Bob Hull's Richmond Report

Neither Guile Nor Malice

While I did not at the time and still do not support many of the policies he proposed as President, I admired him on a personal level.

With Ronald Reagan, there was no pretense. Unlike many present day politicians; he told it like he saw it, and held little back.

Also unlike many of today’s leaders, Ronald Reagan was not a mean spirited person. That is in sharp contrast to the young Republicans who gained control of Congress.

They always seem to be against something instead of for something. Rarely could President Reagan be heard uttering a discouraging word.

He was always optimistic. He had seen deprivation and despair during the Depression and World War II, but he had also seen man’s capacity to do good.

Where the Buck Stopped

I was reminded of the Pentagon report which was issued after the truck bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut that was critical of high ranking officers.

Instead of supporting this version of events, Mr. Reagan went before the cameras and took full responsibility as commander-in-chief for what happened.

There was mounting criticism and calls for his impeachment over the Iran-Contra scandal of selling arms to release Iranian hostages and then diverting the profits.

President Reagan could have rightly blamed Marine Colonel Oliver North for the troubles since he was clearly acting with no direction from the president.

Instead, he went before the public, took the blame for things not working out as he had hoped, and apologized to the American people.

Anti-Communist Fighter

He is credited with toppling the Soviet Union alone. While I do not agree with that, I do agree that it would not have happened without the pressure he was applying from outside.

With young Soviets demanding more of the lifestyle benefits they saw in other countries, their leaders were forced to divert resources to improve internal conditions.

But, with the United States steadily increasing defense spending and forcing them to compete, Soviet leaders realized that they could not pay for both guns and butter.

The Soviet empire dissolved due to pressure from inside and out and it was Ronald Reagan who led the charge from the outside.

Positive Legacy

And, even though he and I had different views on many things, I join millions in wishing the Gipper a restful eternity.