I didn’t chime in earlier this week when Ronnie Reagan died, so I guess I’ll do it now. I have mixed feelings about him. I was in high school during the first term and I recall Reaganomics, Star Wars, Iran-Contra, all of it. I didn’t like his policies then and I still don’t now. I’m sure he was a great guy personally, but I feel that he left us quite a mess of deficits to clear up in his wake. I don’t think he really understood most of the things that his administration did. Being an upbeat guy who could give a good speech and make people at ease is a good thing, but that can’t outweigh the damage his 2 terms did to the economy.
Now for Ray Charles, who died this afternoon. He had been sick for some time with liver disease, to which he finally succumbed. By all accounts, he was a nice guy and a very talented musician. He broke down barriers of race, disability and musical genres in an age where those things just weren’t the norm. He was a legend and he will be missed. Go on, now, Ray. You’ll live forever in your legacy. Godspeed.