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Peggy Noonan: Why We Talk About Reagan

Excerpt:

But let me tell you why we make those arguments as often as we can. When I talk about Mr. Reagan, media people often preface my remarks, or close them, with words like this: "You adore him." Or, "You of course have great affection for him and so it's your view that . . ."

These are not unfriendly words, but they're a warning to the viewer: Take what you hear with a grain of salt. Needless to say the grain-of-salt warning doesn't come when the subject is, say, JFK or FDR or Martin Luther King, all of whom had friends, supporters and biographers who have spent decades advancing their causes with affection and respect.

Ronald Reagan's old foes, the political and ideological left, retain a certain control of the words and ways by which stories are told. They run the academy, the media; they control many of the means by which the young--that nice, strong 20-year-old boy walking down the street, that thoughtful girl making some money by yanking the levers of the coffee machine at Starbucks--will receive and understand history.

But the academy and the media may not in time tell Mr. Reagan's story straight; and if they do not tell the truth it will be for the simple reason that they cannot see it. They have been trained in a point of view. It's hard to break out of your training.

That is why we don't let the subject pass. It's too rich with meaning. To speak of Mr. Reagan honestly, to speak of his fabled life and his flaws, is to make a contribution to the young, who 10 and 20 and 40 years from now will be running history, and who will need lives on which to pattern their own, lives from which to draw strength.

The young could do worse. The young often have.

This entire article is great - what I've come to expect from this former Reagan speechwriter.
Peggy's article is a sincere tribute to Reagan, with a clear message regarding the terrible tragedy of media bias. I was so disappointed regarding some of the things going on in the media (and in Congress) this week surrounding Reagans birthday. . .
Thanks for posting this Pokey, and for the ping Sabertooth!
(((PING))))))
Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my ping list!. . .don't be shy.

God Bless President Reagan. What a tragedy indeed.

I began getting interested in politics about half way through President Reagan's second term. Until then, I was just another uninterested high school punk. I didn't care and/or didn't worry about much. Then something happened. The more and more I started paying attention to President Reagan's speeches or reading excerpts thereof, I thought "Wow, this guy is making alot of sense!"

My parents, while both registered Republicans, are definitely towards the...ACK...moderate end and rarely spoke politics around the house. And they NEVER spoke politics outside the house unless with friends and family.

But now, as a result of my ascent to the political Right, I've drawn my brother and father out of the politcal closet. While not outspoken, they are willing to let their political beliefs be known in public settings if questioned or if a lib is spewing their bull$hit. Heck, for the first time ever, another member of the family besides myself put a election sign in their front yard (for GW). My mother, I fear, is a lost cause in "moderatedom" but even mom's can't be perfect.

All of this is due to the impact President Reagan had on me as I entered adulthood. My only regret is that I wasn't born a year or two earlier. I never has the honor, pleasure, or satisfaction of voting for him.