veiled4allah: Reagan

When Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980, I was only seven years old. I remember some events from Carter's presidency, but it's Reagan that's really associated in my mind with knowing who the president was and what was important about the office. In fact, for a long time I had some vague feeling that Reagan had always been the president because he was as long as I could really remember, LOL. In terms of Reagan's legacy as president, that's something I make judgments about based on what I've read, rather than my own experiences and memories because of course my understanding at the time was that of a child.

I think that Reagan's passing must have been a mercy for him and for his family; his mind had already gone on to somewhere that nobody else could follow, and I've always felt that's a terribly sad way to end one's days. My grandmother, who's about the same age as Reagan was, doesn't have the specific Alzheimer's disease, but for her too, she's more gone than there. I think that one of the worst aspects would be to be aware of what's happened to you but unable to communicate it to anybody. I hope that Reagan had passed beyond that stage and my grandmother as well.

To me, one of the best ways to honor Reagan's memory in a way that does also something good for others, is to donate for Alzheimer's research and care. The Alzheimer's Association is accepting donations in honor of Reagan and I encourage everybody who can spare some change to make a donation tomorrow on the day of mourning for Reagan. Whether you're a liberal or a conservative and whatever you think of his presidential legacy, he and his family have done a tremendous amount to help other victims of Alzheimer's and that's something we can all feel good about supporting. Thanks.