June 08, 2004

Crowds Wait Hours to View Reagan Casket

Waiting good-naturedly for as much as half a day in traffic jams and a parking lot, tens of thousands of people filed past Ronald Reagan's flag-draped casket in an outpouring that forced organizers to extend the viewing period Tuesday by four hours.

An estimated 79,000 mourners had passed by the coffin in 28 hours after viewing began at noon Monday, library officials said. The nation's 40th president died Saturday at age 93.

Nancy Reagan, resting and preparing for funeral events in Washington, D.C., watched the scene on television at her Bel Air home in Los Angeles, said Joanne Drake, chief of staff of Reagan's office.

"'It is unbelievable what I am seeing on TV,'" Drake quoted the former first lady as saying. "'The outpouring of love for my husband is incredible.'"

The flow of mourners was interrupted briefly when Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry arrived
[cut in line ("Dont you know who I am?") and pretended that he didn't loathe everything President Reagan stood for and voted against in the Senate! What a disgrace.--Jen].
Standing before the casket, he made the sign of the cross, placed his hand over his heart, then left.
[Why God didn't strike sKerry dead then and there is anyone's guess, although He probably didn't want to spoil RR's lovely memorial.--J.T.]

Traffic jams and the wait for shuttle buses encouraged camaraderie among the throngs, who passed the time sharing memories of Reagan and making new friends.
[Don't you know that President Reagan was looking down from Heaven and smiling at this?]

"It was really something. There was a kindred spirit out there as we waited," said Linda Peterson, 49, of Temecula, who left home with her son, Lee, 23, on Monday night.
[...]

Humbert Cabrera, 38, of San Diego, said while waiting in line: "He should be on Mount Rushmore. He was one of us. He lifted us all."

I didn't blog any yesterday because I spent most of the day (and the night) watching these mourners on the live feed at the Reagan Library on C-SPAN.
I was so moved and amazed that people of all ages and from all walks of life, more than quite a few of whom were in tears and all of whom were quiet and respectful, came to pay their respects to their President and their Governor and to mark and mourn his passing from earthly life, as well as to celebrate and remember his astonishing life.
It struck me how peaceful and orderly they were, even in our current world of violence, terrorism and war.
President Reagan would love it, as those who come to pay their respects to his memory this week are living proof of his faith in the goodness, greatness and decency of the American people.
Ronaldus Magnus did"lift us all" and it's comforting and wonderful to see with this response to honor his memory that this is a marvelous part of his legacy-- the gift he's left behind for all of us to be able and willing to lift one another!
*Update: The total who'd come to pay their final respects to President Reagan was changed to 105,00 by Wednesday night.