Thank you, Mr. President

Charles W. Kim

Afterthoughts

I hoped, with every fiber of my being, that Ronald Reagan would lose in 1980.

I was certain that the man would plunge the Earth into the eternal darkness of astronomer Carl Sagan’s theorized nuclear winter.

It was ironic, and to me tragic, that Ronald Wilson Reagan took the oath of office on my 18th birthday, Jan. 20, 1981, the day that my ballot could finally count.

Surely, my adolescent world would be transformed into a militaristic nightmare.

Iran held 52 American hostages, and Reagan was calling the Soviet Union an "evil empire."

I thought my fate was sealed as the country chose Reagan over incumbent President Jimmy Carter on that November night.

I was only 17 at the time and felt like the world was in peril as the results of the 1980 election rolled across the television screen.

Reagan swept into the Oval Office with the cowboy demeanor of John Wayne.

Some 24 years later, I find myself mourning the death of this man in a way I never imagined.

Ronald Reagan transformed my view of the world, and I would say, the views of most of the population.

Many pundits have said this week that the man "changed the world," and I agree.

Despite the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the world is a much safer place because of Reagan.

His admonition to Russian Premier Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this [Berlin] wall" seemed to be an enormous task to me.

The Cold War had lasted for decades before I was born in 1963, and was so big that a simple request would certainly not end those hostilities.

Both Russia and the United States had weapons poised at each other that could end all life on the planet — a situation that really tested national security for decades.

While the 9/11 attacks were horrific, the potential of a full-scale nuclear confrontation was unthinkable.

Reagan, however, did not opt out of challenging this mentality. Instead, he thought the country should do more to prepare. He poured billions into the defense of this nation at a time when the movement was to weaken our forces.

For eight years, he truly played the part of president of our great country.

He restored our national resolve and unity as a country. He made us proud to be Americans once again.

By 1984, I found myself at a rally in upstate New York for this man.

My oldest daughter sat on my shoulders and listened to his plan to carry the torch for four more years.

The nation stood behind and with him during those years. Reagan was the leader of our nation when a true leader was needed.

While Carter has found a very successful calling as an international ambassador in the last several years, his leadership seemed to lack the resolve that the "Reagan revolution" brought.

That period of time needed Ronald Reagan. We needed Ronald Reagan.

For the final time, I say, "Thank you, Mr. President."