Farewell Gipper

They say you never forget your first time. I sure remember mine. It was November of 1984. I was nervous, excited, giddy. Like any red-blooded American male I couldn't wait. I remember fumbling with my wallet, desperate to get out what I needed when the young woman asked me. I'm pretty sure it was at the county government center.

According to a form in my packet of papers from the Army I had entered the service on November 15th. In 1984 the 2nd Tuesday would have fallen on the 8th, which means I would still have been able to vote before shipping out to Basic Training. However, I don't remember voting in a booth in North County where I was living. I must have done an absentee ballot, since I do remember filling out a ballot.

I remember because I voted for Reagan.

In my young punk days, I ran with a pretty liberal crowd full of Episcopalians and Pagans. I did a logo for Students and Teachers Organized to Prevent Nuclear War. I understood that safe and legal abortion was crucial for sex without consequence (not that I was participating). I even leant a friend my old Boy Scout uniform and made a badge that said "Reagan Youth" for Halloween, one of my very first reducto-ad-hitlerium comments.

On the other hand, I was virulently anti-Communist, having swallowed the seed that freedom gasped and collapsed under Red rule. In my breast beat a heart that loves soldiers, and while I wasn't much of one when I was, I wanted to be one. Reagan did not dislike or distrust the military, and that in part won me over.

Now all grown up, and a full blown evangelical conservative Republican, I have come to love Reagan, eliciting liberal chagrin when I refer to him as Ronaldus Magnus. Often when I write, I'll reference the Gipper "Ronald Reagan (blessings on his name)" in an effort to twit my liberal correspondents.

There isn't much more that I can say about Reagan that won't be said over the next week or so. All I can add is that he made it fun to be an American, he put a little swagger back in our pants. Reagan loved being an American, thought it not something to be ashamed of. That's how I feel, too. Reagan will not be remembered with universal adulation, but then often the measure of the man can be found in those who dislike him. Reagan ignored his critics for the most part, and never condescended to nonsense. George W. Bush has taken a page from Reagan on that score (though I wish he had taken a few of the "smaller government" pages, too).

It is a shame that Reagan's last ten years was spent spiraling down into death. We could use his humor, wisdom and faith. I wonder if he knew about September 11th. I hope not.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Reagan. We'll see you soon enough.

Tim McNabb