Sorry Blue,
I fought the cold war for twenty two years. President Reagan had the ideology, the vision, and most importantly the will to drive the soviets into the ground. The cold war ended because they lost. We won. I don't recall any campfires, smores, or reditions of "Kumbaya" in the 1988-1992 time frame. Wars end for two reasons: One side wins and another side loses, or as in the case of WWI everybody got sick and died of a disease so there weren't enough people left to put on a proper battle.
JCN
PS If you want to dis President Reagan, please show enough class to take it over to the political forum. This thread is for those of us who loved and admired the man to work through our sadness at our loss, and our joy that he is in heaven looking down on us with affection.

Even if the guy did nothing else, HE SAVED US FROM JIMMY CARTER and all of Carter's ilk. For that alone the guy deserves every possible accolade.

John

I have no intention of putting down former President Reagan. As I have stated on numerous occasions in my posts, I beleive he was a good man, and I certainly hope that he is blessed by Almighty God.

But truth is truth. You say you fought the cold war. You say that Mr. Reagan won the cold war. The fact is that everyone in this nation fought the cold war, and everyone collectively in this nation won the cold war. MOreover, I don't believe that Mr. Reagan had anymore will to end the cold war than did anyone else in this country. Mr. Reagan was the spokesman for the fealings and the willpower of the the entire country. Yes, he did a good job. I don't disagree with that. But he is not the reason for any victory, nor is any president the reason for any victory, and I am betting that any ex president would agree with that.

Perhaps people revere presidents becasue they somehow associate a president as the country in some respect. Mr. REagan himself knew that wasn't true. I cannot count the number of times he said over and over again that it was the American People that made this country great. Never once did he claim it was him. And anytime things went wrong with his financial goals, it was always the "congress" that was at fault.

So again, I am not bashing Mr. Reagan. Just trying to state truths.

Blue: I've received several PMs recommending I place you on "ignore" but I just have to respond. BTW, "dis-respect" me all you want, I have ZERO respect for anyone that prevaricates I order to prove a point. Practically everybody that has even a modicum of "savvy" of geopolitics, agrees that Reagan was the locus in the West's VICTORY over communism, so please stop regurgitating the latest tripe from democrat websites about the "soviet Union was ready to fall anyway" garbage.



What does the fact that I've had problems with two of my rifles have anything to do my one's knowledge of firearms? you seem to be devoid of logic. I know my limitations, accept them and rely on the knowledge of others to LEARN. But don't ket the truth get in the way of your statements.



I don't want to get into a "whose dick is bigger" discussion, but based on what I've seen of your posts, your knowledge of firearms and current issues is limited. jorge



PS: Hot Core, "Semper Fi" buddy, before I became an aviator,

I was enlisted Marines.

Ronald Reagan helped pull the US out of a huge hole in 1980. I was in the service then and Mr. Peanut had put us in a pretty good jam overseas. Our Iranian embasssy had been attacked twice and Desert One was a big ugly mark for SPECOPs. My landlord was German and he always asked how Carter got elected and why the military paid us so little. When our pay raise came up Carter told us to lump it, no pay raise. One guy I worked with qualified for welfare. When Reagon was elected we picked our heads up and walked with that American swagger again.

When word came down that we were going to put the Russkies on the ropes and drive them in the ground economically we all wondered if it would work. The Wall came tumbling down a few years later.

Later in Los Angeles we worked with Secret Service a bit when Reagan would land at March AFB and fly the MArine1 helo up to his ranch. Reagan's call sign was "Rawhide". The SS peeps all liked him as well. We later referred to him as "Ronny Rayguns" after his Star Wars proposals. Reagan was hard of hearing and he would turn off the encryption on the radios many times because it was hard to hear the audio in encrypted mode, it drove the SS guys nuts but many people with scanners were able to hear the president if lucky and in the right place.

Heck of a president and conservative.

Nose art on one of the Navy F-18 Super Hornets in the funeral fly by.



Missing man formation fly by



I'm proud to have served under President Reagan as my CINC. I think this pic sums up how all Americans and vets feel.

Thanks for the pics. To watch me you'd have thought I lost my dog this week. I believe that man made my life possible. He made the military a joy to serve in, he saved gun ownership, he made an economy in which I could find a job even in 1981!



When I came home just after his 1st inauguration gas was $1.56 a gallon. That's $3.16 in today's dollars! (IOW, around here @ $1.84 a gallon I'm paying $.89 a gallon in 1981 dollars or almost one-half what I paid in 1981!!) Unemployment was about 18% locally with some areas at nearly 25%. I was darn lucky to be able to find a job. Reducing the tax rate put money into the economy (there was no money which is why money market funds paid double digit interest rates), which put money into businesses which hired people.



I've been praying for the President, his wife, his kids and so forth. Darn fine people if you ask me.

It is comforting that the Gipper will be projecting US might around the world for years to come.


http://www.reagan.navy.mil/




�We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we may be always free.�

President Ronald W. Reagan, June 6th, 1984. Normandy France

The last few days we watched as a flesh and blood president was transformed into marbel or brass.The process is touching and in some may create
dissent.Nevertheless,sometimes some distance is beneficial to put things into perspective,and in this case there seems to be overwhelming feelings of a great loss.
The loss of a great president,a very decent and honest man.
A warm personality that touched and connected with people.A person that most of us thrive to be and have no trouble elevating as a symbol of humanity.
We have far too many politicians that proclaim to be in office to represent the people and act for their own petty self preservation-the way they see it.
A honest man,a decent and able man therefore sticks out and reaps recognition beyond political or party lines.
Ronald Reagan was such a man.Looking beyond his possible occasional mistakes and microanalysis of his utterances.
He fought for humanity,for America and therefore for us.
We hold him dear and weep his passing on.

sheephunter

Blue,

With all due respects, I lived in the former USSR during it's last days, in Moscow, and returned to India after the breakup. From the inside, I saw the effect the Reagan Administration's pressure had on that entire bloc and to say that it would have naturally collapsed would do a grave discredit to a great man who did the whole world a service.

Please feel free to hold your opinions about him, I hope that you will respect that I have mine from a perspective that is very different from yours.

Will,

Lots of emotions yesterday. I liked it when Nancy was presented with the flag covering his coffin that actually flew on CVN-76 the day he died. That made it extra special for me as I spent 4 years serving with the air group on aircraft carriers.

Not to demean any of the other parts of the solemn services, but I think when Bo Derek stopped to pay her respects, she still looked a "10."

I thought the service in California was just perfect, as was the services all week. History has shown that great leaders are few and far between. Reagan was a man of conviction that didn't mind standing up for what was right, in a public venue. Being an anti-socialist/communist it's no wonder the Left hates him and searches for any trivial thing to demean him. He was a great American and I truly lost a hero/role model last Saturday.
God speed to you Mr. President.
My President; Ronald Reagan.

If one had been a adult in the 60's and 70's he would appreciate the greatness of Ronald Reagan. The USA went thru many tough times during that period. We lost the Vietnam war due to the incompetance of Robert McNamara who seemed to have Lyndon Johnson in his pocket. Meanwhile Johnson and other do gooders had ruined the families of many with the "Great Society" which stopped the will to work.



Then Richard Nixon depressed us even more with his scandal and rampant socialism. Nixon brought on the first gasoline crisis with wage and price controls. In fact we could not even get steel for a while!



After the lying, big goverment and corruption of Nixon we elected Carter who seemed like a nice guy. Carter was even more depressing and told us our best days were behind us. We suffered under a 90% marginal income tax rate and in general everyone waited for someone else to build us a house. This resulted in another gas shortage. I had to get up at 5AM and wait in line with the motor off out in the street for the station to open at 6AM. Then you could buy $2 worth of gas. Nobody went anywere.



We bought a house in 1981 and the interest rates were 16% for a fixed mortgage. Variable mortgages were even worse and many had lost houses as the rates had doubled on them.



Then Reagan came in. He gave us confidence. He lowered the tax rates and he collected even more as we went to work. The gasoline was flowing. We were proud to be Americans again.



Reagan borrowed to increase the military and ran up a big national debt. This was to create critical mass in the cold war. Those who had "freeze" bumper stickers on their Volvo 240's hated Reagan. They thought he would start a war.



Ronald Reagan was so much smarter than others. He released the power of free men. We work so much harder for ourselves than for someone else.



The man also enjoyed himself the whole time and was gracious.



It's quite easy to conclude that Ronald Reagan was the greatest person to walk the face of this earth in the last century. We need to study Ronald Reagan and copy him.

Well Ronald Reagan did lead and and did so very very well, The Kid from Dixon, a Chemist from England and a Polish Priest all very different in upbringing but were all bouyed by Fath and that the Communist Goverment of Russia was evil and had to be delt with. Ronald Reagan belongs to the Ages now. Soon the Polish Priest and the Chemist will leave this mortal plain. It is very rare that three such giants should come together at that time and at that place on the world stage. And the big winnners in all of this? Why the Russians, they got something they have had very little of in there long sad history, freedom.

Pecos, in honoring Reagan I wouldn't even mention Slick's name. It ruins the while mood and sullies the event.

Spectr - You are right, but please notice I didn't put them in the same line nor will I say the words in the same breath.

Is this still an African Big Game Hunting forum? Just wondering...


Sunshine

Mac

Nikudu has asked me to get off of his forum. I didn't think that there was any censorship on these forums, but I guess I was wrong.

Anyway, I will honor Nikudu's censorship, but before I go, I would again state that It was not my intention to disresepct Mr. Reagan. I believe I repeatedly said that that I thought that he was a good man, and I genuinely hope that he is blessed by Almighty God.

I think a few people have become confused about what I have said, and read words that I didn't write. For one thing, I have never voted anything but republican, so I don't know where somebody got the notion that I was a democrat.

I don't know where you got the idea that I thought it was silly for an old man to salute the flag because I am an old man and I salute the flag.

I don't know where anyone got the idea that I was unamerican. I happened to volunteer for and serve in the U.S. Navy.

As for tradition. All I said was that tradition was not the same as truth. It was at one time a tradition to have slavery in this country you know. And so I ask, what traditions are right and what traditions are wrong. Who is to say?

Somehow many of you folks seem to think that my posts were against Mr. Reagan. If you would read them carefully, you would see that they are not. Rather, they are in fact for this great nation and the ideals that it was started for, which were to get away from Royalty and to treat every citizen the same. And I really do believe that Mr. Reagan would have agreed with me on that.

Blue

Since I've been working 6 nights a week for the last couple of months, I've been too tired to GAS. I've been following this thread for a few nights now and figured to throw in my own .02 worth. President Reagan was a true leader who surrounded himself with qualified people who knew to tell the truth and not what he wanted to hear. He believed in making a decision and sticking to it. Full Speed Ahead and Damn the Torpedoes. The only other President in our past that even came close was JFK but he overly idealistic with advisors who told him what he wanted to hear instead of the truth. I've thought of George SR. as a decent President, but in the end, he betrayed all of us gun owners with his onerous gun bill on his way out of office. As to George JR., it still is up in the air. He is still not paying attention to what needs to be done as yet. What we need to do is to go in with all our resources and eliminate the enemy and be done with it instead of doing it piece-meal. Anyways, I'm going to sleep now.

Blue,

You are not one of us...To spend tax money on a 'true American' in my book is worth it....To give billions away to phonies overseas is OK???
Reagan was worth every penny and more...I grew up reading about the Berlin wall 'The Wall of Shame' and seeing how many people thought their personal freedon meant more then their lives trying to escape the communism...
Reagan stopped Kadaffi in his tracks and history will show that...Now it is Bin Laden ....
I am not ashamed of writing down my name either...

Mike Podwika
Mayor
Wyoming, Pa.

Blue, you obvious didn�t live in the same United States of American I did during the Reagan Presidency when the media lambasted Ronald Reagan as a cowboy anxious to push the nuclear button because he could. The media worldwide made him out to be a teenager with firecrackers and matches and anxious to light the fuse. When Reagan made his wall speech in Berlin, the people inside our government came unglued. How dare Reagan do such a thing. How dare he call the USSR an evil empire. He might piss them off! He might invite a nuclear attack on us. But he did it. Administrations before Ronald Reagan played poker with the USSR. The USSR raised the stakes by basing SS 20 missiles in Eastern Europe. The USSR didn�t do that because they feared NATO rolling east for Moscow, they did it to intimidate us and our allies. We didn�t respond during the Carter term, instead, Carter played up to and then kissed Brezhnev in the false and self-deluded hope that declaring peace is actually peace. President Reagan ousted Carter and his sick ideas and raised the USSR by basing cruise and Pershing missiles in Europe. The USSR had to fold. I cannot think of a county labeled a super power that collapsed faster and in a more spectacular way than the USSR. Thank Ronald Reagan for that.

What�s really going to upset the liberal establishment from this week forward, is Nancy Reagan. I was 16 when Oswald assassinated JFK. I was shoveling cow shit out a dairy barn that day at below zero temperatures, went in the house to warm my toes and found my mother crying. I�m 58 now, just turned in April, and I can�t recall a year going by without reading or hearing a news story about how Jackie showed strength, dignity and courage during her husband�s funeral. She did all of that and I admire her for it. What will the media say about Nancy Reagan and her time in the public eye this last week? I already hear the deafening silence.

Regardless of how anyone feels one way or the other about this blue characters' disrespect of Reagan, he clearly does not have any rights on this board. This is a privately funded and run board and he, you and I post at the pleasure of the owners and their assignees. Further, the man was, as he verified, asked to remove himself. True censorship would have removed his posts but they are still available, gratuitous trash that they are.

Mac / Blue - My response to Blue had nothing to do with being moderator. Hell, I never even once responded to "Carmello", for goodness sake. No, it was personal, pure and simple. Once, just once, I'd like to see a thread, especially so, a thread of obvious Tribute , be recognized for what it is and afforded the respect it deserves. Why, always , must it be usurped for a platform to express another's contrary set of "truths" and rendered uncomfortable for all those trying to pay homage. No Mac, you stay ... I'll go. I'm good and ready.

Nikudu

I have taken the discussion elsewhere, and has been pointed out to me by 8mm, and is evident by your words, you were not trying to use your muscle but rather to politely inquire as to whether I would leave the thread.

I invite anyone else who would like to continue to discuss this topic to come my post down the page in "Other"

I would hope that everyone can now get back to the topic of African Hunting without further ado.

Blue

I got the below from a Lady who lives outside Washington, D.C. and went to see President Reagan arrive in the Capitol. I've known her for a very long time. Brenda J. married a MARINE which speaks well for both of them.

...

.......................Witnessing Respectful History........................

I made the trip downtown yesterday to watch President Reagan's funeral procession and just wanted to share a few thoughts.

I waited until about 4pm to head in thinking I would stand a better chance of actually getting a parking place at the metro. Good decision because people who had to work were coming home, and just as I drove into the garage someone pulled out. I noticed that the trains going into town were just as crowded as the trains coming home. Hum, unusual for so late in the day.

The trip from out here in the burbs up to the Capitol meanders all through town gathering tourists as you go. Luckily most of them always get off at the Smithsonian stop, and yesterday was no exception. Being a savvy local I stayed on for a couple more stops and didn't have to walk as far. Since the heat index was 104, that turned out to be a good decision.

I joined the crowds already lined up along Constitution Ave. It was amazing to say the least to look around at the variety of folks, all races and nationalities. Standing with me were a group of kids from Georgia in town for a 4-H convention, 2 guys from South America who work for the Small Business Admin, a black woman and her teenage daughter, and two Marines who had walked over from HQ at 8th and I. Across the street every window in the office buildings was full of people with still more lining the
roofs.

Every time a group of uniformed military walked by,the crowd broke into applause. The parade route was lined where we were with Air Force personnel, 3 of whom passed out because of the heat. There were lots of ambulances on scene that seemed to be doing a booming business. Red Cross workers were passing out water bottles.

As it got later the crush became oppressive. I was glad all my new friends used deodorant. When the parade finally reached us about 6:30, we were actually leaning against each other. If someone had fallen the crowd would have supported them.

Once again everyone clapped for the military units and sang along with the band that played God Bless America. Several limousines came next, and at this point the procession halted for the Air Force flyover. Truly impressive and meaningful.We could see Mrs Reagan in her car trying to see the planes.

The cars began to move, and then we heard the drums. Everybody stopped talking and waited in silence. The lady next to me whispered with tears in her voice, "Here he comes." When the flag drapped coffin went by with the riderless horse behind it, I knew that all that time standing in the heat was worth it.

We watched until they were out of sight, but couldn't move for minutes afterwards because of the crowd behind us. I have been to several 4th of July celebrations up there when they claim crowds of several hundred thousand but have never seen anything like this.

Going home on the metro took over an hour, twice as long as usual and getting back out of the parking garage took over 20 minutes. Today I heard that we broke the record for Metro ridership with 850,000 for the day. I decided to do this instead of standing in line to go through the Capitol because of the long wait in the heat. By the time I got home I was queasy so it was a smart decision.

I've heard several people say that the press is going around talking to people until they get the answer they want which is that they came to be a part of history not because they love the man. Don't believe that. The people I saw yesterday both at the parade and on the metro came, some from far away, because they needed to pay their respects to a man who had meant something to them. That's why I went, and I'll always be glad I did.

He was, to me, the last great president of the United States of America. He made me feel proud to be an American.
He was what is right with America and through his ability to
inspire, motivate and deligate he did things that were nigh impossible for others. He challenged the Soviet Union, E. Germany and Libya and brought them to their knees, politically. Then befriended his enemy in peace. When he spoke he meant it and was not ashamed of speaking the truth firmly regardless of anyone's opinion of him. He loved his wife with all of his heart. He prayed for the man that shot him before he prayed for himself. He passed on a legacy that will show him as a Godly, two-fisted leader who was fair and tough and lead this country with dignity and pride. Was he perfect? Not by a long shot--and he would have told you that...with humor. Can anyone show me a better or bigger man?

Absolutely proud!
How do you feel about your president?
JCN

Not very proud at all!