RIP Nancy Reagan

Gern Blansten

A unique lady

cp3iverson

RIP.

Gern Blansten

Kind of sad...the first "First Lady" that I remember paying much attention to as I started becoming aware of politics as a child.

I felt so bad for her when watching Reagan's funeral.

josevolution

RIP , classy 1st lady ..

hedonist

Gern Blansten said:

Kind of sad...the first "First Lady" that I remember paying much attention to as I started becoming aware of politics as a child.

I felt so bad for her when watching Reagan's funeral.

Same here, Gern. Especially the last part of your post.

djklambake

She really was a swell lady... Tip of the cap, Nancy...

cp3iverson

Going to elementary school in the 80s i knew nothing about politics and parties just that she seemed like a really nice grandmother

InHiding80

You were the bomb in Land of Confusion by Genesis, yo!

On a serious note, though, love or hate her, Laura, Hillary and Michelle...at least they lifted their finger. Can't say the same for Kartrashian in training, Melenia.

RIP

tempo_n_groove

War on drugs can RIP too.

Nancy Reagan was all class.

JC29856

Just say no

JC29856

The next Nancy Reagan is Melania Trump

Wobbie

not a fan.

"just say no" about the stupidest thing ever.

hedonist

I'll agree that the war on drugs thing was BS, but I respected the love those two shared for as long as they did. Struck me as sincere, genuine, something one doesn't see too often nowadays.

cincybearcat

RIP to a very classy lady.

josevolution

JC29856 said:

The next Nancy Reagan is Melania Trump

Off course after all she's married to a total classy guy ...

Gern Blansten

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/272098-gop-lawmaker-nancy-reagan-would-be-appalled-by-trump

brianlux

Gern Blansten said:

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/272098-gop-lawmaker-nancy-reagan-would-be-appalled-by-trump

This really puts things into perspective. I'm not going to pretend to be terribly saddened by Mrs. Reagan's passing (nor am I by any means happy about it). And despite not being at a Reaganite fan and finding Nancy's "just say no" campaign very naive and misguided at best, at least she would have had the sense to find Trump the despicable choice for Republican candidacy that he is. She definitely had more class than Trump will ever even pretend to have.

BS44325

Wobbie said:

not a fan.

"just say no" about the stupidest thing ever.

How someone could think educating our children to "just say no" is the "stupidest thing ever" boggles the mind. We need far more of this and far less imprisonment.

Drowned Out

BS44325 said:

Wobbie said:

not a fan.

"just say no" about the stupidest thing ever.

How someone could think educating our children to "just say no" is the "stupidest thing ever" boggles the mind. We need far more of this and far less imprisonment.

If only it was a simple (albeit ridiculously naive and unrealistic) educational message. Unfortunately the Reagan era drug war was accompanied by skyrocketing incarceration rates, institutionalized racism and government involvement in the drug trade ( to fund reagan's wars), and the rise of zero-credibility practise of using cops to educate kids on health issues (DARE). Old mother Reagan was the face of this disaster, and the main proponent of the hysteria that allowed all of this to happen. I have a hard time seeing her campaign as educational benevolence, as do many others apparently.

brianlux

Drowned Out said:

BS44325 said:

Wobbie said:

not a fan.

"just say no" about the stupidest thing ever.

How someone could think educating our children to "just say no" is the "stupidest thing ever" boggles the mind. We need far more of this and far less imprisonment.

If only it was a simple (albeit ridiculously naive and unrealistic) educational message. Unfortunately the Reagan era drug war was accompanied by skyrocketing incarceration rates, institutionalized racism and government involvement in the drug trade ( to fund reagan's wars), and the rise of zero-credibility practise of using cops to educate kids on health issues (DARE). Old mother Reagan was the face of this disaster, and the main proponent of the hysteria that allowed all of this to happen. I have a hard time seeing her campaign as educational benevolence, as do many others apparently.

Yeah, I totally agree.

And I'm not suggesting we give kids free needles and heroin with their lunch but, look, I worked with upper elementary, middle school and high school kids during the height of the DARE program and most kids thought it was a big joke. They just laughed about it and thought it was totally stupid, which is mostly true. That program surely did more harm than good. Instead of DARE it should have been READ-- Real Education About Drugs-- (or something like that)-- educating kids about the truth about drugs. Telling them who really makes the big money off of drugs. About how the Drug War is a sham. About how the biggest problem with drug addiction is doctors pushing artificial chemical concoctions (AKA prescription drugs) that are often much worse for the body and mind and just as addicting or more so than many drugs derived from natural sources, especially marijuana. Telling them that using drugs at an early age is not a healthy choice and explaining why instead of just saying, "Because it's B-A-A-A-D for ya". Mrs. Reagan was out of touch on this subject.

BS44325

Drowned Out said:

BS44325 said:

Wobbie said:

not a fan.

"just say no" about the stupidest thing ever.

How someone could think educating our children to "just say no" is the "stupidest thing ever" boggles the mind. We need far more of this and far less imprisonment.

If only it was a simple (albeit ridiculously naive and unrealistic) educational message. Unfortunately the Reagan era drug war was accompanied by skyrocketing incarceration rates, institutionalized racism and government involvement in the drug trade ( to fund reagan's wars), and the rise of zero-credibility practise of using cops to educate kids on health issues (DARE). Old mother Reagan was the face of this disaster, and the main proponent of the hysteria that allowed all of this to happen. I have a hard time seeing her campaign as educational benevolence, as do many others apparently.

I agree with you on a lot of those things...the war on drugs has been and still is a massive failure. The message of "just say no" though is not wrong, not naive and doesn't make you a supporter of the wider war on drugs by repeating it. Teaching kids not to use/abuse is and will always be important. Case in point...I tell my kids every day not to smoke...not to be peer pressured..."just say no" if you will. Now I don't doubt that they won't have a smoke at some point but I sure hope they don't become smokers. This goes with drugs as well...I've seen the needle and the damage done...just had a friend lose his battle with addiction. I know too many people who have been messed up by coke. Kids need to know that some drugs have inherent dangers and that saying no in social situations is ok. "Just say no" shouldn't be scoffed at...it's good parenting 101.

brianlux

BS44325 said:

Drowned Out said:

BS44325 said:

Wobbie said:

not a fan.

"just say no" about the stupidest thing ever.

How someone could think educating our children to "just say no" is the "stupidest thing ever" boggles the mind. We need far more of this and far less imprisonment.

If only it was a simple (albeit ridiculously naive and unrealistic) educational message. Unfortunately the Reagan era drug war was accompanied by skyrocketing incarceration rates, institutionalized racism and government involvement in the drug trade ( to fund reagan's wars), and the rise of zero-credibility practise of using cops to educate kids on health issues (DARE). Old mother Reagan was the face of this disaster, and the main proponent of the hysteria that allowed all of this to happen. I have a hard time seeing her campaign as educational benevolence, as do many others apparently.

I agree with you on a lot of those things...the war on drugs has been and still is a massive failure. The message of "just say no" though is not wrong, not naive and doesn't make you a supporter of the wider war on drugs by repeating it. Teaching kids not to use/abuse is and will always be important. Case in point...I tell my kids every day not to smoke...not to be peer pressured..."just say no" if you will. Now I don't doubt that they won't have a smoke at some point but I sure hope they don't become smokers. This goes with drugs as well...I've seen the needle and the damage done...just had a friend lose his battle with addiction. I know too many people who have been messed up by coke. Kids need to know that some drugs have inherent dangers and that saying no in social situations is ok. "Just say no" shouldn't be scoffed at...it's good parenting 101.

Speaking for myself, I get what you're saying, BS and it's cool that you care for kids well being but I think kids are smarter than we give them credit. They see through little sayings like "just say no". And the saying is a form of denial by using the word, "just", like it's "simple" to avoid peer pressure.

When I was 15 I started smoking because my friends though it was cool and I wanted to be accepted by them. My parents basically wanted me to "just say no". If they had explained that it really can be difficult to say no to your friends because you want to belong, if they had told me that if my friends rejected me for not smoking then maybe they weren't really my friends after all, if they had taken me to a hospital to meet a patient with throat cancer, or even just explained what that looks like (not a pretty sight), if they had just been open an honest I might not have ever smoked those nasty cancer sticks.

I believe there's no "just" about it, that's all.

BS44325

brianlux said:

BS44325 said:

Drowned Out said:

BS44325 said:

Wobbie said:

not a fan.

"just say no" about the stupidest thing ever.

How someone could think educating our children to "just say no" is the "stupidest thing ever" boggles the mind. We need far more of this and far less imprisonment.

If only it was a simple (albeit ridiculously naive and unrealistic) educational message. Unfortunately the Reagan era drug war was accompanied by skyrocketing incarceration rates, institutionalized racism and government involvement in the drug trade ( to fund reagan's wars), and the rise of zero-credibility practise of using cops to educate kids on health issues (DARE). Old mother Reagan was the face of this disaster, and the main proponent of the hysteria that allowed all of this to happen. I have a hard time seeing her campaign as educational benevolence, as do many others apparently.

I agree with you on a lot of those things...the war on drugs has been and still is a massive failure. The message of "just say no" though is not wrong, not naive and doesn't make you a supporter of the wider war on drugs by repeating it. Teaching kids not to use/abuse is and will always be important. Case in point...I tell my kids every day not to smoke...not to be peer pressured..."just say no" if you will. Now I don't doubt that they won't have a smoke at some point but I sure hope they don't become smokers. This goes with drugs as well...I've seen the needle and the damage done...just had a friend lose his battle with addiction. I know too many people who have been messed up by coke. Kids need to know that some drugs have inherent dangers and that saying no in social situations is ok. "Just say no" shouldn't be scoffed at...it's good parenting 101.

Speaking for myself, I get what you're saying, BS and it's cool that you care for kids well being but I think kids are smarter than we give them credit. They see through little sayings like "just say no". And the saying is a form of denial by using the word, "just", like it's "simple" to avoid peer pressure.

When I was 15 I started smoking because my friends though it was cool and I wanted to be accepted by them. My parents basically wanted me to "just say no". If they had explained that it really can be difficult to say no to your friends because you want to belong, if they had told me that if my friends rejected me for not smoking then maybe they weren't really my friends after all, if they had taken me to a hospital to meet a patient with throat cancer, or even just explained what that looks like (not a pretty sight), if they had just been open an honest I might not have ever smoked those nasty cancer sticks.

I believe there's no "just" about it, that's all.

I think that's fair because it certainly isn't simple. The point I am making is that as parents we should be having the conversation and include all those points you just mentioned above. Teach "no" with the caveat that we get "no" ain't always easy.

Drowned Out

Kids need to know the consequences of saying yes and all the other things Brian mentioned about the drug industry as a whole (not just the ones deemed illegal, esp now that script drugs have overtaken illicits as the main cause of OD death and addiction). They need to know the health effects, the legal consequences, the potential for addiction, and yes, that saying no is the best option.....But they also need to understand the principles of harm reduction, how to recognize addictive behaviour in themselves and their peers, and how to minimize the risks if they do choose to use. Preaching abstinence in regards to drugs is as ineffectual and dangerous as it is in regards to sex. And they don't need to hear it from a cop with a briefcase full of interesting looking paraphernalia who is doing nothing but building curiousity. Studies have shown DARE actually increased drug use in students who took the course compared to those who didnt. The Reagan drug initiatives did more harm than good, esp when you look at the backdoor dealings - social engineering and black ops - associated with the war on drugs. Anyway....I don't think we're far enough apart to keep going back and forth on this, esp not in this thread. I just wanted to expand on why I think Just Say No was either a massive mistake, or a PR campaign that was used to facilitate other agendas, to the detriment of the entire f'n world (in that the US pressured everyone to partake in the WOD). To me, that is Nancy's legacy. I don't have a whole lot of nice things to say about her, nor her hubby. I'll leave it at that.

Free

Ever since hearing Sunday that Ronald's nickname for Nancy was ""Mommy", I'm just kinda disturbed.

RIP

hedonist

Free said:

Ever since hearing Sunday that Ronald's nickname for Nancy was ""Mommy", I'm just kinda disturbed.

RIP

One of my uncles used to call my aunt that...also called her "Cherie" (he was French/Persian). It can be creepy but it's not always.

I wonder if Ron calling her that was related to his Alzheimer's? How she cared for him when it began?

Free

The news said it was his nickname for her.

hedonist

Free said:

The news said it was his nickname for her.

Maybe that's just how the news works?


That little thing really doesn't bother me...guess it could others.

Drowned Out

I read that he also called her Nancy-Pants.
Mommy doesn't disturb me, personally....but then, my gf has called me daddy a time or two, so maybe I'm not the best judge lol

hedonist

Oh, my Drowned friend...I'd say your wife and I may or may not have a thing or two in common

Drowned Out

Haha...id never have assumed an innocent yet playful side to someone with your username.