Remembering President Ronald Reagan

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor:

            I would like to ask all citizens of Dedham to pause and reflect on the Tenth Anniversary of the death of the greatest President of the United States of the twentieth century, Ronald Wilson Reagan, which occurred last week.

            Ronald Reagan was born in Dixon, Illinois and graduated from Eureka Collage with a B. A. in Economics and Sociology.  After graduation, he worked as a sportscaster for the Chicago Cubs when discovered by Warner Bros in 1937 and appeared in 53 films during his career in Hollywood. He served our country in World War II performing voiceovers for training films for the Army Air Corps. He married twice, first to Jane Wyman and then Nancy Davis.  He had two sons and two daughters.

            First a registered Democrat, Reagan switched to the Republican party at the height of the Communist controversy and became a leading spokesman for the conservative cause when touring our nation as a television host.  In 1966, Reagan was elected Governor of California for two terms.  After his time in Sacramento, he waged a primary challenge to President Gerald Ford in 1976; after losing that year, he came back four years later in 1980, winning the Republican nomination and the Presidency, carrying 44 states including Massachusetts. In 1984, Reagan won re-election, carrying 49 states.  He carried Dedham twice.

            During Reagan’s Presidency, inflation and unemployment decreased due to his supply-side economic policies and his tax cuts.  These policies restored all jobs that were lost in the 1981-82 recession. On foreign policy, Reagan’s greatest accomplishment was the massive buildup of our nation’s defense, forcing the former Soviet Bloc to collapse months after he left office in 1989.

            The following are a couple of President Reagan’s most famous quotes:

“The nine most terrifying words in the English language” I’m from the government and I’m here to help you.”

“I have only one thing to say to the tax increasers: go ahead, make my day.”

“What I’d really like to do is go down in history as the President who made Americans believe in themselves again.”

I believe that if our country once again embraced the ideals and the conservative policies of Ronald Reagan, our country would resume its place as the #1 nation in the world and all Americans would become better off in all aspects.  President Ronald Reagan, R. I. P.

Daniel Sullivan

98 Curve Street

District Six