Sneakeasy's Joint

Ronald Reagan, Conservatism, and Me 9

The 1st thing I see once I step outside, onto the western side of the complex, is a massive chunk of the Berlin Wall.

It is an impressive sight, but not as impressive as the view of the mostly empty western Simi Valley/Ventura County spread out below the hillside.

You can see for miles, and it is all full of rugged hills, and mountains with pockets of development, and even a vineyard on a nearby hillside.

You can walk to the edge and see a new grove of Cherry Trees just off the slope.

The path past the lawn to reach Reagans tomb also leads to a grove of young, newly planted crab-apple trees that is called Gipper's Grove, and will be gorgeous when the trees are fully grown, and mature, and providing shade to bask under on a sunny day.

I approach the tomb from behind, walking past the stand of White Oaks, and walk around to the front.

The wind is blowing quite briskly and yet, as warm as it is, I still feel a chill as I stand, and pay my respects to Ronald Reagan.....

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Visitng the replica of the Oval Office sent a chill up, and down, my spine because I realized this is THE office of the Leader of the Free World, a place that , since 1909, has seen, and heard, plenty of history, and learning that the paintings of Washington, and Jackson on the walls are originals. as are many other items in the room, added to the authenticity of the room.

A nice touch is the view out the window.

It's the view the President sees every day, and thought it's fake ( a mural of some sort ) it is still quite realistic.

In the next room are plenty of more personal items.

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The tour begins in a room with Presidential signatures on the walls, and a display of the Presidential Bier from the sunset ceremony on the Library grounds, and the Flag flown, on June 5th, on the USS Reagan.

In the next room is the catafalque used in Simi Valley, and displayed behind it is the "William J. Stone" copy of the Declaration of Independence.

It is one of a rare number of 19th century "Official" Reproductions commissioned by President John Quincy Adams.

The walls of the room have photos of scenes from the various events of the Week That Was.

There is, in a wall case, Reagans boots, the Flag given Nancy, the Bugle that sounded taps on the day of his burial, and a sampling of spent cartridges and shell casings, from the gun, and cannon salutes.

In an adjoining screening room I sat through a 10 minute retrospective of the Funeral Week.

Watching the photos, and listening to the words, and sounds accompanying them stirred the same emotions I had throughout that week in June.

And judging by the reactions of others in the packed room, I wasn't alone in these feelings.

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( August 24, 2004 ): The journey begins at 230am with a goodbye to my cat, Nikita, and a 10 minute walk to the bus stop.

I take a 1 hour bus ride to Fullerton, trek an hour on foot to the Fullerton Park and Ride, take a 1/2 hour ride into downtown Los Angeles, a 90 minute ride to Thousand Oaks, and one final 25 minute ride to Simi Valley.

On such early morning rides you see immigrant night workers going home, homeless people going from place to place, just so they can sleep in a safe place for the space of a 2 hour bus ride, and the downtown business folks coming in to work at the office.

On my walk through Fullerton the only soul I encountered was a beautiful Black Cat who crossed the street ahead of me and provided an unintended escort for a 7 block stretch of my journey.

It was strangley peaceful to watch him saunter slowly down the street, and amusing to speculate on where he had been and where he was going.

Him being a Black Cat it's a wonder my whole day was safe from injury. :-)

Must have been a Republican. :-)

At 830am I find myself looking up at the foothills where the Reagan Library, and Museum, is tucked away, beginning the 20 minute walk up the winding road, not realizing until a Simi Valley Transit Bus passes me by, that there was a bus to the top.

In addition to views in all directions, of the valley, and nearby mtns., I'm accompanied on my trek by a long, Honorary, procession of Presidential Portrait banners hanging from light poles, from Washington to FDR.

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I guess I've gone from thinking I was a Center Left Democrat to realizing I'm more of a Center Right Republican, and inching further right the more I read, and hear of the beliefs, and policy prescriptions, of the Left in this country.

I believe that Liberalism, and the Democratic Party, are in trouble, and their policies are troubling, because their vocal, politically powerful, and active, practitioners are far from their more moderate mainstream, less politically active, comrades.

The more I thought about the ideas, and policies of Liberalism, especially the less than moderate side of it all, the more I realized it didn't appeal to me.

In the past year I've done several things to further my journey into becoming more Conservative in my views:

I've added more Conservative related blogs, and other links, here on the Joint, and enjoy occasionally reading them, not only because I agree with what they say, but because they are thoughtful, intelligent, and well written sites, and articles, with much useful information that can be used to counter attacks from the Left, and help a person grow strong in the rightness of his, or her, beliefs.

Another thing I've done is begin to slowly rebuild my book collection.

This is important to an avid reader, and budding writer, such as myself, because I can not imagine not being surrounded by books, and a declining literacy rate, and a deline in the number of people who read books, magazines, and newspapers, is disturbing for the future of a powerful, and influential, America in world affairs.

America's Literacy, and Literary Lifestyle, is in flux, and we all need to sit up, take note, and do all we can to encourage the continuing growth of both.

When I moved to Orange County, in early 2003, I had sold my entire book collection ( my 20 year old Video collection went too ).

I knew it was neccessary, but I still felt a void in my life.

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By the end of the Clinton Presidency, in early 1999, my life was going nowhere, and I was again terribly disillusioned by a President, his behavior, and his policies.

In 1999 my life began to change.

The 1st step was getting a computer, going online, and joining the broader discussion, and debate found in the old message board communities known as Pathfinder, on the Entertainment Weekly, and Time Online websites.

The people I met online ( some, later in person as well ) helped change my life, and encouraged ( and still encourage ) me in so many ways as I grew, and changed socially, and politically.

The social part came before Sept. 11 when I took trips for 4 day adventures among some of them in Phoenix, and Chicago.

The morning after returning from Chicago was Sept.11, and my political awareness began to slowly change.

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When I registered to vote in 1978, when I turned 18, it was as a Democrat, and as I reflect back on those days it is to realize that I did so not really because I believed, or even fully understood, Liberalism, but because my mother was a Democrat, and I loved, and was busily supporting her during difficult times for our family.

I grew up watching Watergate, the end of the war in Vietnam, the long gas lines, the hostage crisis, and malaise, of the Carter years, and understood enough that I knew I was pissed off at both parties, but was unsure about who to vote for in 1980.

I registered as a Democrat simply because I had to put SOMETHING down, and checking Independent wasn't an option in my mind.

Besides, like I said, Mom was a Democrat.

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The thousands of people cheering along the route of the State Funeral procession sent chills up and down my spine, or maybe I should say THRILLS because, again, the Far Left was shown that most folks won't be joining them in the trashing of the President.

The State Funeral brought home to America, and the World, for the first time in a long time, not just the majesty and dignity of the most powerful office of Leadership on the planet, but that of the man it honored.

No man is perfect, least of all a President of the United States.

These men are often put in difficult positions where they are damned if they do, and damned if they don't, regardless of the choices they make, and/or the things others do with, or without their knowledge, and consent, to further those choices, and sometimes their beliefs, and policies, lead some misguided soul to attempt, and sometimes succeed, at assassination.

There have been numerous times when such policies, and beliefs, have either cost them voters, or even an election, yet history eventually proved that the ultimate goals achieved were the right ones to pursue, though some of the methods used to further them may have been questionable.

Weapons for hostages, and funnelling $$ to the Contras may have been questionable but the goal of defeating Communism in Central, and South America, was the right one to pursue, and Communism WAS defeated.

Ronald Reagan, Conservatism, and Me

He said this:

Government is like a big baby-- an alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end, and no reponsibility at the other.

-- Remark while campaigning for Governor of California in 1965

And this:

We're the Party that wants to see an America in which people can still get rich.

-- Remark at Republican congressional dinner in May 1982.

And this:

Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

-- Remarks at the Brandenberg Gate, West Berlin, in 1987.

Where to begin?

During an emotional week in June the Gipper won one for us.

End of story.

Well, actually, since I needed to express my thoughts, it wasn't really the end of the story at all.

Just the beginning.

1 more part of a new beginning for me.

I was compelled to write, and write, and write, that weekend after the funeral, and then I set aside what I had written as I began a new job, and as I worked I never had the chance to post my thoughts here for the world to see.

In August I finally gave some more thought to what I wanted to do, and decided that I had an opportunity, here, with the election coming up, to do something different, and maybe influence a few folks thinking on the Party, and the person, best able to run our country in this time of challenge.

I spent a day at the Ronald Reagan Library.

The series you are about to read, and the pictures I took to present in it ( May take a few extra seconds for Dial-Up and/or hit refresh if needed to see them ) grew from that first weekend of writing, and from that visit.

It is MY very special "October Suprise".

I hope you find my offering interesting, and informative, as we head into the final few days to the Election: