Farewell to the great one

[Blackhorse]

I had the opportunity to watch President Reagan's funeral procession from one of the government buildings looking down over Constitution Avenue. Very impressive. Reagan's actual riding boots were reversed in the stirrup of the unmounted horse that followed the casket ( riderless horse = fallen leader; reversed boots = leader looking back on his troops). Little known fact: RR was a (horse!) cavalryman in a reserve unit at the beginning of WWII. His eyesight precluded a combat assignment, so the Army sent him to a film unit instead.

Oppressively hot and muggy day. The parade participants lined up on Constitution Avenue about an hour ahead of time. The cadet formations from the military academies were in front of my building. Several cadets passed out in the heat . . . most of the time they would sway a little first, so instructors looking on would come into the formation and either talk to them to see if they were okay, prop them up while they relaxed their knees to get the blood flowing again, or be near enough to catch them if they slumped. But one female navy cadet-officer at the front of the Annapolis contingent was ramrod-straight until the moment she toppled . . . fortunately, she fell backwards, because she was holding a sword in her right hand at present arms. Cadets who fainted were taken to the Mall for shade and water. Once they revived (about 15 minutes) they'd return to the ranks. The waiting crowd would applaud whenever a cadet was helped off . . . like a crowd clapping for an injured football / soccer playing coming off the field . . . and would cheer when the cadet returned. Once Coast Guard cadet was overcome with the heat and slumped to his knees, but refused to leave his formation, and stood back up again. More cheers. . . Good kids, you could tell they were practically bursting with pride to be there, and were mortified if they had to break ranks.

The only discordant note about the procession, IMO, was the gaggle of cars carrying dignitaries. The windows were heavily tinted and rolled up, so the public had no clue who the VIPs were. Maybe that makes sense from a security standpoint, but what's the point of being in a public ceremony if you can't be seen?

[Nikademus]

wow.....almost forgot about that tradition (boots reversed in stirups)

an almost forgotten age..... [:(]

[Slick91]

Also, the flag that drapes the casket is the same flag that flew over the Capitol on his first inauguration in January of 1981.

ORIGINAL: Jonny_B

Yes I remember President Reagan:

Iran Contra lies, trading weapons and money to Iran for hostages, the beginning of what we call terrorism presently. Sending three hundred marines to Beirut, having ordered them personal not to have loaded weapons, they all died under fire.

What we call “modern day terrorism” began back in the 60’s and 70’s from organizations such as Yasser Arafat’s PLO. The Munich Olympic attack happened in the 1970’s. Don’t make it sound like it started because of Reagan.

Reagan Economics basic principle: the rich got richer and the hell with the middle and poor classes.

How can you even say that you didn’t reap the benefits from the Reagan years? I also don’t see you praising his reduction of inflation (over 10% in 1980 vs 4% when he left office), or interest rates (down from 22% to 10%). Oh, I guess those are selective only to rich people as well. What do you define as rich anyway? Those families who make a combined income of more than $75,000 per year? Reagan economics helped to put more tax breaks on the upper income tax payers because they are the ones that pay the most in taxes. His tax cuts also put more money into the average middle class American so that they could invest in the stock market and start their own businesses. In 1980, the Dow’s average was 800. After Reagan, it was into the thousands and growing. It is now at 10,000. Also, thousands of small business began and grew. Ever heard of Microsoft? These small businesses helped to lower the unemployment. The theory behind his economic plan is to put money directly into the hands of the people who want to make more money by growing business, and hiring people to work in those businesses, not by raising taxes and giving that money to create socialist government programs which does nothing but make the poor and middle class more dependent on big government.

I will also pray for him, however I do not personal consider him the best president in the last 25 years, that goes directly to President Clinton, who did help and really care about the poor and middle classes.

Clinton benefited from the economic changes put into place under the Reagan administration. His “largest peacetime expansion in history” is a gift from the Reagan years, he just road the coattails. I also can’t understand how he can be seen as a promoter of the poor and “middle class” when he signed the largest tax increases in the last twenty years. Hell, my Federal Income tax alone more than doubled under his administration, and my income was well BELOW $50,000 per year. Gee, thanks alot! Clinton did cut the size of the government in half, because he effectively fired half of the military.

I remember how badly off the country was in 1980 after Vietnam, Watergate, and the Carter years. Ronald Reagan united the country and gave it a well focused purpose and optimism. You felt proud to be an American under his administration. So much that the 1984 election became the biggest landslide in any presidential elections (Reagan carried 49 states!). The optimism that his administration produced can’t be argued about and has been praised even by his foes: Kennedy, Kerry, Clinton, etc. You can’t say that about Bill Clinton's term. The legacy that Clinton leaves behind is one of divisiveness, hatred, and scandal. While Ronald Reagan’s term as president was by no means perfect (even he admitted his mistakes), it was better, and greater than that of Bill Clinton, who owes his success to Reagan like it or not.

[Jaypea]

And it took Bill Clinton 8 years to destroy all that hard work and drive the economy into the ground . . . just as he was leaving office. Which they of course blame on Presiden Bush. Well atleaset the economy is looking up again . . . just in time for some Democrat to take credit for it (and drive into the ground again).

[:'(]

[barbarrossa]

ORIGINAL: Jaypea

And it took Bill Clinton 8 years to destroy all that hard work and drive the economy into the ground . . . just as he was leaving office. Which they of course blame on Presiden Bush. Well atleaset the economy is looking up again . . . just in time for some Democrat to take credit for it (and drive into the ground again).

[:'(]

Don't know if I'd agree with you on evrything you've said, man. But gas prices increased a quarter in 2000, just over a couple of months. The economy tanked shortly thereafter. No one was saying a thing then.

And yeah, the media/left/elite/influential/uninformed blamed Bush but what does Kerry have? I'm still unclear as to what he actually did in the Navy much less what he's done on Capitol Hill. Not a slam though. I ain't got a dog in this fight.

[Mr.Frag]

Better to elect an actor, as least you know already if he's any good before he takes over. [:D]

I say Martin Sheen for Prez! He's even better [:D]

[freeboy]

Hey Frag,
Aren't you a Canadian? MArtin Sheen for Premier of Canada, or do you have Prime minister, does a prime minister have a sub-prime minister, for little places like the North West Territories?

[barbarrossa]

ORIGINAL: freeboy

little places like the North West Territories?

Surely you jest[:D]

[Mr.Frag]

ORIGINAL: barbarrossa

ORIGINAL: freeboy

little places like the North West Territories?

Surely you jest[:D]

[:D]

Perhaps he went to American school, give him a break. They don't teach people just how small the USA is on a globe [;)]

[freeboy]

American children for the most part are so illiterate they may not be able to find the US on a map.. and yes I do jest... but really Frag, Martin" I'm the most liberal" Sheen? Ok time to apologise for the incident in Afganastan where the poor Canadians got wasted by not really friendly fire... on behalf of all us yanks, truly sorry and appreciate the support in the ongoing war on... [>:]
While treaveling in The Great White North, my wife and I where astonished at how much difference Canadians are one culture from the other. The US has great diversity, but as a rule people are us citizens first and new yorkers or cajen or from deleware, all twelve of them, second. In Canada that was not always the case. So are we gold yet? and does Canada have a Prime Minister and a sub prime Minister?

[Mr.Frag]

Canada have a Prime Minister and a sub prime Minister?

Deputy Prime Ministry ... like a Vice President [;)]

[Jonny_B]

[>:][font="Times New Roman"][/font]

Mr. Slick91:

This was a great statement for conservative ideology, so be it.

Kerry went to Vietnam, Bush went to Alabama, and Chaney started his hiding career, anybody seen him lately?

So have you forgotten what happen in 1980?
IBM started marketing a personal computer, which created millions of jobs, throughout the 80’s, new degrees at colleges and unlimited small business software companies, which spawn companies like 2by3 and Matrix Games.
The Regan economic plan had nothing to do with this, except reap the benefits as you have clearly stated.

Still I am a Republican Moderate, just not conservative, and I have a different view than you on President Regan.
Still I honor his death, and hope this president could be half the man Regan was.

Hope you did not stay up past your bedtime during all that positive research.