Being Apart of History
I’ve always had some kind of connection with Ronald Reagan. In the second grade, my class was given a project to research a president that was assigned to us, write a one-paragraph report on that president, and present our report to the class. I was assigned Ronald Reagan. At first, I was little unsure of what to do. I wasn’t even sure who he was, what he did, or even what time period he was from. With help from my parents, I learned all the good things he did and grew to really like him for all he did and who he was. I even included his famous words at the Berlin Wall, “Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall!” in my speech. (Though I had to practice with my dad on how to pronounce Gorbachev for a few days.) I ended up getting an A on that project. But, since then, I’ve always looked up to Reagan. So, when it was announced that we would be going to the Reagan library for class, I was really excited. I had been to both the Nixon and the Reagan libraries in middle school and really enjoyed my time back then. I was looking forward to going back and exploring the life of one of my favorite presidents in US history. In the library, I was fascinated at every little thing that stood the test of time. But what really fascinated me was the following five things.
The first thing that I really loved was something you see towards the beginning, around the time that Reagan won the presidency. Reagan kept two plaques on his desk that gave him encouragement when he was negotiating. One plaque reads, “There’s no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he does not mind who gets the credit.” The other reads, “It CAN be done.” The two plaques echoes Reagan’s belief that in America, anything is possible and is only limited by one’s dreams. When I say this, I felt very inspired. Reagan knew that the road ahead would be tough. However, he didn’t let the fear of failure bring him down.
The second thing I really loved was the entire exhibit of the assassination attempt. On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley, Jr. shot at President Reagan, attempting to kill him. The entire shooting lasted about 2 seconds. Secret Service acted fast, tackled the shooter, and got the president out and saved his life. Four people were shot, including the president, who was shot in the chest and the forearm. In the exhibit at the library, they have the suit the president was wearing when he was shot, all cut up and labeled where the bullets were. They also had the x-ray of Reagan’s chest where the bullet was. They even had a quote on the wall from Reagan after the shooting. He said, “Whatever happens now, I owe my life to God and will try to serve Him in every way I can.” I really connected with this because in the light of tragedy, he turned to God. Because I was raised in a very Catholic family and have turned to God my whole life, it was refreshing to me that a president would openly include religion in his life.
The next thing I really loved was the map of Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign. The “Just Say No” campaign was an advertising campaign, part of the U.S. “War on Drugs”, prevalent during the 1980s and early 1990s, to discourage children from engaging in illegal recreational drug use by offering various ways of saying no. Eventually, the scope of the campaign expanded to cover violence and premarital sex as well as drug use. The map showed campaign stops across the country and spanned over many years. I was really inspired to see the First Lady getting involved with the country. I always like seeing powerful women making a difference in the community.
Another thing I really enjoyed was the condolence letters sent to Nancy Reagan when Ronald died in 2004. Support was pouring from across the country and even around the world. In one of the condolence books, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher wrote, “To Ronnie, Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” With the many notes in the condolence books that were spread across the country, Nancy Reagan also received letters from world leaders, dear friends, and even complete strangers. The letters testified to the great respect and admiration so many people felt for Ronald Reagan and their sorrow at her loss. For the whole country and world leaders to come together to mourn the loss of Reagan really warms my heart and gives me hope for the world. For a moment, the world wasn’t divided. They were together to celebrate the life of one man.
The last thing that I loved was actual outside the library as you walk out of the museum. Standing by itself is a portion of the Berlin Wall. Every time I see it, it gives me chills. This portion of the wall stands tall and proud. On one side, you can see pretty decorations of flowers and butterflies, symbols of hope. On the other side, nothing but an “E.” This wall has been through so much, tells so many stories, and is our history.
History never ceases to amaze me. Seeing the way we dealt with situations not too different from ones we have now shows me the full circle we go through. Battles fought, lives lost, treaties written, speeches given. It’s all the same. What’s different is the time and the people.
