Farewell and Godspeed

I doubt that anyone reading this isn't already aware of the passing of Ronald Wilson Reagan, former Governor of California and the 40th President of the United States of America.

Others have already posted words which I cannot hope to match. Yet I feel I must say something to mark the passing of this great man.

When he was President, I was too young and ignorant of politics to understand just how great a President he was. My political views were largely those of my parents, who were staunch Republicans. Now that I've had what I call my "political awakening," I can look back and understand that he was perhaps the greatest President of the 20th century. Under his watch, the seeds of the end of the Soviet Union, and with it the Cold War, were firmly rooted in world history. He presided over unprecedented reductions in taxes and government spending. He comforted a nation when seven Americans gave their lives in the pursuit of the final frontier. Above all, he made us feel good again about being Americans. He had faith and hope in America and in humanity but wasn't afraid to call a spade a spade and fight for the cause of Freedom. Our enemies knew this, after all the hostages in Iran were released as soon as he took office.

He was especially a friend of the military. He knew that for America to be secure, it had to be strong. He is the only man I know of who was honored by having a ship named after him while he was still alive. And not just any ship, but one of the greatest warships that has ever graced the seas of this world, a Nimitz class nuclear aircraft carrier.

It is perhaps fitting that he leaves this world on the day before the 60th anniversary of D-Day, the beginning of the liberation of a continent from tyranny. The men who fought that day helped save the world, and President Reagan fought to keep that world from falling into a new darkness and bring it back into the light. This nation and the world owe him a debt of gratitude that is awesome in its scale. Farewell, Gipper. This world is far richer for your life and we will always remember what you did for us.