Ronald Reagan Library

When I was told that we were going to the Ronald Reagan Library I imagined an actual library with books (which made me really excited because I love books), not a museum. However as I walked through the museum and I realized that I didn’t agree with many of his ideas. Although he did seem to be a more progressive Republican in some aspects he is also well known more for his conservative Presbyterian church going values.

One of the video excerpts from the museum shows Ronald Reagan’s views on higher education. Ronald Reagan believed that higher education was a privilege not a right. Regan believed that it was the parent’s obligation to provide for their and their college costs. As a fellow college student now I can see the flaws in that theory, the amount of debt a college student racks up after college is $35,200 in loans and credit card debt, Reagan lowered the amount of financial aid because he wanted to lower the deficit but people are still in debt and so is the country. By raising tuition costs and lowering financial aid the gap between the higher and lower class widened.

There was also a video excerpt from Ronald Reagan on his views towards the Russians. Reagan felt they were “god-less savages” and “the evil empire” he wanted to have the more nuclear arms than Russia as to show intimidate Russia into not going to war with the United States it was also so that if the Cold War did turn into a nuclear war the United States would be ready. Reagan ended up out-spending Russia and tripling the nation’s debt by the time he left office in 1989.

As I walked through the museum the suit Ronald Reagan wore during his assassination attempt intrigued me very much. It was ironic to me that Reagan was shot by a bullet that ricocheted off of the limousine that was created to protect the president from harms way. As a Republican Reagan still pushed to ban guns, most likely because he had experienced first hand what it was like to get shot and the damage that guns can do.

It was also very interesting to see how Nancy Reagan directly influenced Ronald Reagan’s presidency and his two presidential campaigns. Nancy Regan was described as the opposite to Ronald Reagan but was also described as “everything Ronald needed” Nancy Regan helped with campaigning and with pioneering drug abuse programs but she also helped Reagan win his elections by reigning in the women’s votes and the familial votes.

I also found the Ronald Reagans’ presidential campaign pin to be interesting because I realized that George H.W. Bush was his vice president and it amazed me how that Bush would end up being their next president and would then have his son become a president as well. It really blew my mind how a Vice President could become president and then have his son or sons continue his legacy.

I believe when the curator chose to add the video excerpt of Reagan’s distaste towards the Russians he or she was trying to exemplify Reagan’s world views. The curator might’ve added this video to show the beginning he ‘Red Scare’ and how Americans were reacting or better yet overreacting towards the idea of communism. The video’s authenticity is proven as there are multiple copies of this video and Reagan was known for his distrust of the Russians.

The video represent Reagan in a both favorable and unfavorable way, it highlights the strengths and the flaws in his ideology. Reagan distrusted the Russians and it reflected during his speeches but the distrust in Russian led the Reagan administration to further their anti- communist agenda. It was a smart move to instil fear in the country because it was a way to push their agenda further because fear is a great motivator for people and Reagan took advantage of that.