soul, loooooved Reagan. The "barn" at the lake house had all these photos of Reagan between outer beams and the drywall. So that when, in later generations, the thing gets torn down or remodeled, and people ask, who is that man, they'll know about Reagan, the greatest president, if he's been forgotten by history. That's what he said. I cringed at that, and then laughed at the humor in a song sung at grandpa's hundredth about "the portraits of Reagan that are there, no wonder Jed (asthmatic family member) can get no air."

But dammit! That Iran Contra crap *so* got in the way. How does THAT constitutional fiasco represent "the freedoms we hold so dear"?! Here beginneth a treatise which I'll (try to) nip in the bud after making one or two brief points, but it's the nearly the same damn thing with the current administration that I! simply! cannot! abide! and that's all this hush-hush backroom dealing that contains, if not directly, then implicitly--elements of corruption, undue influences of power, and being above the law. Whether it's true in fact, or simply in appearance, the cloaked secrecy with at least an appearance of egregious conflict of interest (Cheney, closed-door energy policy planning session, Halliburton, Enron, et. al.) just frosts me. Yes, I have freedoms to bitch about it, but the wonderful thing about this nation is that no one is above the law. Why, when challenged, is there such a regrouping behind closed doors? Where is the love of freedom there? Where is the humility that "I'm under the rule of law, and by golly, I know it, and act like it, too"?

I'm not so interested in discussing particulars of that (or other) incidents and addressing the argument about balance of powers and executive privilege (and whether they shoulda declared it executive privilege or not, they didn't so why do they act as though they did), etc.

What I'm talking about is an overall trend that's well summed up in that WSJ article that blasts both left and right in the "a pox on both your houses" and reams the administration for its arrogance. No matter the successes going on in Iraq, which I follow in the blogosphere and applaud. That arrogance --and appearance of being above the law; if not fact, how can we know, they're so undisclosing-- is the kinda thing that guarantees that Bush is not gonna get my vote in Nov.

On Sept 11th, 2001, my plans were to visit the Huntington Library and Gardens. After finding out that it was still open, we went. I said, "Let's go look at the manuscript room and look at the Magna Carta, that Law from whence we inherited our own rule of law." The others I was with preferred lying on the grass in a daze, being soothed by the greenery. Okay, I was addled as were all, that was enough for me. But I'm going to go there again today (a members only benefit) and after another coupla decades since Reagan under my belt, think on his presidential career differently in a post two-superpower world and the era of War on Terror in full swing. I'll go and look at this centuries old document and contemplate how far back comes our tradition of freedoms.

But I gotta say, Don, for your various statements of "can't read that article, it attacks my president" and other "my president" statements, I don't buy the unquestioning attitude. Because it's my constitution -- and your constitution at stake. And these glorious Republican presidencies you hold so dear have a dark underbelly of lawlessness.

I'm a proud, uncertain member of the Ambivalent Middle because I believe that no one should be above the rule of law-- in practice or attitude.

....and I *so* need to be doing something other than this screed. (and thank you for the birthday wishes) My lunch BBQ leftovers awaits. I'm sure you'll answer this, b/c you've done that kinda thing before, but I'll consider this matter closed unless you decide that discussing my Constitution is more important than talking about your President.

[Donald W. Larson]

Susan,

It's good to read how you really feel, thanks.

I completely understand all views about our country and any elected official from Americans. It's a complicated country in a complicated world. There are no simple answers.

The Constitution is a wonderful leagl instrument. It's not always specific and leaves a lot of room for interpretation. I think most of the problems America has had since I was born is the interpretations of its power.

I don't ask you to buy my political views. I don't ask anyone to do that. All I do is express my feelings and views. No one can change my mind, but me. No one can change your mind, but you. Too many people think they need to "force" their views on another adult. That's pretty un-American to me.

I bet that I could sit down with the most passive American Dove and have a great conversation about almost anything other than politics.

I bet I can go to France and make a French friend in less than 15 minutes and keep that friend for life as long as politics remain unknown between us.

In fact, I have a Italian friend, who hates President Bush and I think he hates my political views. But we are friends, nonetheless, and we recognize there are more things that we have in-common as human beings other than politics.

I suggest each American sticka to their views regardless of how they lean. I hope each of them that can vote, votes.

As far as I'm concerned I'm free to express my view as much as you or anyone else is free to express theirs. But it's not an attempt to "win" someone over or change their minds. It's more about freedom of speech than anything else.

I think you can appreciate that perspective. In any case, I appreciated yours.

Don

[Susan Kitchens]

heh. Turns out Magna Carta wasn't there. According to the guards, hasn't been for the last 12 years. (so where did I get the impression it was? hrmmm) But I did look at an original copy of the Constitution in pamphlet form that was distributed to all those who'd be voting on its ratification.

[Susan Kitchens]

a good thread over here, on the Reagan legacy, which also takes into account the legacies of other presidents before and after.

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