Ronald Reagan - Trip Report

“I got home from work, cleaned up some stuff, then went right to bed. The idea was to wake up at 12:30 am and drive down to get in line, I figured that the line would be smaller in the middle of the night. I got up got dressed and headed down to Washington. I was fortunate enough to find a parking spot along Constituion at 14th street. I got out and began the hike way up the mall to the capitol. As I crested the small rise just east of the capitol I was suddenly faced with a sea of humanity. The line was not small, there were tens of thousands of people. I reached the beginning of the line at 2 am. The park ranger standing there told me that I was about ten minutes late, they had closed the line. Viewing was supposed to end at 6 am, but they have extended it until 9. The ranger said that at the time they closed the line just before 2, there were 40 thousand people, and that some people still may not get in even thought the hours are extended. It was a beautiful evening and I didn't want to leave right away so I walked back down the mall to the WWII memorial. As I walked I met up and had short conversation with many other people who had been turned away from the capitol. Like myself many of them had decided to just walk around the mall and see the monuments. I hadn't been down to see the WWII memorial yet and it was quite impressive. The memorial was incredibly beautiful at night, the atmosphere was incredible, there were hundreds of people there at 2:30 am. I walked around the memorial and read the quotes in the granite. There were also many pictures that people had left of veterans, these were generally taped up on the column representing the state that the veteran was from. After hanging around the memorial for awhile I decided that I still wanted to walk around. I made my way down the reflecting pool to the Lincoln memorial. When I got there I was alone but for a security guard. I read the Gettysburg address and the second inaugural speech from the walls of the memorial. I then sat on the steps and soaked in the view of the city. After a time I left and made the long walk back to my car, once again I conversed with many interesting people many of whom were telling stories about how they met Reagan or telling there favorite quotes or jokes of his. I made it back to my car at about 4 am. It was an incredible morning, although I am sad that I did not get to go into the capitol as there will not be another chance to see him.

About 5 miles, with a couple hundred feet elevation gain. Lesson learned: leather dress shoes are inferior hiking implements when compared to boots.”

“Good trip report. Thanks for attempting to pay your respects to a dead and popular President.”

“Thanks for the trip report. Even though you didn't get to see Reagan, you still paid your respects.”

“On the bright side, I'll bet the WWII memorial in that setting at that point in time was unforgettable and truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. How eery to be in the middle of the night when everything is still, but the mall is swirling with activity.”

“Thanks for trying Bison. I wish I could have taken off work to pay respects at the site.”

“Very cool Bison. Whether he was popular or not, it was a sign of respect and also a special moment I'm sure you'll always remember. DC is a place of history...to be there when it's happening is special.”

“i wish i could have gone there. i'd like to pay my respects to a man that actually supported apartheid and said this of preserving the great redwoods," a tree is a tree, how many do we really need."

wow. my hero.”

“Thank you for bringing politics back into it sacco, you puke.

And while we're at it lets blame the other Presidents who sat by and did nothing during the apartheid era - Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter.

Maybe we should spend as much time blasting them. Maybe we should spit on all those people who lined the streets to salute Kennedy since he did nothing to oppose apartheid.”

“I have to agree....give the politics a rest. Tune out if you want.”

“Thank you, Bison, for sharing this, especially I don't have the chance to get to the capitol. I only headed down there Wednesday afternoon. It was totally new experience to me since i was from China.”

“I am watching this funeral live on TV. It's an impressiv edisplay of respect and civility.

When it's all over, is it back to the staus quo? Should be an interesting summer. War, olympics, conventions, the unknown event and elections in the fall.

W has been handed an opportunity. We'll see if he drops the ball or takes advantage. Hang on.”

“Oh it'll definitely be back to business as usual. That's what upset me so much about Sacco's comment. Let it lie for a week for Pete's sake.”

“awww bison you're so cute.

i'll stop bringing up politcs when you the stop childish name calling.

oh wait... this is all about politcs.

he was a politician !!!

are people lining up to say what a great actor he was ? no, ofcourse not. people are lining up becuase they feel he was a great president (politition.)


think there would be be so much fuss about him if it wasn't an election year ?

so there you go bison, now you can call me a puke or whatever else you'd like. just don't try to use that little noodle of yours for once, it might hurt.

peace brother.”

“think there would be be so much fuss about him if it wasn't an election year ?

Actually, yes I do.”

“Nancy would see to that.”

“Sacco, you just don't get it.”

“think there would be be so much fuss about him if it wasn't an election year ?

Actually, yes I do."
humanpackmule
11:25:58 AM
06/11/04
ignore this user

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Nancy would see to that."
Tilt



you guys are probably right. election year or not, it's too good publicity for the republican party.

and yes of course, the dems would do the same thing.”

“nope bison, you just don't get it.”

“I get it.”

“I heard it's up to the family how much official pomp to put on... and Nancy has always been big on pomp.”

“Actually I'm in favor of this amount of pomp for all past Presidents.

Ceremony is good for a nation.”

“bison, would you stand in line for a clinton funeral ?

of course not. don't tell me it's not about politics.

and don't tell me to give it a rest, because when clinton dies, they'll do the same thing.

and the dems will speak wonderful praises.

and the repubs will say what a jerk he was.

and then the dems will say - hey let the politcs lie for a week.

and the repubs will say - hey, it's all politics, besides, remember when reagan died?

and the dems will say ....


and i'll say yup, dead or alive, clinton and reagan were both scumbags IMO.”

“SEE what?? Its a closed casket. Nixon should of gotten the same respect and grandiose ceremony(Like every other President)”

“Yes Sacco I would stand in line in the rain, or the heat, for eight hours or more if I had to if this was Clinton instead of Reagan. Or Carter, or Ford, or Bush. And so would the vast majority of those who were in that line last night. They weren't there for political reasons. They weren't there to honor a politician, they were there to honor a human being.”

“They weren't there to honor a politician, they were there to honor a human being."
Bison
11:46:26 AM
06/11/04
ignore this user



well then. i hope they all (including you) show up to my funeral someday.

after all, i'm a human being too.”

“nimrod - They lined up for miles to see Nixon too. As Tilt stated, the family determines what the service will be. The Nixon's decided to keep their ceremony in California.”

“HPM is right, this kind of thing is good for us, brings us together in some ways, apart is sacco has his say loudly enough.

I'm glad Nancy decided to have it in DC, seems fitting to me.”

“I still get it.”

“as of now, I have a HUGE FREAKIN headache. why?
because my boss wants to hear all of the funeral. But her speakers are not working and she can only hear it LOUD

CAN YOU HEAR me over the funeral?
someone, please make it all stop...”

“You're not quite as well accomplished Sacco. Presidents are accorded a special respect because of the impact they have on so many lives. It's that impact, the fact of it, not the quality of it, that affords them such respect. And that respect, fortuneatly, for most Americans is outside of any partisan political feelings or attitudes. This is what you don't seem to understand. Perhaps the next time we have a state funeral you should go down and be a part of it, that might help you understand.”

“Okay, I was wrong. I thought I got it, but I didn't. Now I do.”

“The Nixons made that decision all on their own yeah right The next Nixon book WILL discuss that.
Still cant SEE Ronald, if he is even in there.....I always thought he was an android puppet anyway and died in office his first term.”

“Hey sacco, there is another option.

Turn off your television.

It's a free country.

You're contributing to the very hype you are condemning.”

“what about me?
tell my boss to shut up?

i don't think so. I am stuck”

“Okay, I was wrong. I thought I got it, but I didn't. Now I do.

Can you explain it to me?”

“Who decides what Presidents get a state funeral and those who do not?”

“oh i get it bison, so what your saying is that it's because they were a human being, well, no, what you're saying that they were a human being who was a president. (but somehow not a politician)

-- not just the fact that they were a president, but because good or bad, they had a great impact on our lives.

osama bin laden had a great impact on our lives. will you line up to give him such great respect?


Roam and HPM - i just don't believe in making rosey, wonderful pictures of people who are dead. i know that i'm in the minority here. most people feel it's ok to rip on someone when they're alive, but once they die you must sing their praises - until they're dead for a while. then it's ok to go back and say bad stuff again.

when i die i want people to say things about who i was. the good, the bad, and the ugly. while i'm alive, on the day i die, and afterwords, too.

i guess i prefer honesty over ridiculous taboos - even if that puts me in the minority amongst americans.”

“OMG SHE IS SINGING NOW...


ok i am going to go away and kill myself. please talk nice about me.”

“sacco - it's not just about honesty.

It's also about respect. Respect for the living and for the dead.

It's a word that is quickly leaving our society. Something that took us millions of years of evolution to achieve. Something that you are turning back the clock on.”

“ULTRAPecker - All Presidents are entitled to a state funeral, the family decides.”

“what about repsect for poor mapleleaf. she can't just turn off the tv ?

i believe honesty is true repsect macgyver.”

“and on it goes......”

“Kleetn, I can't explain it to you because I just don't get it. I thought I did, and then I was sure I didn't but did after that and now I know I don't.”

“Phaedrus - On a different note I may be invading the Bay Area the third weekend in July.”

“"What it is, is what it is" I think I got that right??? Whose memorial plaque is that on????”

“JO - I'll shut up after this (hopefully), but you said "W has been handed an opportunity. We'll see if he drops the ball or takes advantage. Hang on"

I'd say we've all been handed an opportunity. It's our responsibility to take advantage. The country isn't just the responsibility of the President. We need to stop the finger pointing mentality we've grown accustomed to in the past decade and remember that it's "We the people". Corny? Maybe. But still true.”

“when clinton was in charge all the repubs said - get him, impeach him, he's a liar!

and all the dems said - leave him alone stop pointing fingers

and now it's just reversed.

who ever is in power at the time wants everyone to just get along, and stop with the finger pointing.

who ever is not in charge always screams - we must make changes !

this is not a pattern of 10 years.
it's been this way since government first existed.

(that's means even before the U.S.)”

“Bison, During your visit, I'll be in Germany. Be sure to eat some Sushi while you're in town.”

“sacco...you depress the crap outta me. Cheer up and have faith. SOrry dude, but sheesh.

Mac is right. Our leaders reflect society too often. But Mac....he is the supposed leader and can get it started....if he wants.”