I am very sorry to report that I think that former President Reagan is entering his final illness:
Reagan’s Health Said to Have Deteriorated
PARIS – Former President Ronald Reagan (news – web sites)’s health has deteriorated, the White House has been told. The White House was informed that the 93-year-old former president’s health had changed significantly in the past several days, a person familiar with Reagan’s condition said Saturday.
Reagan has been out of the public eye since disclosing a decade ago that he had Alzheimer’s disease (news – web sites). He has lived longer than any other U.S. president.
Reading between the lines of the article, I would say that it’s more likely to be weeks than months; I’m not entirely certain that it won’t be days instead of weeks. 93 years is a good, long run: I only regret that he couldn’t enjoy more of them without mental impairments. Actually, I also regret a wide variety of incredibly stupid and thoughtless comments that I made about this man when I was growing up; it was not until my twenties that I was able to see both the good and the bad things done during his term in office. I was young and stupid; not an excuse, just an explanation.
Rest easy, Gipper.
Moe
PS: I loathe Alzheimer’s – and that’s the loathing that comes from fear; one of my private terrors is that I’ll develop the disease myself, some day. As some of you may know, Nancy Reagan has recently spoken out in favor of stem cell research as a method of treating this and other diseases. This is not the place to have that debate – particularly since I happen to agree with her and disagree with President Bush on this issue – but I urge my readers to make their opinions known to their elected officials, in a polite and civilized manner.
UPDATE: Constant Reader JimPortlandOR has forwarded to us that former President Reagan has passed away. This was faster than I expected, but not overwhelmingly surprising. Our prayers go out to his wife, family and loved ones.
I regret his disease more than I will his death for it robbed us of what I think may have been a wonderful elder statesman. I’m no fan of Reaganomics nor the Reagan Revolution but I do feel something for his person. The death of a 90+ year old can’t be considered “untimely” except to the extent that he’s been taken from us already. Before the last mortal sinew is severed through I tip my hat and raise my glass to Ronald Reagan, the man.
My first vote was for President Reagan. I hope we eventually find someone as worthy of any future vote as I believe he was of my first.
Godspeed RR.
When my grandfather entered the final stages of his Alzheimer’s, it was 10 days from when he first entered the the hospital to his death. Luckily, he was able to come home and be with family. I hope Reagan is comfortable and surrounded by loved ones for his final days.
Never voted for President Reagan. Spent my youth resenting his presidency. Felt his vision for America came at a cost too high for my family and my town, which suffered through horrendous unemployment all through his time in office. My town did receive some of that free cheese he gave out though.
Understood once I moved why others thought he was a great leader, but I can’t help but harbor a sense that the materialism and self-entitlement I see all around me and personally abhor is a big part of his legacy. Bush the elder didn’t run on a “gentler, kinder” platform for nothing.
Having said that, I have a soft spot in my heart for all former Presidents. It’s a very tough job, I’m sure, and I appreciate how hard one must work to get there. I watched Bush the elder being interviewed the other day and was somewhat surprised to realize how much I liked him (having disagreed with much he had done while in office).
I second Fabius in mourning the way this disease has robbed us, as a nation, of the opportunity to get to know Reagan as an elder statesman. I too wish him a peaceful passing, and hope his family is comforted by knowing how many Americans love and admire him.
CNN announced at about 2 PM PDT Saturday that former President Ronald Reagan is dead.
In my view many thousands of Americans worthier of mourning will pass away today unnoticed; but my sympathies to those who supported his policies or liked him personally.
Very classy, rilkefan, very classy.
For all of you who are in mourning I wish you comfort. For all of you, who like me spent the better part of my young manhood in hospitals and at funerals, I understand where you’re coming from. It is difficult for those of us who lived through the 80’s holocaust that was the neglect of the growing pandemic that is AIDS to feel anything in this passing. Our cries were ignored and we were left to scramble to provide anything to those suffering more than I can ever imagine a human being have to suffer. I buried my partner in 1986 and no one should ever have to see a loved one die like that. And it is wrenching to say that millions of people still have to bury their loved ones in the world today in the same situation. And the government who we relied on and paid taxes to did not respond to us and the doctors and scientists who predicted the atrocity that is AIDS suffering today were completely shut out of the loop and the wildfire allowed to spread unabated. And our elected leader never comforted us or even deigned to mention the name of the disease that killed my loved ones. He was silent for us then and now he is silent for all. I only wish my loved ones could have suffered in a disconnected fashion, sadly they were torturously aware of their young demises.
I watched Bush the elder being interviewed the other day and was somewhat surprised to realize how much I liked him (having disagreed with much he had done while in office).
Saw Clinton interviewed on some show recently and had the same feeling. Couldn’t believe it was the same guy. Amazing how intelligent these guys can sound when they can speak their minds.
Thank you for that comment, Wilfred. I feel the same way — a divorced man who wondered whether AIDS was God’s punishment for sin.
I’m nauseated by the idea of being bombarded with Reagan worship for the next week.
Barry, thanks for the words but I trust people will be civil in the coming days. It is a time for greiving for the family and rememberances and discussions for the rest of us. And it is wonderful that he gave inspiration to people and meant something wonderful to some, as long as we are all interested in staying connected to all our truths. And in this wonderful age of the blogs, we can all exchange at a time like this based on what we have experienced and learn from each other. I can only tell my story and what I experienced and hope it’s understood and will in turn try to understand others experiences. That’s what attracted me to ObWi, the idea that we had a broad spectrum of thought and opinions and experiences. All that is asked is that we try to do it in the most civil manner possible, which we most often manage and seem to be forgiven for when we hit the boundaries. If we can’t stop the total polarization of this country we will all go down on this ship that is America together. These coming weeks will be a test of sorts. If the left is completely horrid it will backfire as badly as if the right tries to use this for political advantage. It should be a time of reflection and discussion instead. Maybe we will all learn a little bit because God help us if we don’t.
Wilfred, you’re a better person than I. I have trouble remaining civil when the man is being sainted in the press. The New York Times 4-page obituary that appears in today’s paper fails to even mention AIDS or HIV.
It doesn’t matter whether “the left” is civil or not. Our story will not be told.
AIDS isn’t the only thing that enrages me. Remember ketchup as a vegetable, welfare queens, mining the Nicaraguan harbor, Iran-Contra, his support for the apartheid regime in South Africa, and funding of Salvadoran death squads.
Just so people don’t think I’m living in the past: The reason I’m still talking about things like Iran-Contra is that the same people involved in that are running or foreign policy today, and Iran-Contra taught them that they can lie to Congress and violate laws with impunity.