Ronald Reagan was a Human Being [View All]

[Mattforclark]

You are a human being. I am a human being. Saddam Hussein is a human being. Hitler was a human being. Stalin was a human being. Mother Teresa was a human being. "Doctors without Borders" workers are human beings. It's statistically likely that a six year old girl was killed in a car crash today - also a human being. We are all human beings. Let that be enough to prevent you from rashly saying, "I am glad that X is dead."

But be glad that Ronald Reagan's suffering has ended, for he and his family suffered. My grandfather died of Alzheimers a few years ago. Do you know anyone who has died of Alzheimers? Does Nancy Reagan deserve it? Do Reagan's children deserve it? Does Ronald Reagan himself deserve it? I say emphatically no. No one deserves it. Who takes gladness in suffering?

By all means, you justifiably can be overjoyed that Ronald Reagan cannot inflict his policies upon the earth, or cause suffering in others. I am certainly overjoyed at that. But Reagan could not harm anyone yesterday, when he was alive. He could harm no one five years ago, nor ten. Would it not be better that he had not suffered from Alzheimers, and yet would not have been able to inflict suffering on others?

I was one of those who celebrated the capture of Saddam Hussein. However, if he is executed, or when he dies, I will not celebrate his death. Even if you think that Reagan was as bad as Saddam Hussein, Hitler, or even worse, you should not be pleased that Reagan is dead. Do not confuse please in death with pleasure in knowing that Reagan could not hurt others anymore, for the time when Reagan could not harm others has long since come.

I am not old enough to remember the presidency of Ronald Reagan. But I can sure remember the presidency of our current president, Bush. Yet though I vehemently disagree with next to everything that he has done, I will not rejoice the day he dies. Because he is a human being.

So revel not in Ronald Reagan's death. Revel only in the release from agony that his death is, as is the death of anyone who has suffered from Alzheimers or a host of other similar diseases. And pity his survivors for their grief.

And that's all I've got to say about that.