"What they called radical was really right. What they called dangerous was just desperately needed."Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of President Ronald Reagan's farewell address after eight years in the White House. He made his share of mistakes, some of them big, but he was the best president of my lifetime and the only one I loved, and the last who was a sheer pleasure to listen to. By comparison, all his successors of both parties seem small.
Reagan was easy to underestimate. His Secretary of State George Schultz later admitted assuming that when Ron went upstairs at the end of the day, he and Nancy were spending the evening watching old movies on TV. With the publications of Reagan's correspondence and diary Schultz was startled to find out the President was instead writing letters, reflecting on events in his diary, and reading.
Schultz had already seen the President's gift for words in action. For one study of Reagan's presidency, Schultz made available the President's handwritten changes on the draft opening remarks prepared by the State Department for Reagan to make at the first summit with Soviet Premier Gorbachev at Geneva in 1985. The President's changes transformed a dry document into a remarkable statement on behalf of America. Schultz was astonished.
Until listening yesterday to the speech, I had forgotten that President Reagan closed with a warning of the need to improve the teaching of our history and what it means to be an American before the memory was eradicated. That remains a theme of this blog; unfortunately Reagan's warning was not heeded.
I confess I did not appreciate him at the beginning. His words were beautiful, but I was suspicious of his motives. Now, after the intervening thirty (30) years, I realize his words and his vision were consistent with our deepest values. Can you say the same of anyone who has come to that office since ?
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