We all have feet of clay, but beware those who don't know or won't admit it

by Revrickm

I was touched by the poignant images of Nancy Reagan as she accompanied her late husband's body to its stately viewing place beneath the Capitol dome in Washington, D.C. and then back to California and its final resting place at the Reagan Library. Even though his body was now cold, his spirit lived in her and in the faces of thousands of others who also loved and admired him. We all recognized the tenderness in her touch and little pats of the casket as she said her final goodbye at sunset.

I am one who believes that the public overlooked most of Mr. Reagan's faults, shown in his taking positions of limited vision with respect to human rights, lack of compassion for those afflicted with a fatal disease, refusal to provide care to the infirm or the mentally ill, and a readiness to demonize entire peoples as "the evil empire." Many of these points of view are continued today by other leaders in our country. The difference, in my opinion, is that Reagan never considered himself infallible and he wasn't known to systematically lie about his actions or his motives. Mr. Reagan tried to be straight with everyone, and his humor and humility endeared him to many of us, even when some felt that he was regrettably mistaken.

I have tried to keep in mind that any leader, any person -- or any of us for that matter -- has deep failings and will doubtless be proved wrong and/or short-sighted in some way and at some times. It is a part of being human. Some of the people I hold dearest in my own life and memory agreed with and supported Ronald Reagan. My parents were both strong supporters of Mr. Reagan. Politics was not a subject that could be discussed in my family (nor were other subjects such as popular culture and lifestyles, religion, and theology).

Though that should not keep people apart ultimately, all too often it may create a great distance between us. I am always sorry when the gulf separating people's viewpoints cannot be bridged. But a person's personal identity, convictions, and understanding of right and wrong are changed only with much difficulty – usually in response to growth or evolution in personal values resulting from one’s own experience.

Thus, I understand that Mr. Reagan also held sincere and strong beliefs and that he remained true to his convictions as others do to their own. I pray that we may all be steadfastly true to our own convictions while being open to others' views and to the possibility that we may prove to be mistaken in some of our opinions and beliefs.

It is the person who can't see or admit their own mistakes -- who always claims to be "divinely" in the right -- that we have every right to fear and protect ourselves from.