My dearest Art,

As you said, "it's hard to be a people pleaser sometimes", yes, it is difficult if not impossible to please all of the people all of the time, and this goes for a presidential administration also. We are being forced to remember all the "noble" things Reagan did, and that's swell and all, but as you pointed out, there was more to the "Reagan Years" than just tea with Gorbachev, the feeble attempt at slowing down the arms race with the Nuclear Forces Treaty, after which he turns around and initiates SDI (star wars) at a cost of a trillion bucks, the gift of arms in trade for hostages (yes, I know they say "sold arms"), and shoot oneself in the foot deals with Ollie North.

My point is, yes the man did good, and he screwed up too. So have I and so have you. I respect the good and dirty mouth the bad. It's the nature of the public beast to do so. Does the deserve the hype? Maybe not. But maybe to a degree. Matter of personal opinion for everyone I suppose. I personally think this particular former Commander in Chief does deserve a certain amount of respect BUT I will take off my rose colored glasses (which I hate to do), and think on all he did, right and wrong.

I just think it's wise to, when remembering the bad to remember the good. And when we remember the good, remember to remember the bad.

Terri