Posted to alt.fan.ronald-reagan on February 6, 2004:

Friday, February 6, 2004:

Mr. Reagan's 93rd.

Too bad he can't enjoy the fruits of the great financial powerhouse he
built - The US economy.


Friday, February 6: Things must be pretty boring in Vandergrift, PA.


Saturday, February 7: I don't live in Vandergrift, dick head. And they're not boring at
all. Just had a portfolio review, and we're well on our way to an
early retirement. Again, thanks to Mr. Ronald Reagan.


Saturday, February 7: Close enough asswipe. And don't make me laugh about your early
retirement puta.


Sunday, February 8: Pace, I am the one who's laughing at you. What's YOUR retirement plan?
Piss your life away at some meaningless job, and then go on the dole. Welfare? Or, will you work long enough to get a pitiful monthly check from Social Security? Ha Ha Ha.

What's really telling is that you took the time to research my ISP to
find its location. What a REALLY boring life you must have!

Mr Reagan's inspiration and economic policies have made mine sweet and
fruitful.


This is sad. Where but the Internet newsgroups can you find stuff like this? A writer wishes
Mr. Reagan happy birthday at alt.fan.ronald-reagan, and in four short posts the exchange descends
into vulgar insults, puffery, and tedious one upsmanship. And it has hardly anything to do with
Ronald Reagan!

Many other groups on the Internet conduct discussions where people exchange useful information and interesting ideas. They try to persuade each other, and the conversation counts for something. I don't see why people who post to political groups don't follow their example. Well, I do see why. It's become part of the culture of the groups. As a result, people who do want to conduct intelligent conversations stay away from them. Still, the goal of communicating is understanding, not putdowns.

TLJ gives you an opportunity, in a moderated discussion, to post your thoughts about Reagan and related issues. A moderated discussion is one where offensive putdowns and other sorts of obnoxious language don't make it to the published boards. Strong language in support of strong convictions is always a good thing: Reagan's rhetoric shows that. But anyone can distinguish strong language from offensive language.


Here are the rules for the essay contest. They are simple:

Submit an essay that has something to do with Ronald Reagan. The length is 500 to 1,000 words. The contest is intended for young adults, so entrants must be 18 years of age or younger.

We have two divisions by age group: 13 and under for junior high and elementary students, and 14 to 18 for high school students. The prizes are the same at both levels: $50 for first place, $25 for second place, and honorable mention for third place. All three prize-winners in both age groups also receive a copy of The Last Jeffersonian.

Along with your essay, send this information: your name, your age, where you are from, and the name of your school. If you want to send the name of your government, history, or social studies teacher too, that's great. Submit your essay by April 1, 2004. Neatness counts! That is to say, the text should be free of mistakes. Have a friend read your essay to catch errors that you overlook. You can get good comments from your friends, too.

What do I mean when I say the essay should have something to do with Ronald Reagan? The best essays are those that answer a question, so try your hand at one of these questions:

What did Ronald Reagan contribute to American politics?

How do you think historians will regard Ronald Reagan, and why?

What motivated Reagan in his political career?

What were Reagan's strengths and weaknesses as a politician?

What factors influenced Ronald Reagan's thinking?

Although writing about these questions requires some knowledge of Reagan, these short essays are not intended to be research papers. That is, you should draw your answers from what Reagan himself said and did. You should not do have to do research into the history of American politics.

If these questions don't immediately appeal to you, write some questions of your own that can guide your writing. Do make sure that the question you've selected to write about is clear in the essay itself.

How will the essays be judged? I've already mentioned one standard: correct expression. Other standards are: graceful expression, clarity of thought, material well organized, the essay takes a position and supports it with well reasoned arguments, balance, economy of expression, and evidence of care in the overall preparation of the piece.

Reagan has been a controversial president, to be sure. Essays critical of Reagan have just as much chance of winning as essays that are favorable toward him. Arguments about him need to be balanced, but the position you take does not affect how your essay is judged. Say what you think, and develop your arguments with care. The quality of your argument is what counts.

That's enough for now. Can you think of anything you have left out? Of course! Submission details! Submit your essay by e-mail. A Word document is fine, but I know there are a lot of word processors and text editors out there. Use the software you are most comfortable with. If you submit a document that I can't read, I come back to you with a request for something that I can read. Do pick a format that allows you to set off the title of the essay, and that let's you make the separation between paragraphs clear. Remember, readability is important! That's the main reason you don't want to have any mistakes. Errors are distracting, and make the essay much less readable.

If you have any questions about the essay, or about the contest rules, please send them to me via e-mail. I can easily elaborate or clarify the points I've raised above.

And I forgot to mention: I'll post prize-winning essays at the TLJ website for visitors to read. You have the opportunity to become a published author in addition to winning some cash!