In 1980 a melancholy America needed inspiration. Americans were being held hostage by revolutionaries in Iran, the economy was sputtering, tensions with the Soviet Union were high, and the wounds of Watergate and Vietnam were not yet healed. At the Lake Placid Olympics that February, a collection of American college hockey players defeated the heavily favored professional Soviet team, an event that came to be known as the Miracle on Ice. As millions of television sets tuned into this game, America celebrated together and forgot about its deep divisions, if only for a little while. Less than a week later, Ronald Reagan, campaigning on patriotic themes, unexpectedly won the New Hampshire primary and captured the heart of the American people. Reagan understood that Americans wanted to recapture the patriotic pride lost in the previous decades, and in turn he inspired a generation.
Reagan's accomplishments are numerous. His policy of peace through strength led to the dismantling of the Berlin Wall and the fall of the Soviet Empire. Although sometimes ridiculed, Reagan's economic ideas produced results. Though there have been a few relatively minor lulls, the economic boom of the last twenty years is unmatched in history. But, in his farewell address, Reagan said that of all his accomplishments, the one thing he was most proud of was "the resurgence of national pride," that he called "new patriotism."
In 1985, more than a decade before most Americans began using the Internet, Reagan predicted that America "will lead the technological revolution." He predicted that technology would create vast new opportunities and increase our productivity. And he was right. He also urged that we "tear down economic barriers and liberate the spirit of free enterprise." Since then, GATT, NAFTA, normalized trade with China and a policy of market-based free-trade have become the norm in both parties. Reagan believed in low taxes, small government and a transfer of power back to the states. He also believed in a national missile defense system, which was subsequently nicknamed "Star Wars." The Bush administration is looking to implement all of these policies, and is likely to gain substantial success.
Though Reagan is now unaware of it, his philosophy lives on in the generations of Americans that he inspired. Bush's policy of compassionate conservatism is heavily influenced by Reagan. In his inaugural address Bush paraphrased Mother Theresa in explaining compassion: "Every day we are called upon to do small things with great love. The most important tasks of democracy are done by everyone." Twenty years earlier, in his inaugural address, Reagan recognized everyday heroes: "We have a right to dream heroic dreams You can see them every day They are the individuals and families whose taxes support the government, and whose voluntary gifts support church, charity, culture, art and education. Their patriotism is quiet, but deep. Their values sustain our national life."
Reagan always envisioned a brighter future for America, and that optimism rubbed off on the entire nation. He wanted history to remember that "these were the golden years -- when the American Revolution was reborn, when freedom gained new life, when America reached for her best." As president, Reagan recognized that an important part of his job was to symbolize the nation as a whole. His training as an actor ensured that every picture taken of him reflected this, and that every word he said showed the strength of the most powerful nation in the world but at the same time reflected the compassion of the most caring nation in the world. Reagan earned the nickname the Great Communicator, but he did not credit himself with the creation of these ideas: "they came from the heart of a great nation -- from our own experience, our wisdom, and our belief in the principles that have guided us for two centuries." He felt that the government should serve the people, not the other way around, and always thanked the people for the opportunity to serve them.
Bush's pledge to leave no child behind is a recognition that the future of the nation depends on its youth, something in which Reagan passionately believed. It is clear that Ronald Reagan influenced the policy makers of today, but he also inspired our generation, the children who grew up under his administration. He recognized the importance of imparting pride and patriotism onto our children and recognized that this was not always taught as it had been in the past. He challenged parents to have discussions about America with their children at home. "All great ideas in America begin at the dinner table. So tomorrow night, in the kitchen, I hope the talking begins." Reagan went a step further, and in a gentle grandfatherly tone spoke directly to those of us who were children at the time, "If your parents haven't been teaching you what it means to be American, let 'em know and nail 'em on it. That would be a very American thing to do." Reagan also spoke directly to children during times of tragedy. He knew that millions of children had watched the Challenger disaster live during school. That night he spoke directly to us recognizing the confusion that we all felt: "I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things happen. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave." Then, he told all Americans how we will remember the crew as heroes: "We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, as they prepared for their journey, and waved goodbye, and slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God."
President Reagan's 90th birthday on Tuesday was bittersweet. Because of his medical condition, he is not able to see that his legacy lives on in the new administration, and the millions he inspired. We should celebrate his very full life. Ronald Reagan grew up poor, and became a successful actor, a loving husband, and a one of a kind politician -- he lived the American dream. As the beloved Gipper rides into the sunset, all of us should warmly remember his contribution to America.
