As most of you have probably heard by now, former President Ronald Reagan died today of pneumonia at the age of 93. Ronald Reagan served as the 40th President of the United States from 1981 to 1989, and the pneumonia he succumbed to is a complication of Alzheimer's Disease, which he has been afflicted with for at least a decade.

This is going to get a lot of news time in the coming days, so there's not a whole lot that I can add to the extensive coverage. However, I want to say that I am very sad to see President Reagan pass on, mostly because I pretty much grew up with him in the White House. (Despite being born in 1972, I only vaguely remember President Jimmy Carter's administration.). I didn't know enough about politics back then to know much about the negative things associated with President Reagan's administration (although Bloom County tried to educate me ;-) ). Instead, Ronald Reagan was the father-like figure that I saw in charge of our country. I remember his near-assassination in 1981 quite well, and I'll never forget his somber address to the nation after the loss of the Challenger in 1986. Most of all, I remember how disconcerting it was to see him leave office in 1989, as it just didn't seem right to not see him there.

I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes of Ronald Reagan. Before a radio address, he made a statement in jest, not realizing that he was being recorded: "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes."