Reagan Museum Reflection
My top five favorite objects
Oval Office: I enjoyed the replica of the Office because even though it is pretty much the same it had pieces that showed who Ronald was. For example they had a bowl of Jelly Belly on the coffee table because that was his favorite snack. this really showed that even though the oval office was a place for businesses his little joys still showed trough.
The Visual scene of the Reagan shooting: This had to be my most memorable part of the museum. They had set into a dark room and showed us the clip of the actual shooting. That even though Ronald Reagan has so much protection he was still affected and wounded. This showed that even in life altering situations he still had a strong will about everything and did not let it hold him back. Which says a lot about how he carried himself in his terms as president.
Dedication to Wife Nancy: The little exhibit about Nancy Reagan did not only show us who she was but showed us why she was such a great first lady. It showed us that she led a life of her own and was a strong independent woman and a supportive wife. I remember a part of a quote on the was saying ” Nancy has the features Ronald lacked and Ronald had the features Nancy lacked that together they were unstoppable”. Now this part of the exhibit showed that even though Ronald Reagan was an amazing man and president it was in fact because he had a strong amazing woman by his side. This spoke to me because I believe that a leader should be well rounded and the fact he was such a great husband had to do with why he had a successful presidency.
The Ranch Exhibit (Horse Attire):I enjoyed this part of the museum because it shed light into who he was and what his hobbies were. He had so much dedicated to this part of his life and took so much pride in his horses. Walking around this part of the exhibit showed that he was a normal guy that likes normal thing. Granted he had top of the line everything did not change my opinion or out look that he genuinely enjoyed this hobby.
Air Force 1: I mostly remember air force one being cramped and a little dusty but I do remember how the lady presenting shared quit a funny story with us. She had said that Ronald Reagan would look to see if it was anybody’s birthday on the plane just so he could have a piece of chocolate cake. That this was the only way Nancy would let him eat cake. I don’t think this was the entire reason. Ronald was such a nice person that he probably hoped to make that person stuck on the plane with him feel better by acknowledging their birthday.
The visual scene of the attempt on Ronald Reagan’s Life
The curator probably chose to present this visual scene to create sympathy within the audience. I responded to this visual scene with empathy for the wounded president. Which is most likely the responses wanted by the curator because this was the first serious or tragic even shown to the audience in the museum.
This reaction creates an emotional connection with the president based on the fact that we saw the attack take action and then saw what came after. Which then carries the narrative into a more serious tone. This exhibit was in fact the entrance into the more important issues he faced in his terms.
Discovery of the Truth
With this particular scene shown in the museum we were able to relive it. The shooting was captured in live happening so it is certainly the truth. This scene certainly represents a time in Reagan’s history where he may have not been to popular with the audience. It also portrayed him to be a light hearted forgiving person. He did not let this set him back or make him bitter he in fact prospered from this event.
