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Article: Reagan's greatest contribution was making us believe in ourselves again.
- Article from:
- The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, FL)
- Article date:
- January 17, 2002
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Orlando Sentinel. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Peter A. Brown
My 10-year-old daughter recently asked who were our greatest modern presidents, and I told her Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan.
I explained to her, in the way that fathers talk to their kids, that both men had ensured that the birthright as Americans she and her brother inherit remains their greatest gift. FDR saved my parents' generation from hunger and Hitler. Reagan reversed the U.S. slide into mediocrity that threatened to undermine the "Greatest Generation's" achievements.
What I didn't tell my daughter was how her grandmother sobbed uncontrollably when FDR died. However, she could see me tear up as I thought ...