Jewells of Thought

Obviously I don’t remember very much about his two terms firsthand. As I mentioned the other day I was born on the day of his second Inauguration. Two big things had changed in the presidency and the policy of h inaugurations were done for me to share that special day with that special president.

Firstly Inauguration Day. George Washington was sworn in on April 30, 1789. His second Inauguration was on March 4, 1793. The reasons are due to traveling. The second one was March 4th simply because it was when Congress held its first meeting. We had this date in America for a very long time until 1932, but technically it wasn’t in effect until the year of 1937. Ironically my Grandpa Freddy was born in 1932 and Grandma Rosemary just 4 years later in 1936, therefore bringing my existence closer to reality. Isn’t that incredible to see a look behind the scenes of History into your own life.

The year my Grandpa was born the 20th Amendment was swiftly brought into a vote and ratified. Apparently April or March was too long in the New Year to wait for the newly elected president to take the reins so they believed the process needed to be sped up considerably, although some still believe January 20th is still a long time without the new president officially at the helm.

Secondly the area where the president was sworn in was changed in 1981 with Reagan’s first Inauguration Day. It was the first to be held in the West Portico of the Capital. Reagan started this and it has become the new tradition to face the Washington Monument in the splendid distance of the breathtaking scene.

Dennis Quaid seems to have truly found the magic of Reagan’s presence. “The Great Communicator,” fit Dennis like a glove, I am biased I was raised on both the old and the new “Parent Trap’s”, “The Rookie (2002)” and I am sure others that don’t come to mind right now. Watching Quaid play Reagan in the first meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev was awesome. That scene reminds me of my Grandpa always talking to friends and strangers alike over something little but relatable to him and the other person.

I wonder though, it was the Russians that liberated my Grandpa Leo as a prisoner of war in Czechoslovakia. Grandpa saw them free him and the other prisoners, but he also saw them act atrociously with the enemy and their possessions as they headed west. This was during World War II though… sometimes I think too much on the what-ifs.

Here is another what-if! What if Reagan was a Democrat before becoming a Republican? That is very much true. He is the first person I believe that came up with the line that he didn’t leave the Democrat Party the Democrat Party left him. He said this somewhere between the 50’s and 60’s. Then became a Republican who supported Barry Goldwater for Senator. I found it really interesting at the beginning of the film that his first wife Jane Wyman didn’t like him talking about politics with their crowd when they were out nights at the clubs.

Monday when I watched the Huccabee’s Jukebox and I learned most of the movie was narrated by a composite of a Retired KGB Agent I was deftly intrigued. How did this God-fearing, All American actor get the interest of the KGB so early in his life? Wow this was like a lightning rod hearing this information. I had briefly learned about Red Scare in Hollywood, but didn’t realize the extent and damage had truly been done in Hollywood during those years Reagan was in charge of the Screen Actors Guild. Thank goodness he was where he was in order to make his stand and stop the communism from going any further into Hollywood at that time.

There’s a quote we have heard from Reagan for years in relation to Communism. That specific quote was something he heard as a child in church. This is why it is so important for families to go to church together as early as possible for the children to grasp these little details. He never forgot the words of a man who fled the Soviet Union and his words continued to permeate the mind of this young man at this tender age.

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected and handed on for them to do the same.

Dissident from the Soviet Union, and Ronald Reagan 40th President

This is a reminder to all parents and caretakers that church is still so crucial to a child’s life. It is this one piece of Ronnie’s childhood that forged his future into politics and the White House. Without this particular piece in his background would he have been so consistent on routing out Communism from America? His actions as the SAG President and Governor just gave him bigger opportunities to tackle America’s problems with more resources and couple that with his common sense thinking that KGB agent said he had single-handedly toppled the Soviet Union. Just the threat of a ‘Star Wars’ protecting system across the domestic United States was also enough to scare the Soviets into eventual submission and forced the lowering of their missile capacity.

One last intriguing mention of God’s purpose for this man was shown in the movie. All I will say is that it was absolutely God’s will and if it was that certain prayer, our God is of the impossible and is omniscient and powerful in all ways. Ronald Reagan was the oldest president we had to that point in our history; his schedule and his manner in running his office never slowed a beat even after his attempted assassination. He even brought a mobile exercise kit when he traveled domestically and overseas to continue his routine and keep in shape on the move.

Our presidents are still mere mortals they have their vices and weaknesses as well as their strengths. No one is immune to making mistakes. Only Christ, Himself was and is. This movie really brought out my need to research this thoroughly intriguing president I have so little memory of even though I was just born at the beginning of his second term. I have memories of his death and the funeral and also of the amazing Presidential Library. One of the Republican Debates before the Primary was held at his Library. It was really neat to see the area with the beautiful plane while the debate unfolded. It was a sight to see.

Mom in the last few minutes of the movie forgot what she was holding in her lap. All of a sudden we heard a crash and popcorn was all around our feet. She accidentally let go of the bag during the ending. I was balling like a baby cause it was emotional. I told her to not worry about it until the very end. She picked up what she could, but we left a lot still on the floor and some got down under us into the lower aisle. It was a mess. I told her she’s not holding the popcorn anymore.