# Ronald Reagan is dead. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 5, 2004, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ronald-reagan-is-dead/248862 "2004-06-05T22:04:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ronald-reagan-is-dead/248862/61 "2004-06-07T20:48:05Z")
Gotta put my vote in (again) for Reagan. Look at the Economy under his watch. I bought a house under good intrest terms during his presidency and have since paid it off. Thanks, Ronnie ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ronald-reagan-is-dead/248862/62 "2004-06-07T21:07:14Z")
C-Span’s coverage of the repose is emotionally poignant. No talking heads. Merely silence, with the occasional cough or shuffle. An old Asian man, carrying Reagan’s portrait, paused by the coffin and bowed deeply. A teenage boy gazed at the Marine standing guard, and then quietly removed his cap. A woman sobbed as her companion helped her to keep her balance. The guards change every hour with slow, deliberate, ceremonial movements. Truly stunning. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ronald-reagan-is-dead/248862/63 "2004-06-07T21:17:51Z")
Dubya has approved a National Day of Mourning on Friday. All Government offices (except essential services) will be closed. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ronald-reagan-is-dead/248862/64 "2004-06-07T21:21:03Z")
> [@Early Out](#): > > The more I think about this, the angrier I get. I hadn’t thought about that speech in a long time. > > First, the line about touching the face of god was swiped, without attribution, from a WWII poem entitled _High Flight_, by John Magee: [http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/history/prewwii/jgm.htm](http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/history/prewwii/jgm.htm). > > Second, what Reagan conveniently failed to mention was _why_ the shuttle astronauts had died. There were many at the time who were firmly convinced that NASA management had overridden the recommendations of the flight engineers primarily so that Reagan could talk about the “teacher in space” in his upcoming State of the Union address (see _Challenger, A Major Malfunction_, by Malcolm McConnell, for example). The managers were so eager to please the boss, they put the safety of the astronauts behind political considerations. The astronauts died needlessly. The Reagan administration created the conditions that caused the tragedy, yet some people loved him because he delivered a nice speech when the inevitable disaster occurred. Wow. I can understand your point of view, and I sympathize. But I really wouldn’t waste too much anger on either of those. Lines from Magee’s poem have been adapted many times in everything from novels, to musicals, to television station sign-offs. Nancy Noonan did attribute the source in her book, _What I Saw at the Revolution_. But she hadn’t actually taken it directly from Magee’s verse; rather, she had recalled an inscription on a plaque at her high school, and she thought it appropriate. And, speaking of appropriateness, I’m not sure that that evening was the appropriate time to mention anything at all about fault, blame, or causes no matter where they came from, even if the conspiracists were right. People were in morning and wanted reassurance. He gave it to them. That’s why they loved him. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ronald-reagan-is-dead/248862/65 "2004-06-08T03:40:22Z")
Actually, it’s Peggy Noonan, not Nancy. I remember hating Reagan as a child because he was always on tv talking when I wanted to watch my shows and my mom would start booing him. Hehehe. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ronald-reagan-is-dead/248862/66 "2004-06-08T10:13:11Z")
> [@Gin](#): > > Actually, it’s Peggy Noonan, not Nancy. Thanks, Guin. You’re right. I must have been thinking of the former First Lady. What a beautiful love affair she and her husband had. ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ronald-reagan-is-dead/248862/67 "2004-06-08T21:54:43Z")
I went to the state capitol yesterday. Not hard since I work across the street. Governor Schwarzenegger made a speech in the rotunda beneath the portrait of Reagan. They laid out a book for all people to sign that would be given to the Reagan family. I signed it. I left some flowers, roses, apparently I was the first person to do so. I know that he has been gone for a long time now, but I still miss him dearly. Good-bye sir, and God bless. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![KSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ronald-reagan-is-dead/248862/68 "2004-06-09T00:01:21Z")
God bless, Mr. President. May you rest in peace. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ronald-reagan-is-dead/248862/69 "2004-06-09T10:06:07Z")
[SNL] This just in: former President Ronald Reagan is _still_ dead. [/SNL] ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ronald-reagan-is-dead/248862/70 "2004-06-09T10:31:23Z")
My, what an original wit. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ronald-reagan-is-dead/248862/71 "2004-06-09T11:03:51Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > [SNL] > This just in: former President Ronald Reagan is _still_ dead. > [/SNL] So many opportunities to open a pit thread, so little time. Thanks for missing the entire fucking point if this one **RTFirefly**. You wise sage, you. God bless, again, Mr. President. My grandchildren will hear from me of how you made America that beacon of light once again. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ronald-reagan-is-dead/248862/72 "2004-06-09T13:24:49Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > [SNL] > This just in: former President Ronald Reagan is _still_ dead. > [/SNL] Anyone old enough to have an opinion about President Reagan should surely be old enough to know better than to trot out this old chestnut yet again. How tiresome. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ronald-reagan-is-dead/248862/73 "2004-06-09T18:03:21Z")
The spontaneous applause for Mrs. Reagan as she boarded the plane was touching. The final visitor count in California was 105,000. ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ronald-reagan-is-dead/248862/74 "2004-06-10T04:42:29Z")
Apperently I really was the first person to bring flowers to the capital, as a couple of folks I know saw the roses on the news. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ronald-reagan-is-dead/248862.md?page=3)