Spreading Sickness of Europe and rest of Planet.
By xwhasse
Ronald Reagan's life was nothing more than a piece of a puzzle that helped to complete a “divine purpose.” This plan, according to his own beliefs and writings, was to defeat the system of Communism, or at least begin its downfall in much of the world. This underlying theme of a predestined purpose for his life arose from his early childhood. Reagan's autobiography implies that he had a sense of God's plan for his life with each event that happened without regard to the magnitude of the event or the positive or negative impact that the event had on his life. Even small, seemingly insignificant events seem to follow the path of a masterful plan.
Reagan outlines a plethora of things that happened to him in his life to illustrate this idea. For instance, his failure to get hired at the sports department at Montgomery Ward's was the catalyst to get God's plan rolling for his life. As a result of not getting this job, Reagan set his sights on attaining a better job – sports radio announcer. This led to him receiving a screen test in Hollywood and subsequently signing a contract with Warner Brothers. From Hollywood, Reagan was given the tools that helped him achieve success in his governorship of California for two terms. And finally, all of these pieces worked together to help him achieve the office of President of the United States, which led to the eventual demise of Communism in the Soviet Union and several other parts of the world.
Communism was Reagan's nemesis. To believe his autobiography wholeheartedly would be to accept that the destruction of Communism was God's intended purpose for putting Ronald Reagan on this planet. There are many instances in his text that he refers to a divine plan being played out in the events of his life. His autobiography follows a narrative chronology of these events to convey the idea of a puzzle being put together. Beginning in his younger years (late teens to early twenties), the groundwork for God's plan began to formulate. He was born into a poor family and as a result, learned the importance of hard work. He was taught that he would not get something for nothing. While still in high school, he took a job as a lifeguard and reportedly saved the lives of 77 people. It was during these years that the young Reagan began to entertain his fellow students in class. He “got some laughs” which led to him trying out for and landing roles in student plays. His first time on stage, he reflected that “people laughed and applauded,” leading him to participate in other activities that fit into God's plan for his life (Reagan 35).
Upon failing to get the job at Montgomery Ward's, Reagan reflects that “our lives can turn on small events” (Reagan 211). After acquiring the job as radio announcer, he states, “hen one of those things happened that makes one wonder about God's having a plan for all of us” (Reagan 70). It was his experiences as a sports radio announcer that helped him learn how to communicate well with people. He learned to think quickly – even one time improvising an entire ending to a Chicago Cubs baseball game after his live feed went out. After making a speech in favor of presidential hopeful Barry Goldwater, Reagan states that this was a turn in the road that “led me onto a path I never expected to take” (Reagan 143).
Reagan believed that much of his college career, including his time on the football field, was part of God's plan for his life because it taught him valuable lessons that he would later use. It was while attending Eureka College in California that he got his first taste of politics as part of the student committee. While cutbacks were being made throughout the institution created less classes that directly affected upperclassmen, Reagan made his debut political speech. He described it as “exciting as any I ever gave” and it was the foundation that led to the eventual resignation of the institution's president (Reagan 48). His time on the football field also taught him important lessons. He described a time when he was shy about letting his teammates know that he prayed. But after finding out that his entire team prayed, he reflected, “hat was the last time I was ever reluctant to admit that I prayed” (Reagan 56). After being only a “bench warmer” on the football team, he finally proved himself to the coach whom he thought hated him, only to reflect later that he realized his coach was just trying to correct things that needed correcting in and eighteen year old boy. In his autobiography, he also likened his acting career to his football career, saying, “I had made the team; now I had to make the first string” (Reagan 87). Finally, after getting drunk at a fraternity gathering and having a bad experience, Reagan stated that “if that's what you get for drinking…I didn't want any part of it” (Reagan 53).
Reagan believed that his forty year battle with Communism was the catalyst for many of the things that happened in his life. It became “a struggle that consumed more of his attention than any other endeavor and touched the very center of his life” (Schweizer 3). Not only did he battle against it during his two terms as President of the United States, but he also battled against it during his six terms as the president of the Screen Actor's Guild Union after World War II. He received death threats because of his stance against the attempted infiltration of Hollywood by the Communist Party. He learned of a plan in which one of the activists was going to throw acid in Reagan's face in order to ruin his acting career. These threats from the Communist Party were the reason he got a license to carry a .32 Smith and Wesson in 1946 (Schweizer 3). But, following the pattern of God's plan, his involvement in the Screen Actor's Guild indirectly set him on the road into politics.
Communism destroyed Reagan's first marriage. It damaged his relationship with his children. But it subsequently helped him to meet his second wife, Nancy Davis. She was a fellow Hollywood actor who was blacklisted for being suspected of being a Communist. Reagan was on a committee to help people clear their names if they were wrongly blacklisted. The Nancy Davis that won his affections had the same name as another actress in Hollywood who was a member of the Communist Party. As a result of his position at the time, Reagan began courting Nancy Davis – the non-Communist – and eventually married her. In his text, Reagan alludes to his theme of God's plan, stating, “f God ever had a plan for me, it was the night he brought Nancy into my life” (Reagan 123).
When his movie career began to diminish, Reagan began traveling around the country to make speeches for General Electric in an attempt to revive his acting career.
At first, Hollywood was the focus of these speeches. But slowly, they became more about government and less about Hollywood. The basic theme that Reagan incorporated into his speeches was a warning about the threat of letting the government get too big. He said that the people must take back their liberties that the government was “encroaching” on (Reagan 129). He spoke of the people doing things without waiting for the government to do things for them. Reagan spoke about the evils of the “ever expanding federal government” and their interference in all business (Skinner 129). But most importantly, Reagan also listened to what the people had to say to him, which did “much to shape ideas” (Gibbs 33). This ever expanding postwar government, Reagan believed, was leading the United States into a “silent form of socialism,” and he had to do something about it (Meese 120). He was creating a resurgence in the Republican Party at a time when less than 20% of Americans considered themselves Republicans following the Watergate scandal (Wikipedia 4). His speeches for GE would always have two common threads – “We the people” and his belief that the nation had a “rendezvous with destiny” (Reagan 142). He was in the midst of an “unrest in the country” that “was spreading across the land like a prarie fire” (Reagan 154).
During his second term as California's governor, Reagan was approached to enter the Presidential race. He adamantly refused to run. Several years later, however, he changed his mind. While riding around the ranch on his horse, Little Man, he had a vision of the Founding Fathers in which his new idea concerning the divine plan for his life surfaced – candidates do not make the decision to run, the people make the decision. If God wanted Ronald Reagan to be President of the United States, then the people will make that decision for him. His landslide victory in 1980 convinced him that this was part of God's plan for his life. Further, the other landmarks that went along with this victory only convinced him more – the oldest man ever to be elected President, the first Republican candidate to defeat a Democratic incumbent since 1888, the first candidate from any party to defeat an elected incumbent since 1932, and also giving the Senate a Republican majority for the first time in 28 years. When taking the oath of office, Reagan described the moment in surreal terms, stating “the sun burst through the clouds in an explosion of warmth and light” (Reagan 226). In his inaugural address, Reagan discussed his wanting a spiritual revival in the United States and he believed that the nation's greatest years lie ahead. In his text, he mentions a recurring dream of his in which he could see himself in a large mansion-type dwelling that resembled the White House. But after he actually began living in the White House, these dreams stopped. Reagan believed this to be a sign from God, telling him that he “made it” – he realized his destiny (Reagan 245). The landslide victory (winning 49 out of 50 states and 60% of the popular vote) in 1984 did nothing to convince Reagan otherwise of his role in God's plan. He believed all of these events in his life happened for a purpose. But this realization was not cemented into his mind until the fourth attempt on his life. After being struck in the lung by a ricocheted bullet, Reagan believed that the stage was now set to exhibit “a divine purpose: defeating Communism” (Schweizer 3). While hesitant to admit that he was physically hurt, he describes the incident as a “reminder of mortality and the importance of time” and reiterated his belief that “God has a plan for everyone” (Muggeridge 72).
Ronald Reagan was more than an anti-Communist. He was an “anti-Communist with a game plan” (Meese 164). His experiences with the post-World War II Communist Party's attempt to infiltrate Hollywood “convinced him of the dangers of Communism” (Skinner 255). To Reagan, Communism was the “focus of evil in the modern world” and it was embodied by the “evil empire” – the Soviet Union (Meese 165). He did not share the passivity of his predecessors – Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and Richard Nixon – toward this institutionalized tyranny. He wanted an end to the Cold War and he “embraced a vision for dealing with the Soviet Union and ending the Cold War that was remarkably consistent…and decisive” (Schweizer 163). According to Reagan, the tyrannical system of Communism that “crippled the creative potential of the human spirit” was in direct opposition to freedom, which he felt was from God and was “morally and materially superior to Communism” (Meese 14). In describing the beauty of the American society, Reagan reflected, “I have always wondered at this American marvel, the great energy of the human soul that drives people to better themselves and improve the fortunes of their families” (Reagan 28). It was therefore imperative that freedom prevail over this “evil” system – and Ronald Reagan was just the man to do it. He believed that the United States system of capitalism was ordained by God and as a result, the nation was given a “powerful weapon in our battle against Communism – money” (Meese 167).
One of Reagan's small victories involved the prevention of Central America being completely overtaken by Communism. He knew that Lenin had a plan to eventually overtake the United States and turn it into a Communist nation. Reagan was not going to let that happen, saying that the “march of freedom and democracy will leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash heap of history” in one of his speeches that outlined his views on this “evil” system. ( Skinner 372). In conjunction with Pope John Paul II and Catholic church officials, Reagan was also able to liberate Poland from Communism's iron grip, an event that led to the disintegration of other Communist regimes in Eastern Europe (Meese 170).
Concerning the Soviet Union, Reagan believed that it would “eventually…crumble under its own weight” (Skinner 372). Although he despised the Communist system, he “embraced Mikhail Gorbachev” (Joffe 86). In a speech to a group of Evangelical Christians, he stated that the Soviet system ran “against the tide of history by denying human freedom and dignity to its citizens” (Remarks 2). He repeatedly spoke of the evils of the Soviet Union in his Presidential speeches and the blessings of the capitalist system. In the same speech to the Evangelicals, he stated, “it is the democratic countries that are prosperous and responsive to the needs of their people” and he pointed out the fact that the “millions of refugees we've seen in the modern world, their flight is always from, not toward the Communist world” (Remarks 2).
Reagan's crowning moment came just before he left office. While making a speech at the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin in 1987, he continued to compare the superiority of American society to Communist society – “the Soviet Union still cannot feed itself” while saying that “reedom leads to prosperity…comity and peace. Freedom is the victor” (Tear Down This Wall 4). Some would say that Reagan was only in the right place at the right time and that the Soviet Union would have crumbled anyway. But even so, Reagan would argue that it was God who put him in this place.
Alzheimer's Disease, which took hold of Reagan's body in 1994, was the last piece of the puzzle in God's plan for Reagan's life. In a handwritten letter to the nation, Reagan was accepting of the sickness as something that fits into God's divine purpose. His belief in God's plan showed when he wrote “hen the Lord calls me home, whenever that may be” (Skinner 742). According to his own words, Reagan states that he will “live the remainder of the years God gives me on this earth doing the things I have always done” (Skinner 742.) He also implied that the reason that he was to suffer from this disease was to open up awareness and discussion among families who are also burdened with it. Even in the “sunset of life,” Reagan still held firmly to the belief that everything in his life, including a debilitating disease, was a puzzle piece that helped to create a larger picture.
An American Life, at first glance, may be considered a spiritual autobiography because it follows the progress of God's plan for an individual. However, it is inconsistent with this particular genre because it does not begin with an individual living a life of sin – a typical aspect of spiritual autobiographies. Reagan never felt that he was not living according to God's will. Consequently, this autobiography also surpasses the conventions of the typical memoir genre. It covers his entire life – from birth until old age – whereas memoirs are typically about a smaller part of one's life. Reagan's first autobiography, Where's the Rest of Me?, could be considered to be part of the memoir genre, but An American Life does not. Reagan's latter (and longer) autobiography probably fits best into the category of narrative genre that is peppered with his spiritual reflections about how the events shaped his life to achieve a single, larger purpose.
Similarly, An American Life does fit into the genre of American autobiography in several ways. Firstly, it fits into the American notion of idealism. There are no limits to what a person can become, and Ronald Reagan is proof of that idealism. His beginnings stem from an Scottish immigrant poor father in a small town called Dixon. But through hard work and determination, he became one of the most popular actors of his time, governor of one of the biggest states in the United States, and one of the most beloved Presidents of our time. Although he does not make an issue of it, Reagan's story could also be considered a “rags to riches” story – from humble beginnings to a wealthy movie star to President of the United States. But he does not talk about the money he acquires through his hard work. All of these accomplishments worked together, according to Reagan, for God's divine purpose.
All in all, An American Life is a decisive account of one man who felt that each person has a divine purpose for their life. Ronald Reagan's main purpose was to defeat the flawed system of Communism through achieving the Presidency of the United States. This autobiography is not only about one man, however. It is about the American ideal – hard work and determination can change the life of anybody who chooses to utilize it. If read carefully, one can see Reagan's belief that God has a larger purpose for this world and that each person, no matter how small or insignificant they may feel, contributes a piece to God's puzzle. And even though he may be considered a large piece to this puzzle, Reagan believed that he was no more important than anybody else in the grand scheme of God's overall plan.
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Joffe, Josef. “The 'Amazing and Mysterious' Life of Ronald Reagan.” The
National Interest. Fall 2004: 85-90. Proquest Direct. UMI. University of Michigan – Flint, Flint, MI. 10/31/2005.
Kengor, Paul. God and Ronald Reagan: A Spiritual Life. New York: Regan Books.
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Meese, Edwin. With Reagan: An Inside Story. New York: Regnery Publishing, Inc.
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Muggeridge, John. “Ronald Reagan: An American Christian.” Human Review.
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Reagan, Ronald. An American Life. New York: Simon and Schuster. 1990.
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Many people take sleeping pills to help them to fall asleep at night-with most of them suffering from some degree of insomnia. What is likely to be the last thing on their minds as they lay down is the possibility of them waking up behind the wheel of their car. The FDA has warned of the dangerous side effect of taking sleeping pills known as sleep driving. This is obviously more complicated than sleep walking because it entails actually getting behind the wheel of a car and driving in your sleep. And perhaps the scariest thing about sleep driving is you will have no memory of doing so. It may sound impossible but it is a fact.
The Food and Drug Administration wouldn't disclose exactly how many cases of sleep driving had been linked to sleep aiding drugs for insomnia. However, neurology chief Dr. Russell Katz said that the agency uncovered over a dozen reports and believes that there are possibly many more that have gone unreported.
We all know the dangers of falling asleep behind the wheel. We've seen or heard stories of accidents where the drivers have fallen asleep behind the wheel and have had devastating and sometimes fatal car crashes. But these people started out driving awake and fully aware that they were behind the wheel of a vehicle. With sleep driving, the last thing the person probably remembers is taking a pill and going to bed. Imagine the shock they'd feel to wake up driving in their car or parked on some unfamiliar street sitting behind the wheel of their vehicle.
Katz says the problem of sleep driving is rare, given the millions of prescriptions for insomnia drugs. Although he is unaware of any deaths occurring from sleep driving, the act itself is extremely dangerous and can have detrimental consequences. The FDA ordered a series of strict new warnings for the makers of 13 sleep drugs. The makers of these 13 sleep drugs have to add warning labels that tell about two rare but serious side effects. The first of these side effects is sleep driving along with other sleep related behaviors that aren't as dangerous such as making phone calls, cooking and eating foods, and having sex while sleep. Now some people may laugh at the last warning of having sex while sleep and say-”Hmm…so and so fell asleep while we were having sex last night so that's nothing new.” But in all seriousness, being unaware that you're having sex with someone is very risky behavior. You can contract diseases, get raped, become pregnant or just have the sheer fact hanging over your head that someone had sex with you and you don't even remember it.
The second side effect that has to be placed on these sleep drugs is the possibility of having life threatening allergic reactions as well as severe facial swelling. Both of these side effects can occur either the first time you take the pill or at any time during the course you're taking these pills.
Doctors are soon going to be receiving letters which will notify them of the new warnings. In addition, later this year all prescription sleeping pills will come with brochures called “Medication Guides” that will tell of the potential risks in language that's easy for the patient to understand.
You may or may not remember when sleep driving first made headlines last May when Representative Patrick Kennedy crashed his car into a barrier outside the U.S. Capitol after taking the sleep drug Ambien and a second drug, Phenergan which is an anti-nausea pill that also acts as a sedative. Kennedy said he has no memory of the event and plead guilty to driving under the influence of prescription drugs and was sentences to court ordered drug treatment and a years probation.
Ambien isn't the only insomnia drug that can cause sleep driving. The 13 sleep drugs that will carry new warnings will be Ambien, Butisol sodium, Carbital, Dalmane, Doral, Halcion, Lunesta, Placidyl, Prosom, Restoral, Rozerem, Seconal, and Sonata. Any sleep drugs in the class known as “sleep hypnotics” can cause sleep driving according to the FDA's Katz.
If you take any sleep drugs, in order to lower your risk of sleep driving, never take a prescription insomnia drug with alcohol or any other sedating drugs. It's also important not to take the higher than recommended dose of the pills.
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February 25th, 2010
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