Anyone watching Reagan's Funeral?

[Janie]

I can't help to feel that with the most powerful people in the world sitting in that cathedral they must feel like sitting ducks! I'm sure security is high though. It's been quite the beautiful tribut so far.

[Kokopeli]

At the Capitol, but had to leave for work just as they were loading President Reagan into the hearse. Hopefully my TiVo unit is taping the funeral. Being one of the few conservative Republicans in the PR.com family, I'd really like to see President Bush (43) eulogize Reagan.

I agree with you, I bet security is sooo high that it's off the charts.

Thanks for the post!
~Brian

[Janie]

You know what aggrivates me? I see on some other boards (not the photography boards, but other ones completely) there are people who are whining about this historical funeral and the media coverage of it. It's not like this is a weekly event and he was a former president! Look at when Princess Diana died - it was on every channel too! Aww, president Bush (sr) seems tear jerky as he's speaking.

[Janie]

You know what aggrivates me? I see on some other boards (not the photography boards, but other ones completely) there are people who are whining about this historical funeral and the media coverage of it. It's not like this is a weekly event and he was a former president! Look at when Princess Diana died - it was on every channel too! Aww, president Bush (sr) seems tear jerky as he's speaking.

Current President Bush is speaking now. Clinton looks like he's sleeping lol

[megan]

I agree with Kokopeli, it would be appropriate for Bush 43 to eulogize him. I think something like this transcends petty partisan politics - and you're right, Janie - love him or hate him [and I'm definitely one of the ones against changing currency or Mt. Rushmore] he still was President of our country for 8 years. That's is pretty important, and it *should* have a lot of pomp, circumstance, respect, and media coverage. It's *worthy* of media coverage, unlike the infamous OJ chase or Britney Spears' latest antics. Someone on a email list of mine was complaining that Ray Charles wasn't getting as much coverage because of Reagan - and I'm thinking to myself, "As talented as he was, he wasn't leader of the *free world.*" Ya know?!?!?!?!



Megan

[Janie]

Both Bushes eulogized him. The Clintons looked like they were falling asleep everytime the camera panned on them, which was kind of comical - there was one shot in particular that made me laugh aloud. I saw prince charles and tony blair and margaret thacher there - could you imagine being there with a camera today? I really do worry about security with such important and powerful people being there.

[ACArmstrong]

President Reagan was an incredible politician and communicator. While I never agreed with his politics, I can/do recognize/respect the power of his leadership in the '80s.

OTOH, I have to say that the coverage of his death has been over the top, and too many attempts have been made this week to deify a man that was, after all, just a man.

I'll leave you with a question to ponder. If we held a funeral of this magnitude for every young man and woman as they came home in their flag-draped coffins from Iraq, would we be so hellbent to send them?

[Mig]

I've never been a fan of Reagan, but the big issue for me has always been that he ignored the AIDS epidemic for 6(!) years. When he put politics ahead of people's lives I can't really consider him much of a leader. A man died, and yes that's sad, but I don't feel that I need to watch his funeral. It most definitely should be televised for those that choose to, but it's just not for me.

Oh and I'll give a hearty "hell yeah!" to Megan -- there's no reason for Ms Spears to be on my TV. Ever.

Danielle

[megan]

Had to leave for work just as everyone was starting to take their seats. Employees had the choice of a floating holiday - grunt consultants like me worked.

Megan

[Michael Fanelli]

Definately way over the top. Two funerals? Come on! As for leader of the free world, true. But I don't recall Nixon getting this treatment when he died. I guess I'm just cold-hearted, I don't watch funerals regardless of who it is. When you're dead, you're dead. End of story. The instructions for my death are simple: cremation with the remains being flushed down the toilet.

[megan]

I've never been a fan of Reagan, but the big issue for me has always been that he ignored the AIDS epidemic for 6(!) years.

Huzzah! I'm certainly not the fan either - Saturday, as Reg and I saw on tv when they first announced his death and they started glorifying him, I started yelling "IRAN CONTRA!!" at CNN. But, like I said before - just because I disliked him intensely [INTENSELY! I could go on about deregulation, AIDS, etc. etc. but I'll spare ya'll!] but was too young to vote/do anything about it doesn't diminish the fact that he *was* president. Nancy - well - never cared for her, but she came with the package. Actually - there hasn't been a president or first lady since Carter that I DID like!

Cheers, all, and have a great weekend. Pull out a Ray Charles cd.

Megan

[megan]

I think Nixon didn't want the hooplah - I heard a quote that he didn't want those Washington [possible expletive] looking down on thim.

And I think his family requested that it be low key.

Megan

[Chunk]

Definately way over the top. Two funerals? Come on! As for leader of the free world, true. But I don't recall Nixon getting this treatment when he died. I guess I'm just cold-hearted, I don't watch funerals regardless of who it is. When you're dead, you're dead. End of story. The instructions for my death are simple: cremation with the remains being flushed down the toilet.

There'll probably be some film photographer working the handle. (I'm just kidding)

I don't think Nixon deserved this kind of sendoff because of what he caused to bring some shame on the office. I would not expect this kind of sendoff for Clinton when his time comes for the same reason.

[Kokopeli]

I've never been a fan of Reagan, but the big issue for me has always been that he ignored the AIDS epidemic for 6(!) years.

Actually Reagan didn't "ignore" the AIDS epidemic. Over 6 billion dollars was spent on AIDS research while he was in office. That is hardly ignoring something. What he did do was refuse to condone the homosexual lifestyle which was spun by the media, thus making him seem unsympathetic with the epidemic.

~Brian

PS. I agree about Ms. Spears as well! It's good to know Democrats and Republicans / Liberals and Conservatives can see eye to eye on some issues!!
~B

[Mig]

Well, I don't really want to get into a debate here, but that's a little misleading. He gave very little funding in the early years of the epidemic (when it would have been most beneficial) although the CDC and NIH were both begging for it - As of 1982 (almost 2 years in), CDC had only spent around $1 million on research. Most of the funding was given in 1988 & 1989.

Specifically though my statement was not that he ignored it for his entire term, but that he ignored it for 6 years, meaning that word of AIDS broke publicly in 1981, while Reagan first publicly mentioned AIDS in 1987 (Edited to add: Okay, it may have been his 1986 address, and I think he mentioned it once a few months earlier, but only as part of a response to a question about it).

He didn't need to condone the homosexual lifestyle in order to address AIDS. When something as huge as that is going on in your country and you don't publicly address it? There's something wrong.

Danielle

[Asylum Steve]

...the legacy of Reagan will be a debate of his strengths and weaknesses, and depending on whom you ask, he had plenty of both.

I don't plan on getting into it here, but like many powerful Republican presidents, I think it's fair to say he accomplished tremendous things on the world stage, but one could argue perhaps at the expense of much of this country's middle and lower class citizens.

I too, was not a fan of Reagan while he was in office, but I still feel he deserves the honor and ceremony he is being given this week. I actually have had the tv coverage on in the background a lot while I've been working, and found myself taking time out to watch much of it, especially the ceremonial military routines that are reserved for these rare and special occasions.

I find that stuff facinating. I just wish they could do it a little faster...

[Charles Hess]

Every TV network was at my workplace this a.m.(The National Constitution Center) to get visitor reaction to the funeral(shown on our giant video wall) and Reagan as a President. Me, I was as far away from all of that as possible, having no interest in political debate of any kind. My politics are simple...I dislike all politicians and dislike politics in general. I enjoyed reading the above posts, though. :-) Smart people, photographers.

[Dave L]

Well now who said us Brits couldn't join the discussion...we can add a non partisan , independant view to the issue.............I'll swap you Ronald (or his equivalent) for Tony Blair anytime ! Judging by the results in local UK council elections Tony may be looking for a job in the near future.....you don't have any vacancies ? for a politician who talks tough and acts weak - uses soundbites and says nothing of any consequence - spends our taxes but can't see any improvements - defends and even promotes useless colleagues - politicizes our civil service for no good reason - ducks responsibility for any failures - trys to be all things to all people and acheives nothing - and wants the oldest democracy in the world to be associated with the crumbling 'soviet' styled 'tax hungry' dinosaur called the Common Market..or is it European Community? ...or European Union?........United States of Europe ?who knows anymore ? very few people get consulted on it ! Now after that rant I feel better.....

[Janie]

Interesting to get an opinion from outside the US. My friend lived in Germany for 10 years and hated it. Said the taxes were outrageous, they were under servelliance much of the time in the towns and had to even report when they were staying at a friends house for more than a week or so, jobs were hard to come buy, gas was 3 times the cost it is here and that was last year, and they are stuck in the 80's musically! lol He said the houses were stuck in the past as far as luxuries, or lack of, goes - heated by fireplaces unless you were uber rich, still mostly rocky or dirt roads... it goes on and on. And he was in the military. He was in Iraq for a bit too and said the media is basically broadcasting only the bad stuff which is going on in 2% of the country - elsewhere the military is building schools, bringing in educational materials, getting the women up to speed health wise and educationally, and was told by many iraqis that if Bush loses the presidential election again they all may as well just die because Al Queda and the Taliban will take over and torture and kill them all and it will be worse than Saddam. I wish the media would show more than just the action there (fighting) and more reality. How much do they show of Afghanistan now that it's more stable? Nada. Only when there is fighting. The media should have been banned from this war or they should be more responsible in their reporting.

[natatbeach]

and political views aside she was one of the warmest most genuine and humble people I have ever met. we were just a bunch of rugrats getting a dumb ole award and she didn't care....we were probably just taking up her space and time---even if she was just playing the part of first lady she played it with class.

[Peter_AUS]

It was interesting reading these posts after the funeral had finished, I saw them this morning but didn't get into them at all, wanting to watch without any clouded thoughts.

I now have lived through many of the US presidencies, although not in the US you can't help live through them in many ways.I think from the time of Eisenhower although can't remember him I was too young, but have lived through most of the ones that followed. I even lived through the times of politics post WWWII and remember our own Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies well.

Politics is Politics and unfortunately we see what is most presented on the News and aren't privy to the hidden things that are happening around the world. Although most of recent times have been very much in our faces, what with continuous coverage from the moment Diana had died for 48 hours nearly solidly here in Australia and she wasn't even Australian, I have seen that our Politics here have changed very much slanted towards the USA. This is in a way, very detrimental to the continued impartiality that us as Australians have had around the world. But that came to a sudden holt on September 11th. I remember I was asleep and my wife woke me up to the horror of watching the planes hitting the towers, and I wept with utter horror of that act. Such a decisive moment in the worlds history, as was the Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy and the Death of Elvis and John Lennon.

All of us have different memories of what a person might have done during specific times in History and will always remember things differently later in life as well.

Whether Ronnie Regan was a good or bad President is debatable, was he a good Actor, probably not that great, but when you saw him on the big screen in Black and White, he had a presence, just like many actors of their days. As did Presidents, Prime Minsters, Queens and Kings.

Remember him for what he did achieve and not necessarily that he didn't achieve or start something on for example as has been mentioned AIDS. He was able to bring down Communisim as many of us around 50 will remember it as it was, and it is thanks to many people like him that things have changed over many many generations.

We have a Prime Minister at present that I think is terrible for Australia, he was as a Treasurer, but he will be remember for what he did as we get older as it is then that it will become apparent what his Primeministership has produced as his policies of underlying repercussions for many years to come.

It was good to see so many people spoke of the good things that happen in Ronald Reagans life, etoned his virtues and mentioned the good things that happened. Yes many things might not be the way some people think, but ask the same of people of the 60's and 70's and 80's and those things might not have seemed right either, but now we can see, that things happened they way they did as destiny. Things happen for a reason and we find those out as we get older. When we come to the ends of our lives, lets hope there are those around that can speak of us they way it was spoken of Ronald Reagan.

Let him rest in Peace and may he be remembered by friends and family as a kind, humerous man, with little harshness about him.

Just my thoughts on this moment in History.

[Dave L]

I agree whatever his strengths and weaknesses ...they don't make'em like that anymore ! Personally I always thought him a good President - despite this unkind and patronizing label of B movie actor that some political foes tried to stick to him when in office. I remember when he was shot - churches over Britain prayed for him. Like Margaret Hilda Thatcher - he was the right person at the right moment in history. We are hitting turbulent times. I pray for the world that we do see their like again !

[Mig]

My friend lived in Germany...stuck in the 80's musically!

C'mon! All the Hasselhoff you could want! What's not to like??

Danielle

[Smitty001]

Interesting to get an opinion from outside the US. My friend lived in Germany for 10 years and hated it. Said the taxes were outrageous, they were under servelliance much of the time in the towns and had to even report when they were staying at a friends house for more than a week or so, jobs were hard to come buy, gas was 3 times the cost it is here and that was last year, and they are stuck in the 80's musically! lol He said the houses were stuck in the past as far as luxuries, or lack of, goes - heated by fireplaces unless you were uber rich, still mostly rocky or dirt roads... it goes on and on. And he was in the military. He was in Iraq for a bit too and said the media is basically broadcasting only the bad stuff which is going on in 2% of the country - elsewhere the military is building schools, bringing in educational materials, getting the women up to speed health wise and educationally, and was told by many iraqis that if Bush loses the presidential election again they all may as well just die because Al Queda and the Taliban will take over and torture and kill them all and it will be worse than Saddam. I wish the media would show more than just the action there (fighting) and more reality. How much do they show of Afghanistan now that it's more stable? Nada. Only when there is fighting. The media should have been banned from this war or they should be more responsible in their reporting.

I am currently in the Army, and I think I can say that this is one of the single facts that really burns me more than any other -- that our brothers and sisters are over there doing nothing, and dying for nothing. For every firefight, there's a company of infantry boys re-building a school somewhere else, or a bunch of soldiers from a public relations battalion passing out food and building medical facilities. THESE are the things that we over here don't hear about in the mainstream media, and as far as I am concerned, it's akin to thumbing our noses up at the sacrifices that are made by the soldiers that are over there. Does everything that happens over there perfect? Nope. Is most of the events over there kept in some sort of perspective? Nope. Not by a long shot. There is alot of good over there that is going on, and for the most part it is unrecognized because the feel-good story will not get the reaction that a negative story will. Someone mentioned that they wondered if we would be sending our people over there if we spent as much time on the soldier's funerals as we did on President Regan's. Today, my boss is burying one of KY's own soldiers......we spend more time than the general public with all the soldier's funerals because those of us stationed back here in the states are the ones burying them. The only thing I regret is that sometimes I regret that I am not over there doing my share. Should we be over there? I dunno.....it sure would make our job easier if we WEREN'T. But there IS good that happens over there, alot of it, along with the bad.

Greg

[Kokopeli]

And thank you for what you do for our country. Not enlisting in the Armed Services (Marine Corp, specifically) is one of my few regrets and one of the only things I'd do differently in my life had I the chance.

I also want to thank you for bringing the good we are doing in Iraq to light. That's something we seldom, if ever, hear about. With that said I'll leave with the following:

If we spent as much time showing the good that's being done in Iraq as we do the bad, would we still be so "hellbent" on criticizing the fact that we are there?

~Brian