Reagan's Last Letter

[ProfJohn]

However, this is about one act of Ronald Reagan, the man.

Reagan was a person was pretty amazing.

I think he was better prepared to be President than anyone since or immediately before him.


Read up about his time as a national spokesman (GE?) and about all the appearances he made around the country and the speeches he gave etc etc. It was those hundreds, if not thousands, of trips and appearances that turned him into the great communicator. It was also what gave him great insight into what the American people wanted in their leaders.

Reagan probably understand the American people better than any president since FDR.


BTW you don't have to agree with Reagan's policies to realize how amazing of a politician he was. I totally dislike Clinton, but even I admit that Clinton was a damn good politician. Compared to Clinton and Reagan Prez. Obama is completely clueless.

 

[Perknose]

Reagan probably understand the American people better than any president since FDR.

BTW you don't have to agree with Reagan's policies to realize how amazing of a politician he was.

I didn't agree with most of his policies and I absolutely agree with your assessment.

He was an amazing politician, perhaps the best at this craft of anyone in our lifetime. He connected with America at a gut level in much the same way John Fitzgerald Kennedy did.

Reagan did not cynically cater to the American electorate. Not one political position he ever took was taken by him to enhance his popularity or to get elected.

He understood the broadest swath of the American people because, for better and for worse, his beliefs -- often deluded and dangerous and naively ill-informed imho -- were their beliefs.

And again, facing the greatest and most tragic personal crisis of his life, Ronald Reagan responded with courage, class and dignity. He rose magnificently to the occasion and was the living embodiment of "grace under pressure."

I have no doubt whatsoever that he meant every handwritten word of the closing of his valedictory love poem to the United States of America:

In closing, let me thank you, the American people, for giving me the great honor of allowing me to serve as your president. When the Lord calls me home, whenever that may be, I will leave the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its future.

I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.

Thank you, my friends.

Sincerely,

Ronald Reagan

 

[Zorkorist]

I've read the letter before, and the one thing that stands out to me is that President Reagan doesn't really care what you think. Here is what he thinks.

And every thought in his head is good.

-John

 

[WackyDan]

that's all well and good, but if he had been open and frank about what was very well understood by the CDC--as he was frankly advised--regarding HIV in the very early, and very terrifying early days of it's outbreak, then things would have been much different.

He ignored, he sat on the advice, he refused to release money, and very much HIV used as the "cure for homosexuality," as he so wanted it to be.


That is a very nice letter. Too bad it took fear and confusion for his own life to possibly put himself in the shoes of others that also did not wish to be judged through illness and did not deserve so. Too bad raising awareness in the public only mattered if it affected him, and he believed the cause to be moral.

Here we go. We are going to compare an illness that has the potential to impact any american versus a disease that impacts some americans **Primarily due to their homosexual lifestyle. I'm not making a statement about homosexuality as I don't really care what anyone's sexual preference is. In the 80's the population most impacted by HIV was gay, was male, and explicitly linked to their lifestyle. Could you blame Reagan? Are you one of the same people that berate those that are overweight for driving up healthcare costs for all of us? Same comparison.

 

[zinfamous]

I believe that is all a bunch of BS that doesn't match the facts.

The 'Reagan ignored aids' claim has been going around for a long time and it was refuted a long time ago too, but people still seem to believe the lies because that is what they want to believe.

you'll outright dismiss this b/c it's SFgate, but, oh well:

http://articles.sfgate.com/2004-06-...n-san-francisco-aids-research-education-cases

you should check out the Frontline 2-part AIDs documentary from 2 eyars ago, or so.

plenty of footage of small press conferences, Reagan outright saying what he felt "AIDs is the result of those who choose an immoral lifestyle," made well after he knew that it was certainly not a homosexual disease.

he literally dissolved the CDC HIV team at their peak.

this is not refuted. never has been.

http://www.democracynow.org/2004/6/10/ignoring_aids_the_reagan_years

http://www.forward.com/articles/7046/

The Frontline series
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/aids/view/

in the end, this is one of those subjects where an individual's passions will, almost certainly, influence whatever perception they will want to have. I recognize that. In this case, however, the man's actions are a matter of public record. I base such statements on what the man said, how he acted, the accounts of those working closer on this issue than anyone else: the CDC in particular.

Believe me, there are many reasons to dislike this man, and I don't limit my breath in making such reasons, known (), but this is a subject that I fine particularly disturbing, criminal--nay, diabolical. It's an issue that I simply can't allow myself to base a perception on what I want to think.

Coloring the truth of what he did in this crucial time seems merely a means to assuage the guilt that hardline supporters simply will not allow themselves to accept.

 

[zinfamous]

Here we go. We are going to compare an illness that has the potential to impact any american versus a disease that impacts some americans **Primarily due to their homosexual lifestyle. I'm not making a statement about homosexuality as I don't really care what anyone's sexual preference is. In the 80's the population most impacted by HIV was gay, was male, and explicitly linked to their lifestyle. Could you blame Reagan? Are you one of the same people that berate those that are overweight for driving up healthcare costs for all of us? Same comparison.

he knew the facts at the time--that is the point. The vast majority of America thought this was a gay disease. he was presented the most comprehensive information gathered by the CDC--that this was a sexually transmitted disease that saw no sexual preference. yes, the wanton carelessness of homosexuals in certain--and yes extremely limited parts of that culture--nightclubs in isolated parts of the country, very much lent itself to strong attachment to that particular gay lifestyle.

Again--he had known that this was not a gay disease. As the leader of our country--it is his sworn duty to protect everyone, to not hide such information, and to inform us as to how better protect ourselves.

Gay hatred at the time was rampant, particularly because of AIDs. Reagan barely acted when his own friend, Rock Hudson was diagnosed. it wasn't until some 8 years later, with Magic Johnson, that the country began to wise up. EIGHT FUCKING YEARS!! It was a disease of shame. Imagine the scores of heterosexuals diagnosed with AIDs, living in shame and hiding what had happened to them, b/c they knew that the public stigma would be that they were GAY.

That is our president's responsibility. THAT WAS HIS LEGACY.

Again, when presented with irrefutable facts, Reagan chose to perpetuate the prejudice--FOR 8 YEARS. That is a matter of record.

 

[WackyDan]

he knew the facts at the time--that is the point. The vast majority of America thought this was a gay disease. he was presented the most comprehensive information gathered by the CDC--that this was a sexually transmitted disease that saw no sexual preference. yes, the wanton carelessness of homosexuals in certain--and yes extremely limited parts of that culture--nightclubs in isolated parts of the country, very much lent itself to strong attachment to that particular gay lifestyle.

Again--he had known that this was not a gay disease. As the leader of our country--it is his sworn duty to protect everyone, to not hide such information, and to inform us as to how better protect ourselves.

Gay hatred at the time was rampant, particularly because of AIDs. Reagan barely acted when his own friend, Rock Hudson was diagnosed. it wasn't until some 8 years later, with Magic Johnson, that the country began to wise up. EIGHT FUCKING YEARS!! It was a disease of shame. Imagine the scores of heterosexuals diagnosed with AIDs, living in shame and hiding what had happened to them, b/c they knew that the public stigma would be that they were GAY.

That is our president's responsibility. THAT WAS HIS LEGACY.

Again, when presented with irrefutable facts, Reagan chose to perpetuate the prejudice--FOR 8 YEARS. That is a matter of record.

At the time, the vast majority of people in this country who had aids got it through homosexual intercourse. That can't be disputed.

By time Clinton was in office, federal funding for aids research eclipsed that for heart disease and diabetes, two diseases that kill far more americans each year, and both of which are primarily genetic in regard to their victims. If you were Reagan, you may have made the same choice... If you were diabetic, or had a family history of heart disease, it would offend you how politicized HIV became and how much more funding it got for a small number of deaths due to primarily personal choice of needle sharing, gay sex, porn industry occupation... Seriously.

 

[zinfamous]

At the time, the vast majority of people in this country who had aids got it through homosexual intercourse. That can't be disputed.

By time Clinton was in office, federal funding for aids research eclipsed that for heart disease and diabetes, two diseases that kill far more americans each year, and both of which are primarily genetic in regard to their victims. If you were Reagan, you may have made the same choice... If you were diabetic, or had a family history of heart disease, it would offend you how politicized HIV became and how much more funding it got for a small number of deaths due to primarily personal choice of needle sharing, gay sex, porn industry occupation... Seriously.

I don't disagree with any of that. The point being, people were terrified--remember Ryan White?

The main issue with this is that he allowed the prejudice and stigma of HIV to continue--not simply by not acting, but professing publicly, after the knowledge was available, that it was a disease of lifestyle.

For the large part--yes, it is an issue of needle sharing, sex, all of these things being a matter of choice. But when people were getting it through blood transfusions, you have panic. These things happen due to the absence of knowledge spurring proper procedure.

it was his duty, as the leader of our nation, to inform the public. To combat the stigma that perpetuated for so long, allowing transmissions outside of choice to continue b/c people simply believed they could not get it if they weren't gay. The CDC even had estimates for curbing transmission, a protocol in place to inform the public. None of that was implemented.

 

[tk149]

Excellent letter.

Can anyone else hear Reagan reading it in his own voice, or is it just me?

 

[Brovane]

Excellent letter.

Can anyone else hear Reagan reading it in his own voice, or is it just me?

I can hear it also. I am currently reading Reagan's auto-bio. It is a interesting read. I love how the current crop of conservatives talk about how great Reagan was however if he was alive today they would hate them. Reagan was willing to compromise on things. He says right in his bio that you don't bat a 1000 when you try and get things passed. You need to compromise. When he got elected to Governor of CA and realized how deeply in the red CA was he went back on his campaign promise not to raise taxes. He did cuts and raised taxes to balance the budget. In this day of age he would be pilliorized by the conservative talking heads like Rush for raising taxes. However he knew it was the right thing to do so he did it.

 

[Drako]

Excellent letter.

Although Reagan is not one of my favorite Presidents, he did seem to work well with both sides of the isle. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall during some of his conversations with Tip O'Neill.

 

[ProfJohn]

Excellent letter.

Although Reagan is not one of my favorite Presidents, he did seem to work well with both sides of the isle. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall during some of his conversations with Tip O'Neill.

I would have loved that too...

I bet their arguments about Lakers vs Celtics were awesome

 

[Red Dawn]

I can hear it also. I am currently reading Reagan's auto-bio. It is a interesting read. I love how the current crop of conservatives talk about how great Reagan was however if he was alive today they would hate them. Reagan was willing to compromise on things. He says right in his bio that you don't bat a 1000 when you try and get things passed. You need to compromise. When he got elected to Governor of CA and realized how deeply in the red CA was he went back on his campaign promise not to raise taxes. He did cuts and raised taxes to balance the budget. In this day of age he would be pilliorized by the conservative talking heads like Rush for raising taxes. However he knew it was the right thing to do so he did it.

The Reagan all the Wingers praise is a myth

 

[Carmen813]

The Reagan all the Wingers praise is a myth

Well, pretty much that holds tree for how many view the past in general. The past is seen as this golden age while ignoring all the terrible things that happened.

 

[zinfamous]

Well, pretty much that holds tree for how many view the past in general. The past is seen as this golden age while ignoring all the terrible things that happened.

so this is what Dub/Cheney/Rove are referring too when they talk about how they will let history judge their actions?

 

[trenchfoot]

so this is what Dub/Cheney/Rove are referring too when they talk about how they will let history judge their actions?

It's a matter of perception: The last Bush administration will be looked upon by the very rich as the goose that laid the golden egg and they will be revered and held in the highest regard for that, just as Reagan was for letting all the rich folks keep their illegal immigrant servants and slave labor with his amnesty program.