Reagan’s Myth Blurs Fact

Simi Valley has the dubious honor, rejected by more aware communities, of being the site of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. It is interesting how history is being rewritten in the minds of the public. Reagan left a legacy of a debtor nation, a homeless and hungry subculture not witnessed since the Great Depression, and a widening gap between the haves and the have-nots. He led an assault against the environment and civil rights, and crusaded against women’s basic rights with his vow to reverse Roe vs. Wade.

Somehow these facts of history, reverberations from which will be felt for decades, are being clouded by celebrity. Women whose daughters and granddaughters will be at risk without Roe vs. Wade are lining up to volunteer, talking excitedly about how their groups are being asked to participate.

It can’t be just naivete. These same women will intellectually discuss the plight of women resulting from Reagan’s policies, but this reality doesn’t stick with the slickness or the glamour of a celebrity in our midst. Schoolchildren will be bused to the library, and Reagan’s myth will be perpetuated as authentic history is blurred. Unfortunately, Teflon will not be sufficient to protect the successive generations from the repercussions of the repressive Reagan era.

MARY BAIRD

Simi Valley