By Staff
Our views
Ronald Reagan is an American success story. Whether you are a Republican or Democrat, you have to admire his grit and determination to rise from B-list Hollywood celebrity to leader of the free world.
His death last weekend at age 93 closes a chapter in American history, but Reagan's impact remains.
Without Reagan, it's doubtful George Bush would have been elected president. Without his father, it's doubtful our current president, George W. Bush, would have been elected. Each president can thank Reagan for their victories.
Reagan's chain has many links. Some positive, some negative.
Reagan represents a boundless sense of optimism and belief in the strength of America. His image is closely linked with the ideal vision of the United States – he's remembered sitting proudly atop a horse, cowboy hat slightly askew, cheeks ruddy from the morning ride. He strengthened America's position in the world, led the charge against communism, rebuilt a beleaguered military and lowered taxes.
All was not perfect, though. Under Reagan, the US saw its deficit rise at record levels. The gap between poor and rich increased and many programs designed to help the less fortunate were discarded. There were scandals, too, such as the Iran Contra affair, where the United States traded arms in exchange for American hostages overseas.
You won't hear much talk about those things in the coming days. As a society, we prefer to look back at the positive instead of the negative and there were many positives about the Reagan era. For now, we'll just remember the actor, the cowboy, the president, the strong grandfatherly figure who ate jelly beans and ended the cold war.