So, as you undoubtably already know, Ronald Reagan has finally died.
God, Nancy must be so relieved.
I have no love lost for Ronald Reagan. Go to Jasper's blog to read a summary of pretty much how I feel about his death, though it's written much better than I could have managed.
But that's all about Ronald Reagan the POTUS. And right on as it is, I wonder if there wasn't once more, you know? There had to have been a person in there somewhere, and that person just died of Alzheimer's.
I guess Alzheimer's is what I really want to talk about here, rather than Ronald Reagan.
But how the fuck do I even begin to talk about Alzheimer's with feeling some sympathy for Ronald Reagan, and particularly for those around him? After watching someone die of it, slowly and with no honor, I wouldn't even wish it on Ronald Reagan.
So I guess it's like this: if the assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan had been successful in '81, I think the world would have been a better place. The man did a ton of damage and no good I can think of. I would not have mourned his death by gunshot before he had time to terrorize the poor.
But I mourn for his death at 93 of Alzheimer's. For one thing, the damage has already been done, and his legacy is living on stronger than ever in today's White House. More than that, though, I am horribly, horribly sorry that anyone has to live through what he and his family have lived through in these past years. I am glad for them and for him that it is finally over.