They Buried My President Today

Reagan was President during the formative years of my life: junior high, high school and college. I remember the bullet (I was in Jr. High English class), I remember the thumbs up afterward, I remember the cry ("Mr. Gorbachov, tear down this wall"), I remember the gaffes ("the bombs start dropping in five minutes"), I remember the scandals (Iran-Contra).

For the years to come, for better for for worse, he will be the standard by which I measure future would be presidents, not because he was a flawless human (he wasn't) but because he was at the helm when I came of an age where I could understand such things. So far, he stands as the best of the men who held that office during my memory (Ford, Carter, Bush Sr., Clinton, Bush Jr.).

Farewell, President Reagan.