Beyond Reagan

EllisWashingtonReport.com ^ | 02/12/11 | Ellis Washington

[EllisWashingtonReport]

Prologue

This month marks the centennial birth year of President Ronald Reagan, the founding father of modern political conservatism who against all odds and by the sheer power of his ideas, personality and vision pulled America from the malaise, stagflation and the servile posture of the Carter administration to the lofty heights of what he envisioned America's destiny to be – a shining city on a hill.

In 1988, Reagan's vision to rescue America's greatness compelled me to become a conservative Republican as a young graduate student studying history and law at Harvard during the same time Barack Obama was there, although I have no distinct memory of the man.

I'm certain most of you reading this column have been profoundly touched by Reagan's conservatism, which was both organic and authentic. He often would say, "I didn't leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me." Over half of his life was spent being our John the Baptist, a clarion voice of reason, freedom, truth and constitutionalism piercing the cacophony of Social Darwinism, progressivism, welfare statism and moral relativism to show America that truly there was better way.