Ronald Reagan
Living just miles from Simi Valley and driving to Santa Monica on my daily commute, I was privileged to see this spontaneous tribute to Ronald Reagan and the motorcade that followed. Suzy and her siblings are in fact out in Simi Valley right now, lining up for the repose.
Reagan's presidency is the first I truly remember from my childhood. In the early years, nightmares of nuclear armageddon and Soviet invasion weren't uncommon for me. But Reagan was bold and steadfast in his belief that the Soviet Union was an evil empire and would not prevail. While others urged détente, Reagan went farther. It wasn't enough to get along, he wanted to win the Cold War. And because of the courage of his convictions, we all live in a safer world and hundreds of millions of people are free from the tyranny of Soviet domination and the Iron Curtain.
Thank you, Ronald Reagan. May you rest in peace.