After struggling for 10 years with Alzheimer’s disease, former President Ronald Reagan has died. It was a horrible way to go, and we can only hope that Reagan’s prominence has helped and will help the search for a cure. A former Democrat and union leader, Reagan is best known for having helped launch a conservative Republican revolution in this country during his presidency from 1980 - 1988. His influence continues to have a lasting impact on the Republican Party.
While people remember Regan for many things, I remember the “Great Communicator” for his focus on community. Likely influenced by his mother Nelle and growing up in the small town of Dixon, Illinois, Reagan believed that communities could offer real dignity, support and justice to their members.
In Detroit, Michigan, July 17, 1980, Reagan delivered a speech to the Republican National Convention where he said:
“More than anything else, I want my candidacy to unify our country; to renew the American spirit and sense of purpose. I want to carry our message to every American, regardless of party affiliation, who is a member of this community of shared values….
Let us pledge to restore, in our time, the American spirit of voluntary service, of cooperation, of private and community initiative; a spirit that flows like a deep and mighty river through the history of our nation….
Work and family are at the center of our lives; the foundation of our dignity as a free people. When we deprive people of what they have earned, or take away their jobs, we destroy their dignity and undermine their families….
It is time to put America back to work; to make our cities and towns resound with the confident voices of men and women of all races, nationalities and faiths bringing home to their families a decent paycheck they can cash for honest money.”
I often did not agree with how Reagan planned to get to his “City Upon A Hill”, and I did not always agree with his vision of the city itself, but America has lost an eloquent advocate for community in a time where it needs such advocates. At a time where we could use a president that aspires to “unify our country,” America mourns the loss of such a president.
Post a Comment