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Contributor
John
Campbell
John
Campbell (R-Irvine) is an Assemblyman representing the 70th
District
in Orange County. Mr. Campbell is the Vice-Chairman of the Assembly
Budget Committee. He is the only CPA in the California State
legislature
and recently received a national award as Freshman Republican
Legislator of the Year. He represents the cities of Newport
Beach,
Laguna Beach, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Tustin, Aliso Viejo, Laguna
Woods and Lake Forest. He can be reached through his Assembly
website
and through the website
for his California Senate campaign. [go to Campbell index]
 D.C.
Reflections
WWII Memorial and Reagan...
[John Campbell] 6/16/04
Last week,
I was in Washington D.C. for a couple of days. In between meetings,
I went over to see the newly dedicated
World War II Memorial. As you may or may not know, this memorial
was embroiled in some controversy that it might detract from
the Washington and Lincoln monuments in between which it is placed.
I can tell you, having seen it, that the WW II Memorial is sunken
and does not detract at all from the vista between the Lincoln
and Washington monuments. The WW II memorial is quite striking
and beautiful. It is also more celebratory than somber with all
of its fountains and such. This is probably because the memorial
was built 60 years after the end of the war, and the pain of
those lost has faded behind the triumph of the endeavor. It is
a fitting tribute to the conflict in which nearly 1/3 of all
American war casualties occurred, and to the enormous accomplishment
of their struggle.
And, of course, our nation
has spent the past week mourning
the passing of former President Reagan.
In his farewell address
from office, President Reagan said that he was not the "Great Communicator" that he had been
named, but, in his own words, that he "communicated great
ideas." He certainly communicated well. But this label has
been used by many of his detractors over the years to depreciate
the value of what he was communicating and the mind of the man
who communicated them. Not only did the Soviet Union fall under
his watch, but communism/socialism fell into retreat all over
the world. Many countries that had espoused the virtues of socialism
in the 70's and 80's now increasingly value the entrepreneur
and capitalism and less intrusive government. These enormous
events stand in testimony less to his communicative skills than
to the veracity of his ideas and the power of his intellect.
And it all happened without a war in which millions had to die.
The detractors of those ideas are still out there. And the work
that Reagan started is not finished. We must not forget the lessons
of the past while we carry forward these ideals into the future.
Newt Gingrich tells a story about Reagan on Air Force One approaching
Washington. As the former speaker tells it, Reagan came back
to talk to the various people on the plane and said that he asked
the pilot to bomb the capitol on the way in but that he wouldn't
do it. He was in Washington but he was not of Washington. He
was of us. And we are of him. We stand in his debt, not as Reagan
Republicans or Reagan Democrats. But as Reagan Americans.
Whether on the beaches
in France, or in the oval office, citizens of the "greatest generation" rose
to the formidable challenges that faced them. Will my generation
and other generations
do the same? If not, it won't be for lack of good examples to
follow. But, I believe, these examples will not only instruct,
but they will inspire. And they will do so long after all of
those who created that inspiration have left us.
Thank you, Mr. President. God was with you and Nancy through
your Governorship and Presidency. Now you are with him. CRO
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