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Senator Robert C. Jubelirer
Ronald Reagan Tribute
June 8, 2004
It was a sad irony that word of Ronald Reagan’s
passing came shortly after many stations had carried footage of his poignant
tribute to the D-Day veterans twenty years earlier. A lifelong master of
timing, he would not have wanted to shift any of the spotlight from the valor
and the sacrifices of those who were part of the Normandy invasion.
Ronald Reagan was the first President since Dwight
Eisenhower to serve two full terms. His election was the first act in what came
to be called the “Reagan Revolution” and in many ways it was truly that.
When he sought the Presidency, many commentators had
penned obituaries for the Republican Party. Reagan’s overwhelming victory, and
his popular re-election, revitalized the Republican Party, and brought balance
to the political spectrum by broadening the involvement of conservatives, much
as John F. Kennedy had done for Democrats and for liberals a generation before.
He made a mark with his words, with his agenda, and
with his accomplishments. Personable, amiable, and a storyteller nonpareil,
there was a clarity of purpose and a firmness of resolve behind his agenda,
whether he was in the international arena challenging the evils of communism, or
in the domestic arena attacking what he viewed as big government grown too large
and too intrusive.
The persistent pressure that he applied in the
battle against communism helped bring the Cold War to a sudden end, brought down
the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain, and lifted the constant threat of nuclear
holocaust that arose from decades of superpower rivalry and the arms race.
He changed the mood of the nation, with his
unrelenting optimism and the depth of his conviction. He could touch the heart
and soul of Americans, whether in describing a vision for families and
communities, or in comforting us, as in the memorable Challenger speech, in
which he borrowed from a poem to describe seven remarkable individuals who had
slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God.
Because of the Reagan Presidency, our work here is
more consequential, our decisions more numerous, and our responsibilities more
extensive. He elevated the significance of the states, reaching back to the
roots of the Republic and reversing what had been a long period of federal
expansion of power at the expense of the states.
He shattered one of the prominent glass ceilings in
American public life when he nominated Sandra Day O’Connor to the U.S. Supreme
Court. But it was more than symbolically bringing down a barrier, for the
importance of her selection has become more apparent each passing year as she is
the deciding vote in landmark decisions.
Former Governor and Attorney General Dick Thornburgh
the other evening described how Reagan’s insistence on stepping up the fight
against drug use and the international drug trade made a real difference,
although the commentators never much looked past the “Just Say NO” campaign
theme .
Reagan frequently commented on how technology had
advanced during his lifetime, and of course his political views shifted
substantially, but when it came to values, he was true to the virtues of
American traditions.
Ronald Reagan taught us important things through his
example. His adoration and devotion for his wife Nancy, which she returned in
full measure, imparted a lesson about love and partnership. His recovery from
an assassination attempt taught a lesson about resiliency. His performance in
office helped give new respect for the abilities of older Americans. And his
ten years of twilight gripped by the deepening darkness of Alzheimer’s put the
spotlight on the disease and its impact on lives and families as perhaps nothing
else could.
Reagan’s capacity to lead was hugely
underestimated. Biographers have been unable to capture the hows and whys of
his success. Yet, even his critics are acknowledging the profound changes in
our nation and our world that occurred during the Reagan Presidency.
We cannot begin to fairly cover in our tributes all
that Ronald Reagan meant to our nation. We cannot begin to approach the way he
could strike just the right chord with the right words for the moment. But we
can use one of his trademark queries, when he would ask an audience if they were
better off today than before, to sum up a life well-lived and a Presidency
well-served. America, in many, many ways, is a better place, because of the
leadership, the inspiration, and the vision, which Ronald Reagan shared with
us. His passing was a sad moment, but his life ensured that it is still morning
in America.
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