"The Right Angle"

Heidi Parent

The following article originally ran in CommonConservative.com in February 2001. In honor of President Reagan's 93rd birthday, it is being reprinted.

Thank you, Mr. President

What Ronald Reagan Means to Me

by Heidi Parent
(reprint 02/16/04)

I came of age during the Reagan presidency and I can say with certainty that it was Ronald Reagan who made me a Conservative. The conservative values he exhibited and the success of his policies showed me that conservatism was, and is, the correct choice to ensure a successful, productive future for America.

The memories I have of the Carter years are gloomy ones - inflation, stagflation, a misery index, gas lines, out of control interest rates, high unemployment. A deep pessimism shrouded the country; a feeling perhaps best described by Carter himself - malaise. But the gloom wasn't limited to just domestic issues. During the late Seventies the Cold War was in high gear, the Soviet Union was deeply feared, and communism was advancing in places all over the globe. More importantly, in the eyes of many, America was no longer the strong country it had once been. When President Carter announced that the United States would not be participating in the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow it was as if we were running away from a bully in a schoolyard. Why weren't we standing up to these guys? To make matters worse, during this time there were also fifty-two Americans being held hostage by a tyrant in a small country many of us had never even heard of. Every night on the evening news we had to endure footage of our flag being burned by angry Iranian mobs. Many wondered why we weren't attempting a rescue mission. And when one was finally attempted, it was so ill planned and our military equipment in such poor condition, our helicopters crashed hopelessly in the desert. America was becoming a wimp. The world was laughing at us. But that was about to change.

When Ronald Reagan was elected, it really did seem like "morning again in America" and it wasn't long before we were all covered with the optimism he radiated. He made us proud again to be Americans. In Reagan, America had someone who would stand up to the bully and call them what they really were - an Evil Empire. Our feeling of optimism only intensified after the attempt on his life. The way Reagan bounced back from an assassin's bullet made him seem larger than life. Here was a man who wouldn't allow anything - not even a bullet - stop his mission of returning America to superpower status.

Ronald Reagan exuded dignity and was truly honored to be entrusted with the Presidency. There is a famous story told time and again about Reagan's reluctance to take off his suit coat in the Oval Office, so strong were his feelings for the Presidency. That typifies his stateliness and patriotism. And those feelings carried over to the rest of us.

Ronald Reagan sought the presidency because he wanted great things for America, not because he wanted to be seen as a great man. He had a plaque on his desk that read "there is no limit to what a man can do, or where he can go, if he doesn't mind who gets the credit." He had a vision for this country ("a shining city on a hill") and knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish as President. He was called the Great Communicator and many believe he was given the nickname because of his effectiveness as a communicator. And while that is true, I believe that isn't the only reason. I consider Reagan a great communicator because of the great thoughts and ideas he communicated. By the end of his eight years in office, we were a better country for his service. America was "back and standing tall."

I have compiled a list of my top ten Reagan moments. It was a difficult task because there are so many from which to choose how could it be narrowed down to just ten? Some are obvious, others are not. Each choice was selected with the hope that it would typify Reagan and his legacy. So, without further ado, I submit the following list for your scrutiny and your enjoyment.

My Top Ten Reagan Moments

10. D-Day 40th Anniversary - June 6, 1984: Beautiful, moving speech that defined patriotism and paid tribute to what we now call the Greatest Generation.

9. Alzheimer's Letter - November 6, 1994: Reagan disclosed his illness in the hope that it would help others. He left our public stage just as he entered it, with class and dignity, selflessly thinking of others.

8. Strategic Defense Initiative: March 23, 1983: A technological proposal that brought a whole new facet to the Cold War. The media snickered, but in the end it was "Star Wars" that helped bring the Soviet Union to its knees and ended the forty plus year Cold War between our two nations.

7. First Inaugural - January 20, 1981: Reagan clearly stated his objectives for America to both the American people and the world. The sun that shone brightly on the new President as he gave his address that day was a foreshadowing of the bright future that was in store for America.

6. PATCO Strike - August 5, 1981: Significant decision that set the tone for his Presidency. This early test of his resolve was proof that he would not give in to threats and would do exactly as he said. His decision showed Americans that in Reagan they had a strong leader who made decisions based on conviction and not on poll results.

5. Evil Empire Speech - March 8, 1983: Reagan was the first American President to call the Soviet Union what it truly was: "the focus of evil in the modern world." Many Americans were appalled by the starkness of his comments and felt they would only provoke the Soviets. But history showed they had the reverse effect; they made the Soviets realize that Reagan was a very different American leader. He was not afraid of them and would stand strong against their aggressive totalitarian tactics.

4. Speech at the Brandenberg Gate (Berlin Wall) - June 12, 1987: "Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" Once again, the plain language Reagan used made many, including those in the State Department, very anxious. But Reagan's words proved to be prophetic. Could anyone else have given this speech with the same conviction and credibility? It was pure Reagan.

3. Reykjavik Summit - October, 1986: Reagan would not allow the Soviet Union to dictate American defense policies and refused to give in to Gorbachev's demand that America forgo SDI. Again, many viewed Reagan's decision as a mistake, but history shows that it ultimately sped up the end of the Cold War. As Margaret Thatcher later observed, "Ronald Reagan won the Cold War without firing a single shot."

2. Tax Cut - August 15, 1981: "Reaganomics," as the media called it, brought us out of our recession and got the country moving again. Many today find it unbelievable when told that the top marginal tax rate when Reagan took office was 70%! By the time he left office, Reagan's cuts lowered this rate to 33% and rates in other brackets were lowered as well. These cuts allowed workers to keep more of what they earned and to save, spend, or invest as they, not the government, saw fit.

1. Assassination Attempt - March 30, 1981: Nothing, including a bullet, was going to stop the Reagan Revolution.

Honorable Mention (hey...it was really difficult narrowing down the list!)

13. We Begin Bombing in 5 minutes - August 11, 1984: May not be a great moment, but to me it was a great "Reagan" moment. Even though the remark was not intended for broadcast (Reagan made the quip to amuse his staff), it is a perfect example of how Reagan used his sense of humor to lighten the moment and deal with a serious issue. It had the media and liberals wringing their hands with worry, but I still laugh every time I hear it.

12. Challenger Explosion - January 28, 1986: A beautiful speech that comforted the country during a tragedy that many, including thousands of school children, witnessed live on television.

11. Farewell to the Nation - January 11, 1989: "We meant to change a nation and instead we changed a world." He did not take credit for what was accomplished under his watch, but instead, as was typical of Reagan, he shared it. He knew who really made this country work and it wasn't the President. Besides, the touching story of the boat people and the "freedom man" sailor never fails to bring a tear to my eye.