Today - The Day Reagan was shot
By Brian Kirwin | March 30, 2008
Filed Under President |
2:30 pm outside the Washington Hilton Hotel, President Ronald Reagan left a luncheon where he gave a speech at an AFL-CIO conference. His curbside limo wasn’t far from the door, but a smiling Reagan greeted onlookers.
Shots rang out and in a flash of a few seconds, the President was hit with the last of 6 shots, deflecting off the limo and under his arm into his chest.
White House Press Secretary James Brady, police officer Thomas Delahanty, Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy were all hit as well. A swarm of people tackled and restrained shooter John Hinkley (whom the courts found innocent, by reason of insanity).
James Brady remains paralyzed on the left side of his body to this day, but all victims of Hinkley did survive.
I was quite young the day Reagan was shot. I remember a lot of talk prior to Reagan’s election about the “zero factor” - the trend that presidents elected in a year ending in a “zero” wind up dying in office - Harrison, Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Harding, FDR and Kennedy. When Reagan was shot, tv was flooded with more “zero factor” stories.
Reagan’s recovery was one of legend. His famous words to his surgeons “I hope you’re all Republicans” and his words to Nancy “I forgot to duck” elevated the image of the Gipper more than any political ad or speech ever could.
Here was a man who could take a bullet and come up smiling and joking. We finally had a leader who could stare down the Soviet evil empire and not be frightened into a corner over a hostage crisis, an arms race, or anything else. He was 10 feet tall and bulletproof.
The Reagan Diaries tell a story not heard during his years. He mentions his would-be assassin only in passing, noting the verdict and later noting an escape attempt (hint taken). But his first diary entry after the shooting gives its own insight into Reagan.
The humor is still there. “Getting shot hurts” but the religious depth of the man was evident in his words.
“I was getting less and less air. I focused on that tiled ceiling and prayed. But I realized I couldn’t ask for God’s help while at the same time I felt hatred for the mixed up young man who had shot me. Isn’t that the meaning of the lost sheep?…I began to pray for his soul and that he would find his way back to the fold.”
Equally touching was the passage where he first opened his eyes after the emergency surgery. He saw Nancy.
“I pray I’ll never face a day when she isn’t there. Of all the ways God blessed me, giving her to me is the greatest and beyond anything I can ever hope to deserve.”
For all the accomplishments of Ronald Reagan - economically, politically - for all of world history that was changed by his hand, the true greatness of Reagan, I believe, is found in these words. Reagan was an admirable, good man, and his humble greatness was everything America wanted to be.
27 years ago today, it almost ended too soon.
(cross-posted at Reagan’s GOP)
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Thanx for reminding me why Reagan was such a great man. At times it is extremely frustrating that there are not more politician like Reagan, but then I realize a great leader like Reagan comes around but once in a lifetime.