Posted by
Ron Devito on Monday, January 24, 2011 6:42:47 AM
Governor Palin today wrote 'America's lifeguard' in USA Today, honoring the legacy of President Ronald Reagan.
I had the privilege of coming of age during the era of
Ronald Reagan.
I like to think of him as America's lifeguard. As a teenager, Ronald
Reagan saved 77 lives as a lifeguard on the Rock River, which ran
through his hometown of Dixon, Ill. The day he was inaugurated in 1981, a
local radio announcer famously declared, "The Rock River flows for you
tonight, Mr. President."
The image of the lifeguard seems to represent what Reagan was to
America and to the freedom-loving people of the world. He lifted our
country up at a time when we were in the depths of economic, cultural
and spiritual malaise. We were told that we must accept that the era of
American greatness was over; but with his optimism and common sense,
President Reagan held up a mirror to the American soul to remind us of
our exceptionalism.
Reagan showed us that despite a deep recession, there could still be
morning in America. He could speak to the economic troubles facing
ordinary Americans because he understood what it was like to live
through a Great Depression
where families scraped to get by. And yet, he saw us recover from our
Great Depression, and under his leadership we experienced the greatest
peacetime economic boom in our history. He could speak to our fears that
our years as a superpower were over, because he understood what it was
like to see America at war and really fear that we might lose. And
yet, he saw us win two world wars, and under his leadership we won the Cold War
without firing a single shot. Reagan's belief in American greatness was
rooted in historic fact, not blind optimism. He was a sunny optimist
because he knew that our best days are yet to come.
Today, when we hear the worry in the voices of Americans wondering
where the jobs will be for our children and grandchildren and wondering
if the world will be safe and prosperous in the years to come, we
should remember Reagan's faith in our inherent heroism and greatness.
When we see people around the globe looking to the White House for
leadership, we should remember Reagan's steel spine. He understood
America's purpose in this world and what we need to do to secure
liberty. As Margaret Thatcher
said of him, "He sought to mend America's wounded spirit, to restore
the strength of the free world, and to free the slaves of communism." He
sought those things and he succeeded.
This year, as we celebrate the centennial of Reagan's birth, let's
remember the lifeguard from the Rock River who rescued us with his
optimism and common sense. We need more lifeguards like him.
?
Sarah Palin was the governor of Alaska and the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2008.
As published at: Palin: 'America's lifeguard'
H/T Ray, SarahNET.net for story lead.