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June 2004
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Mourning/Morning

Tomorrow is the big day of Ronald Reagan’s funeral.

I can’t say that I’m going to miss him–he’s a man who refused to utter the word “AIDS” until the end of his term of office; a man responsible for a huge federal deficit; and a man who felt that the homeless were homeless because they chose to be homeless.

Interestingly, the miserable failure has decided that federal employees are getting the day off tomorrow.

I haven’t heard the details, but I’m willing to bet it’s a day off without pay–something befitting the Reagan legacy.

9 comments to Mourning/Morning

  • koko

    I’m very baffeled to say the least about the whole Reagan thing. I watched the parade for him yesterday and almost pissed myself laughing. Call me insensitive, but I’m not. I really do feel badly for the family, but I’m sure it’s more of a relief now…they had to deal with a lot. I just think that some of the parade events were amusing.
    1. the riderless horse=tacky as dirty car sex. The tradition itself seems honourable and all, but must you put a pair of boots circa the civil war era in the stirrups of the saddle? It’s absurd people, seriously. It looks as though it were a cermony to honour a solider who was blown off his horse by a cannon! But of course no man/woman who faught in a war would ever get an honourable service other than a few guns firing, which brings me to my next point…
    2. Must Reagan be honoured by guns, cannons, and any other weapon shooting 21 times? Did he ever fight in a war? Or does the drug war count?
    3. The horse drawn wagon with his 700 lb casket was civil war era merch along with the cannons, the boots, and other things in his parade. Sure the man was a president…but my my people, a bit much no?
    4. The man was 93 years old, he lived past his time and even served as president past his time. Not to mention the man had a horrible disease that not many people can survive with as long as he did.
    5. Am I the only one who thinks that Nancy Reagan looks younger than her own childern? Sweet Lord my love, if it weren’t for those goddy dinner plate glasses I would have guessed she were only in her late 40’s to mid 50’s!
    6. I was waiting for them to drop Reagan as they were carrying him up the 75 odd stairs…alas it didn’t happen.
    7. I understand people want to mourn his death, but must the flag fly at half for 30 days?? I feel only the people closest to him could possibly mourn that long (or longer).
    8. I was ever so slightly annoyed by the glory glory song being played over and over about 13 times. Pick a song long enough to last the whole carrying up the stairs.

    I honestly don’t get this whole thing. I understand he was a president and all, but it seems a bit over the top and unnecessary even some may say undeserving? The men and women who fight for this country and its freedom barely get an acknowledgement…and quite frankly deserve more than what they get. It’s rather disheartening when you think about it really.

    I’m just curious what they will do for the Bush folk when they die? Scary thought isn’t it?

  • koko

    ps. sorry for the long rant…

  • Chris C

    Koko, as a former member of the military I’m hoping I can give some insight into what was going on with the march up Constitution avenue.

    I’m a big flaming liberal (socially) but as much as I disliked the man, he was the legitimately elected President, unlike the shrub. As such he was the Commander in Chief of the armed forces and thus gets the military pomp and circumstance, IF his family asks for it, which they did. The Nixon family did not due to the way he left office.

    What the boots in the saddle represented was the President, as leader of the armed forces, standing backwards (oddly) on the horse in one final review of the troops. This was done for Kennedy and I suspect LBJ back in ’63 and ’73 respectively.

    Much of what determines the level of military pomp and circumstance is the rank of the individual involved. Since I was in the Army, I’ll limit my comments to that experience. The president is the highest ranking “officer” of the armed forces. As such he will get the state funeral, etc. The “lowly” private will get maybe a few rifles and some blanks when they plant him. The military is a caste system.

    As much as I disliked Reagan, he does deserve the honor as the duly elected President and head of the armed forces just as much as Carter and Clinton will. This is mostly a military rite and less of a civilian one.

    Oh, and while I was watching him go up the stairs I was hoping they would drop him. Though I kind of half expected he would cash in that ticket he got from the Devil and jump up out of the casket and say, “I was only kidding…”

  • IUMike

    I kept expecting him to rise from the dead, or so the experts were anticipating on Fox News…

  • koko

    Oh thanks Chris! I didn’t know the whole boot thing which is kinda cool. I’m not saying a president shouldn’t have all he had, but it just seems a bit absurd to have so much going on. However, his funeral gave me ideas for my own! The bag pipes were classy and a man in a kilt is hoooottt (don’t ya think?). I actually think the service done today was much better than the service done in washington and much more appropriate (smaller, more intimate, more personal, ect).

    Does anyone know if Bush made an ass of himself while speaking today? I assume he did, but maybe someone made him practice before hand so he wouldn’t look like a jackass on what for some would be a sad day…

  • Chris C

    Koko,

    I’m not sure if Bush made an ass out of himself (thought it wouldn’t be that difficult) but I know Ronnie Jr. kind of took a shot over the bow at the sunset service.

    He said something along the lines of Ron Sr. never having worn religion on his sleeve or using it for political gain. Ok, debatable, but it definately looked like a shot at the current administration.

    I seem to remember there not really being any love lost between the Reagan and Bush Families and that the Pres/VP thing Ronnie and George Sr. had was a marriage of opportunity.

    As for the bagpipe player… anyone think Maggie Thatcher brought him over with her from the UK?

  • koko

    Yes the religion-politics thing was a definite free-bee shot…I think 99% of people will make a free shot at our current situation, so why not at someone’s funeral! 😛

    Maggie definitely brought mr bagpipes with her! me-ow!

  • MT

    Reagan … let’s rewrite the legacy, eh? The man SUCKED on domestic policy.

    That said, should we really mourn him? After all, isn’t death a hell of a lot better than being an Alzheimer’s case?

  • Notice, I wasn’t certain if it was mourning in America, or morning in America…