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Ronald Reagan Tag

30 years ago today, President Reagan stood before the Brandenburg Gate in western Germany and demanded Mikhail Gorbechav “tear down this wall.” Two years later, the wall was gone, and families separated by the wall were reunited. Known now as the "Berlin Wall" speech, Reagan's address is one of the most iconic addresses of his presidency and of the era. His words remain as true today as they were thirty years ago.

On December 25, 1991, Mikhail Gorbachov resigned as President of the Soviet Union. The red flag was lowered at the Kremlin, and the next day, the Soviet Union ceased to exist. The BBC reported:
Mikhail Gorbachev, leader of the Soviet Union for almost seven years and executive president for nearly two, has stepped down from office. He announced his resignation in a 10 minute speech, broadcast live on television, as the Soviet Union passed into history.

Every year I share this speech from President Reagan. I struggle to find another one available that honors those who've served our great nation any better. In 1985, President Reagan gave his Veteran's Day Address at Arlington National Cemetery. With the Cold War a fresh threat, Reagan emphasized the importance of peace while insisting, "strength is a declaration that cannot be misunderstood. Strength is a condition that declares actions have consequences. Strength is a prudent warning to the belligerent that aggression need not go unanswered." There is never enough we can do for our veterans who willingly sacrifice so much. Their selflessness was not neglected by Reagan who told this story:
Sometime back I received in the name of our country the bodies of four marines who had died while on active duty. I said then that there is a special sadness that accompanies the death of a serviceman, for we're never quite good enough to them-not really; we can't be, because what they gave us is beyond our powers to repay. And so, when a serviceman dies, it's a tear in the fabric, a break in the whole, and all we can do is remember.
This Veteran's Day, we humbly offer our utmost gratitude to all who have fought to preserve the greatest country man has ever devised. While words hardly seem sufficient, we can offer this: we remember.

Back in July, U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman decided to release John Hinckley, Jr., the man who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan, since he "no longer poses a danger to himself or others." Officials at St. Elizabeths Hospital in DC let Hinckley go this morning to live with his mother full time under certain conditions.

A judge has released John Hinckley, Jr., the man who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in an effort to impress actress Jodie Foster. He must live with his mother in Williamsburg, VA. U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman said the 61-year-old "no longer poses a danger to himself or others."

Thursday, we blogged about actor Will Ferrell's reported plans to play Ronald Reagan in a "comedy" about Reagan's Alzheimer's plight. Despite movie media reporting to the contrary, Reagan wasn't diagnosed with Alzheimer's until after he left the White House. President Reagan's daughter and son both spoke about against plans to make film. Patti Davis, daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan blogged:
Perhaps you have managed to retain some ignorance about Alzheimer’s and other versions of dementia. Perhaps if you knew more, you would not find the subject humorous.

Will Ferrell is slated to play President Ronald Reagan in an upcoming "comedy." According to The Wrap:
Set at the start of the ex-president’s second term when he was suffering from Alzheimer’s, “Reagan” follows the commander-in-chief as he succumbs to dementia and is convinced by an ambitious intern that he’s actually an actor playing the president in a movie.
As PJ Media's Stephen Kruiser points out, Reagan wasn't diagnosed with Alzheimer's until 1994, six years after he left the White House.