Ronald Reagan

I grew up as a young kid in southern India listening to the BBC to get the real news of the world. The Indian press (newspapers) operated under a free regime, but broadcast media was still government controlled. So the news was inevitably censored and tilted to reflect the views of the government. The BBC broadcast the debates between Reagan and Carter in 1980 and again between Reagan and Mondale in 1984. I have distinct memories of listening to the radio and being in awe of the American democratic system. India is considered the world's largest democracy, but the institutions of democracy are hardly awe inspiring. Debates between candidates vying for public office is hardly encouraged. To hear Reagan speak was inspiring. I remember tuning to the Radio during the historic summits with Gorbachev. Everybody sensed then that something great had been set in motion. Only years later did one know what effect it had in the dismantling of communism across Eastern Europe. He was a wonderful speaker. He seemed to know just when to hit the right note and what the right note was. I watched C-SPAN over the weekend broadcast Reagan's previous speeches. It was an education. May his soul rest in peace.