Dear Friend,
“A
Place to See the Real Ronald Reagan” is how a Washington Post headline described Rancho del Cielo. Although few reporters had seen the private quarters of President Reagan’s ranch prior to April 1998, most instantly recognize that it is overflowing with our 40th President’s character. What a tragedy it would have been if the Reagan Presidential home had not been saved for future generations. We would have lost the opportunity to see and understand the significance of the setting that shaped so many decisions that affected our nation’s history in the crucial 1981 to 1989 era. Itt is unlikely that an American President would surmise that future generations would come to know more about him and his times by visiting his private home. The White House is more likely to come to mind. Yet, the White House changes with each President. So Mount Vernon, Monticello, Montpelier, and other Presidential homes are where Americans go to learn about their occupants. Our nation’s efforts to save the homes of its chief executives would be irreparably undermined by missing the site of the most important President of the twentieth century. The Reagan Ranch is more than a Presidential time capsule. It is an ideal venue to pass on his ideas to future generations. Ronald Reagan had a vision for America that was motivated by big, powerful principles. He told us in his first inaugural address, “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” To the new President, it was “time to check and reverse the growth of government.” He continued, “It is my intention to curb the size and influence of the federal establishment.” President resident Reagan had a clear understanding of the threats Socialist ideologies and modern day terrorism posed to freedom. He believed it was essential for our leaders to develop winning strategies to thwart these threats. Ronald Reagan’s principles are just as important today as they were in 1981. They are timeless. And they need to be taught to each generation. This was President Reagan’s message in his final address from the Oval Office. He warned us that we must do a better job teaching our children an informed patriotism. President resident Reagan worked with Young America’s Foundation for more than 20 years. He was eager to pass his ideas on to new audiences. It is fitting, then, that the leadership and supporters of Young America’s Foundation acted quickly and with sacrificial efforts to save this historic site. This issue of Libertas celebrates the Foundation’s 15th anniversary of preserving the Reagan Ranch and tells of President Reagan, his beloved Rancho del Cielo, and how we are utilizing the Ranch to pass on President Reagan’s principles to future generations.
Sincerely,
Ron on Robinson President