A Tribute to Ronald Wilson Reagan (1911-2004)

Today marks the two-year anniversary of the passing of President Ronald W. Reagan ... perhaps the greatest President of the 20th Century. I had the sincere pleasure of working with the Senate Policy Committee during the first year of Reagan's second term. It was a fantastic experience ... and one that allowed me to submit a simple document comparing the inflation rates from Reagan's first term against those of Jimmy Carter's presidency. I was told by the head of the SPC that the document was well received by the White House. As a tribute to the late President, I would like to reprint the editorial I wrote for the local paper in 2004:

I remember being glued to the television for hours waiting for news of the President's prognosis after John Hinckley's assassination attempt. One of the early press conferences sticks out in my mind. A surgeon had reported the President to be in good health; in fact, the doctor said that President Reagan had joked with the surgical team before succumbing to the anesthesia so the doctors could remove the bullet. "I hope you're all Republicans!" he quipped.

Perhaps the greatest legacy of Ronaldus Magnus is his sense of humor ... the feeling that he never really took himself too seriously. However, it did become apparent over the course of his political career that he took one thing seriously -- his faith. As a nation, we discovered AFTER the surgery that President Reagan had been praying for Hinckley while recovering from the near-fatal wound. How many of us would have done that?

The way he lived his live inspired us to move forward. Toward the end of his second term, a network reporter asked him if he'd thought about returning to the entertainment world. "No, I really haven't..." he replied. "I wouldn't want people to think I was compromising the presidency." Then, with his usual presidential wit, he added "Besides ... I've already had the world's biggest stage."

A great American died June 5. How fortunate are we to have known Ronald Reagan as a man ... someone who thought himself not quite as big as the office of the presidency -- and yet someone who became larger than life. There is no scandal surrounding his passing. God simply called him home -- and what we have lost here on earth, heaven has gained. -- David Herder (Mauldin)

Reprinted from the June 15, 2004, edition of the Greenville News.