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REAGAN REVOLUTION: ACT II, SCENE 1 by Chuck Muth June 12, 2004 �Ronald Reagan belongs to the ages now,� said President Bush in his eulogy at the National Cathedral yesterday, �but we preferred it when he belonged to us.� In a week of memorable moments and unforgettable words, this one short sentence seems to have summed it all up. A grateful nation has paid its last respects in a way only America could...to a man as American as mom and apple pie itself. And while future state ceremonies will attempt to replicate the sights, sounds and pageantry of the three days this week celebrating the return of Ronald Reagan our nation�s capital, it�s highly unlikely that any other chief executive�s passing will again capture the genuine �feel� and sincerity of this one. Yes...celebrating. For even as we choked back tears watching that horse-drawn caisson make its way slowly down Constitution Avenue on Wednesday, deep down many of us wanted to simply give the man a �standing o,� complete with a rousing chorus of �Bravo!� No, it wouldn�t have been appropriate at the time...but it was richly deserved. And anyone who doubted that this man had a special relationship with the �big fella� upstairs needed only to observe the weather for yesterday�s services. Back east in the morning it was cold, damp and dreary. Pretty much what one would expect, almost hope for, for a funeral service. But upon arriving home to California, the sun was warmly shining, not a cloud in the sky. Ronald Reagan�s final sunset service included a perfect Golden State sunset. Yes, Hollywood could have scripted this...but only God could have pulled it off. Ronald Reagan is now in his final resting place. And even in death, he has once again shown the nation what it means to be an American. Respect. Reverence. Duty. Honor. Country. It�s morning in America today...again. As I write this on the east coast, the sun has risen brightly and the summer warmth has returned. So has reality. Our nation�s challenges remain...and are many. The dangers are real. There�s work to be done. Evil does exist in the world. And we must be prepared to defeat it...lest it defeat us. There is no room for compromise here. There is no substitute for victory. As President Reagan once said, we must always be prepared, �so we may always be free.� Which brings us to the inevitable question of when to get back to politics. Frankly, I�ve all but ignored politics for the past three days...and am not particularly anxious to jump back in. However, President Reagan knew and understood full well how important politics was to the future of our nation. Not because our opponents here at home are necessarily �bad� (though some clearly are), but because they are simply...wrong. The Reagan Revolution isn�t over, as some would have you believe (even some in his own party). The curtain of the First Act came down in 1994 when the President told us of his illness. There�s been a 10-year intermission, and truthfully, some of our number have wandered a bit far from the ranch. They seem to have forgotten that government is the problem, not the solution. The torch of liberty has now been officially passed to the next generation. The left is still wrong...and the Second Act is about to begin. There are new players on the stage. You and I are part of the cast. And as the curtain rises, let�s hope we all rise to the task, as well. It�s our turn. Break a leg. And you just know this one�s coming: Let�s win one more for the Gipper. Chuck Muth President Citizen Outreach
