Reagan...
 

I had the opportunity to witness the lying in state of Reagan on Yesterday...it took me seven hours to see his body, but it was well worth it as far as ceremonial things are...

But I have a question, And definitely not to speak ill of the dead, After talking with some people in line, I began to wonder if we are going a little overboard with some rememberances?

I mean first, since Reagan died, there has been talk of
a. Renaming the Pentagon, the Ronald Reagan Defense Building
b. Putting his face on the ten dollar bill to replace Hamilton
c. A national mounment dedicated to him on the National Mall
d. A holiday to honor Reagan
e. putting his face on Mt. Rushmore
All of this in additon to the fact that the Airport, federal trade building, L.A. freeway and presidential library named after him.

Now here is my issue, yes he was a great man (although I did not like his policies) and for that I agree with the ceremonial pomp and circumstances with the funeral. But, There are greater presidents who have lived and died and they have not received this form of acclaim. I feel that a lot of this is kinda bandwagon and appealing to the emotions of the people. Renaming the Pentagon after this man is ridiculous. A national mounment to him, How about we finish raising money for Dr. King's or better yet, where is JFK's. If it were not for him, I would still drink from a colored people fountain! Holiday, although the luxury of living in DC includes having holiday's off, isn't President's Day enough for all President's, George Washington or Lincoln does not have an individual holiday and they are the Greatest presidents that have held the office. Placing his face on money, come on, he is the reason that we had a 5 trillion dollar deficit that took 20 years to emerge from only to have Bush put us back in the red. Mt. Rushmore!!! When Kennedy is up there, then we can put Reagan.

I loved him as a cowboy and actor, and I am aware that he revitalized the Republican Party. But, he was not the best president to grace the office. I believe that some of the memorials are a bit extreme. Furthermore, since we are in a Republican era, I feel that they are trying to pass these measures to ensure another four years since prior to his death, they were on their way out! I sincerely doubt that if the Government were controlled by Democrats, that half of these measures would even be considered.

What is everyone's opinion of this?
News @ 9
24 Survivors of the APOcalypse
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AFW

I think a lot of it is still (yes, still) the Republican party trying to overcome their inferiority complex after Roosevelt was elected 4 times and put on the dime, etc etc. Also I think that just as many if not more of the same things were proposed when Kennedy passed or in the intervening years, and he certainly wasn't elected by a huge mandate of the people as Reagan was. Although if you asked people if they voted for him after he died, you might have though differently - something like 75% of people polled said they voted for JFK after he passed, as opposed to 50% before.

It'll die down (no pun) in a few months.

I agree
 

I agree that he wasn't our greates President. I'm not sure what all the hoopla is about. Maybe I am too young to remember him or something, but no matter what, I don't think the Pentagon should be renamed after him (They were actually thinking about doing that).

Regardless, I think he was a decent President though and his death should be mourned.

Just the facts about Ronnie
 

Reagan, Reagan, Reagan. You all decide.

-A man who financed undeclared wars in Nicaragua with funds from U.S. weapons sold to Iran and then lied to the nation to cover it up,

-who ignored the AIDS epidemic until when he decided it was a "national epidemic" in 1987, when tens of thousands of Americans were already dead. (The AIDS virus was brought to America's attention in 1981.),

-who destroyed our economy, cut necessary social programs, raped small businesses, and put our country in the worst recession in 50 years,

-who campaigned around the country during the late '70s scaring potential white voters with thinly veiled racist tales of "welfare queens driving Cadillacs" if he wasn't elected.

-who wasted BILLIONS of our tax dollars to try to fund a missle defense system operating in outerspace ("Project Star Wars") which was never even built.

-who in the 1950's supported Senator Joe McCarthy during the "Red Scare", who ruined the lives of numerous blacklisted actors, poets and playwrights (Langston Hughes, Humphrey Bogart, Arthur Miller)

-who befriended the "moral majority" and believed pornography and marijuana were singlehandedly destoying our country

-who actually wrote the 130 page "script" to his own funeral with Nancy in 1994 before his bout with Alzheimers' disease (always the actor, come on, who's idea do you think it was to have Sgt. York the horse following his casket?)

Ray Charles deserved the admiration, praise, accolades, and dignity the 40th Prsident got, rather than a footnote at the end of the evening news.