Remembering Reagan

February 10, 2011

As we remember Reagan on what would have been his 100th birthday week, I marvel at the fact that so many people are still attempting to understand him. It’s as if they just can’t accept the idea that what you saw was what you got. Reagan had a firm set of convictions that government was too big, taxes were too high, and America needed a strong defense from its adversaries. He understood that you couldn’t do, or be, everything to everyone and still hold on to your principles. You have to know who you are and be that person. Some people will appreciate you and some may revile you, but to truly live a meaningful life, you have to stand for the right ideas and be genuine and authentic about them. Reagan had that trait in spades and also had a humility that allowed him to make fun of himself even while serving as leader of the most powerful nation on the face of the earth.

Reagan loved God, America, and its people. He also believed that good would triumph over evil -- America was a shining city on a hill -- and its people were capable of conquering the unconquerable. His ability to win people over to his point of view was because Reagan spoke to people’s dreams and aspirations. He made us desire public policies that required us to use individual initiative in an age when government meddling produced gas lines, double digit inflation, and “a malaise.”

I’m saddened to say (this week in particular) that, as reported by Townhall magazine, the Congressional Budget office estimates that “if future taxes are held at the historic average, spending on Medicaid and Social Security will consume all revenues by 2052. Because entitlement spending is funded on autopilot, no revenue will be left to pay for other government spending, including constitutional functions such as defense.” No doubt Reagan’s response to this news would be to challenge us to remember who we are and what we believe and encourage us to chart a course to return to those basic American ideas which he articulated so well.