Reply #52: I do agree that their love for each other must have been very genuine [View All]

and I can identify with it several ways. My parents (big democrats, btw) just happen to be as close as that - they have still held hands into their 70s - but for about four years or more they've been living with her Alzheimer's (which her mother also had). Despite the fact that my mother is almost not herself at all anymore, my father has missed her so much since she had to move into a nursing facility. They have the kind of love that the Reagans must've had for one another .

Anyway, Alzheimer's is such a horrible hardship on a family and Mrs. Reagan must be totally exhausted. She looked so frail and must be at least in her 80s.

Anyway, I think that if someone like her - who had been politically indifferent about such issues as Alzheimer's or stem cell research - then we can change our minds about her, too. From some things I've heard about her this week, she was more multi-faceted than her political viewpoints or position allowed her to be. She was also capable of change.

I don't see that being compassionate about her personally - even if her political views back then were not - makes us any less committed to the causes we believe in. And if we believe that part of our mission is to be compassionate, it's good to be that way in a consistent manner.

Thanks for your original post, and we lose nothing by being decent!

Just my $.02.