Letters to the Editor: Ronald Reagan fueled the dangerous anti-government hysteria crippling us today
To the editor: I didn’t loathe Ronald Reagan as governor of California or president. But I do think he did lasting damage to our country by supporting and promoting extreme anti-government sentiment. (“A lot of California Democrats loathed Gov. Ronald Reagan. Here’s why they’re misguided,” Opinion, Sept. 27)
He famously said, “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem,” and, “I’ve always felt the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”
Healthy distrust and skepticism of any powerful entity is a good thing, but Reagan’s rhetoric added fuel to underlying beliefs that have always been present in the American psyche.
Carried to extremes, they become fantasy-based paranoia that plays out, for example, as believing that any law or regulation that limits ownership of assault rifles translates to “the government wants to take my guns,” or election workers receiving threats for simply doing their jobs.
There are countries in the world where the government actually works, in large part because the people who carry out its work are not despised.
Bob Fey, Orange
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To the editor: I was never a fan of Reagan. Very often I disagreed with his actions and his reasoning behind them.
However, I do not doubt that he sincerely held our country’s best interests at heart when carrying out his decisions. It is sad to think that we cannot currently presume that to be true about many of our current leaders and candidates.
Chris Blankenhorn, Valencia
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To the editor: I am surprised that Max Boot failed to include a significant reason Reagan is not held in great esteem by many in California and elsewhere.
Shortly after his inauguration in 1981, he dismantled the Mental Health Systems Act that was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter. This shortsighted decision in effect ended local mental health treatment programs throughout the country, and it has a direct link to the current mental health crisis and homelessness in our major cities.
Sadly, jails and prisons that are not equipped to handle these issues are today’s psychiatric hospitals.
Aviva Monosson, Los Angeles
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To the editor: Let’s not forget that as governor, Reagan forced the University of California system to start charging tuition. He did this after large protests at UC Berkeley, when that school and other UC campuses were tuition-free.
He also oversaw the closure of many state psychiatric institutions. Reagan was not so great in my book.
Nina Trotta-Sutton, Simi Valley
