Editor, News-Register:

Our 40th President, Ronald Wilson Reagan, was all teeth, no cattle.

As Ronnie bravely waged outright war on the (phony) multitudes of “welfare queens” with his mesmerizing smile, the United States became mired in deep, unyielding poverty, debt, and great wealth for the privileged upper class. What a record!?

Then why should anyone honor this “war hero” who sat out World War II on a Hollywood movie set and lied that he was involved in the liberation of Nazi death camps, or how shamelessly he adopted, from a movie role, Notre Dame football great George Gipp’s nickname: “Gipper?”

The phrase “win one for the Gipper” was used as a political slogan by Reagan.

Balderdash! Give me a break!

The Gipper’s “Shining City on a Hill” speech was a hypocritical attempt to trade on Saint Augustine’s great teaching of “City of God” and the1630 sermon by John Winthrop that is famous mainly for its proclamation that “We Shall Be As a City Upon a Hill.” Winthrop said. “… the eyes of all people are upon us.” It is one thing to use “The City of God” and “We Shall Be As a City Upon a Hill” as beacons of hope for national exceptionalism which other nations can look to for moral guidance.

On the other hand, it is all together different to limit that exceptionalism only to the rich and powerful. And it is rank hypocrisy to use those two great teachings as cover up for bashing the poor and working class.

Reagan informed us that the nine most terrifying words were: “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” Reagan lived up to this shameful slander by condemning “poor people as moochers and frauds; worshiping wealth and punishing the poor, and making sure minorities are ignored or imprisoned.”

According to Lucy Diavolo, Reagan’s Reaganomics (trickle down nonsense) “path to American greatness meant making rich people pay less in taxes, making life easier for the capitalist class, and giving poor people less help.”

Well, didn’t Reagan end the Cold War, all by himself (no less)? No way!

The facts are: Mikhail Gorbachev ended the Cold War along with the cold war actions and policies of all Presidents since Harry Truman.

Reagan wasn’t a man of peace. Our hero of “Death Valley Days,” was a great advocate and supporter of the Vietnam War. By the time Reagan stepped down from the helm, he had expanded the U.S. military budget to a staggering 43% increase over the total expenditure during the height of the Vietnam War, including the trillion dollar, dangerous, anti-missile boondoggle known as “Star Wars.”

But, how can you deny the charm of the Gipper’s tan suits? At least the one time President Obama wore a tan suit (to the grave consternation of the Gipper’s idolaters) the suit wasn’t empty.

Bill Bryant

St. Clairsville