Scott Hyland
The influence of a president upon a generation
By Scott Hyland
After a two year battle with Lou Gehrig's disease, a childhood friend of mine recently passed away. The news of the tragedy resurrected some memories that have been laid to rest for thirty years. The vivid details of those events provided some comfort as I reflected upon the connection once shared with this chum from my younger days.
We should never underestimate the power of influence. Every person we meet can have a lasting effect upon us in some small way, probably none more than those who are in positions of authority — parents, teachers, and coaches to name a few. However, others whom we may never meet can also have a very powerful influence over us, especially during our formative years.
Ronald Reagan served his two terms as President during my formative years. I was 9 when he took office in 1981 and 17 by the time he completed his second term. Delivering the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette every morning, I got a sneak preview of the day's headlines before most adults in my neighborhood were even awake.
President Reagan taught me the value of hard work. He spoke so frequently about self-reliance and personal responsibility that it became a personal challenge to make even further economic progress than what my parents did. Of course, my parents were hard working people and always made sure that we never went without anything we needed. We were not rich by any means, but I do remember growing up in an America that still believed in the possibility for a young man to make something of himself someday if he was willing to work hard enough. As a result, the thought of depending upon the government for my sustenance never even crossed my mind.
During the Reagan years, I also remember patriotism being encouraged. When President Reagan spoke on television, he backed his words with a quiet strength. His reassuring voice never trembled, and I always felt safe, not only because of the readiness of our military, but also because of the confidence that I had in our Commander-in-Chief to make certain that our soldiers had the very best equipment and the latest technology in modern warfare, not to mention his willingness to act. Reagan pursued programs that invested in stealth technologies, precision weaponry, and strategic missile defense systems like Star Wars.
Reagan was tough, gentle, wise, gracious, witty, just, courageous, and compassionate. He is the type of man that true patriots aspire to be. Reagan was Americana personified. He believed in the rugged individualism that made this country great and encouraged opportunity through innovation. President Reagan not only inspired a generation to be better than the previous one, he made us believe that it was possible.
Today, I wonder what kind of impression is being left upon the children of this generation. Are they being challenged the way that I was challenged? Are they being taught, by the highest office in the land, that the responsibilities of hard work and patriotism are two qualities to be desired? Are they going to be trusted with their earnings to invest as they see fit or are they going to be told that everyone has to make sacrifices, one of which is simply to trust the government with more of their income?
The power of influence that rests within the pen of the President was never to reshape this nation upon his own ideas, but rather to defend the ideas that he swore to uphold. Americans have always been bound by a belief that we can become better. Unfortunately, all that the children are learning from our President is in order to become better, the federal government has to dominate every aspect of their existence from healthcare to welfare.
What has been notoriously labeled as Obamacare could more appropriately be renamed The Obamanifesto. It encroaches upon religious liberties (the HHS mandate). It encroaches upon nutritious liberties (a 4 year old student's lunch replaced at West Hoke Elementary School in Raeford, NC — 1/30/12). It seeks to replace Constitutional safeguards, and it forces citizens to sue the federal government for rights we already have.
In addition to this domestic intrusion, our nation has also become subject to unprecedented military cuts leaving open a gaping hole in our ability to defend against foreign attacks. Clearly, Reagan's strategy of "Peace through strength," seems to have been replaced by "Peace through retreat." We live in a more dangerous world now than ever before in our history, but if our President continues to make budget cuts to our defense, what kind of message does that send to our friends who rely upon us and to our enemies who threaten us? If our President fails to act by providing our soldiers with the very best equipment and the very latest technology in modern warfare, what kind of impression will be left upon the children of this generation?
They are being nurtured by a negligent attitude of entitlement. They are being taught to depend upon a government that cannot even defend itself. They are being taught that we must decrease defense and increase dependency upon an administration that may eventually spend proportionately more on winning the presidency than defending our legacy. It's frightening to think of how that will translate thirty years from now.
© Scott Hyland
March 4, 2012
After a two year battle with Lou Gehrig's disease, a childhood friend of mine recently passed away. The news of the tragedy resurrected some memories that have been laid to rest for thirty years. The vivid details of those events provided some comfort as I reflected upon the connection once shared with this chum from my younger days.
We should never underestimate the power of influence. Every person we meet can have a lasting effect upon us in some small way, probably none more than those who are in positions of authority — parents, teachers, and coaches to name a few. However, others whom we may never meet can also have a very powerful influence over us, especially during our formative years.
Ronald Reagan served his two terms as President during my formative years. I was 9 when he took office in 1981 and 17 by the time he completed his second term. Delivering the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette every morning, I got a sneak preview of the day's headlines before most adults in my neighborhood were even awake.
President Reagan taught me the value of hard work. He spoke so frequently about self-reliance and personal responsibility that it became a personal challenge to make even further economic progress than what my parents did. Of course, my parents were hard working people and always made sure that we never went without anything we needed. We were not rich by any means, but I do remember growing up in an America that still believed in the possibility for a young man to make something of himself someday if he was willing to work hard enough. As a result, the thought of depending upon the government for my sustenance never even crossed my mind.
During the Reagan years, I also remember patriotism being encouraged. When President Reagan spoke on television, he backed his words with a quiet strength. His reassuring voice never trembled, and I always felt safe, not only because of the readiness of our military, but also because of the confidence that I had in our Commander-in-Chief to make certain that our soldiers had the very best equipment and the latest technology in modern warfare, not to mention his willingness to act. Reagan pursued programs that invested in stealth technologies, precision weaponry, and strategic missile defense systems like Star Wars.
Reagan was tough, gentle, wise, gracious, witty, just, courageous, and compassionate. He is the type of man that true patriots aspire to be. Reagan was Americana personified. He believed in the rugged individualism that made this country great and encouraged opportunity through innovation. President Reagan not only inspired a generation to be better than the previous one, he made us believe that it was possible.
Today, I wonder what kind of impression is being left upon the children of this generation. Are they being challenged the way that I was challenged? Are they being taught, by the highest office in the land, that the responsibilities of hard work and patriotism are two qualities to be desired? Are they going to be trusted with their earnings to invest as they see fit or are they going to be told that everyone has to make sacrifices, one of which is simply to trust the government with more of their income?
The power of influence that rests within the pen of the President was never to reshape this nation upon his own ideas, but rather to defend the ideas that he swore to uphold. Americans have always been bound by a belief that we can become better. Unfortunately, all that the children are learning from our President is in order to become better, the federal government has to dominate every aspect of their existence from healthcare to welfare.
What has been notoriously labeled as Obamacare could more appropriately be renamed The Obamanifesto. It encroaches upon religious liberties (the HHS mandate). It encroaches upon nutritious liberties (a 4 year old student's lunch replaced at West Hoke Elementary School in Raeford, NC — 1/30/12). It seeks to replace Constitutional safeguards, and it forces citizens to sue the federal government for rights we already have.
In addition to this domestic intrusion, our nation has also become subject to unprecedented military cuts leaving open a gaping hole in our ability to defend against foreign attacks. Clearly, Reagan's strategy of "Peace through strength," seems to have been replaced by "Peace through retreat." We live in a more dangerous world now than ever before in our history, but if our President continues to make budget cuts to our defense, what kind of message does that send to our friends who rely upon us and to our enemies who threaten us? If our President fails to act by providing our soldiers with the very best equipment and the very latest technology in modern warfare, what kind of impression will be left upon the children of this generation?
They are being nurtured by a negligent attitude of entitlement. They are being taught to depend upon a government that cannot even defend itself. They are being taught that we must decrease defense and increase dependency upon an administration that may eventually spend proportionately more on winning the presidency than defending our legacy. It's frightening to think of how that will translate thirty years from now.
© Scott Hyland
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