Wednesday, 8/20/08
We arrived at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library precisely when it opened at 10 am. The views were astounding from the hill! The tour began with a short movie about the life of Ronald Reagan, his love for Nancy and his legacy to future generations as a freedom fighter. His rise to governor of California, through popular tours with General Electric, and his eventual win as our 40th president can be charted by his unwavering faith in mankind and the pursuit of freedom for all.
The Air Force One jet that flew him all over the world for face to face contact with leaders and people of other nations has been encased in the museum for visitors to tour. Of course each section designated as a meeting area included his famous jar of jelly beans and pen and paper for his personal journals. It was amazing to board the plane and contemplate the thoughts he must have processed as he traveled to Florida for his famous "Evil Empire" speech, to summit meetings to discuss the disarmament of nuclear weaponry, and to the Brandenburg Gate to tell Gorbachev to take down the Berlin Wall. His strong convictions for peace reminded us of Martin Luther King Jr.'s fight for freedom. It rests in the belief that every man has value, and not one above another.
As a symbol of the end of the Cold War and the renewed relationship with Russia, a piece of the Berlin Wall is on display outside. The decorated side is from West Berlin, clearly depicting their freedoms of expression among others. The other side is plain concrete since the people in East Berlin were hardly allowed to even approach the wall. Powerful video footage and commentary reminds us all of the cost of Communism and the enduring hope for a better future.
Across the lawn designed exactly as the South Lawn of the White House is the final resting place for Ronald Reagan. This conjured up emotions from when we watched the funeral on TV back in 2004. We admire the love he had for Nancy, for his family, for God, and his example to the world that human life is to be respected. He is missed, but his legacy lives on as a beacon to us all, and to future generations.
2 comments:
Melody I remember when we watched
Reagan's funeral on the last day of PAC. Keep up the blog. And then make it into a book...seriously
hey SWR and Moonshine! been at the outer banks with the fam all week...just got back and was anxious to read your blog and catch up on your adventure (missed it!). sounds like you're having an AWESOME adventure. Praise God! looking forward to hearing about your journey BACK across the country. woo hoo! thanks gladys!
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