WHEREAS, Ronald Reagan served as the beloved 40th President of the United States, from 1981 to 1989; and
     WHEREAS, We are this year celebrating the 100th anniversary of his birth on February 6th; and
     WHEREAS, Ronald Reagan lived and modeled the American dream, rising from high school and college football player, to sports announcer, to movie star, to California Governor, to President of the United States; and
     WHEREAS, In his first inaugural address, moving from Governor to President, he noted that "all of us need to be reminded that the federal government did not create the states; the states created the federal government"; and
     WHEREAS, Two months into his Presidency, he showed distinctive courage and humor after he was shot by a would-be assassin, telling his surgeons "please tell me you're all Republicans"; and
     WHEREAS, His philosophy emphasized lower taxes, smaller government, strong national defense, and a profound love of God and country; and
     WHEREAS, Ronald Reagan was so effective in expressing his ideas, that he became known as "the great communicator"; and
     WHEREAS, He impressed us with his self-deprecating humor, as when he said "I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of national emergency, even if I'm in a cabinet meeting"; and
     WHEREAS, He counseled that "You and I as individuals can, by borrowing, live beyond our means, but for only a limited period of time"; and
     WHEREAS, President Reagan encouraged the free spirit of people everywhere, when during a 1987 speech in Berlin he said "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall"; and
     WHEREAS, He skillfully relied on the economic power of the United States to hasten the end of the military cold war; and
     WHEREAS, We observed his love for simplicity and natural beauty when he said of his Santa Barbara ranch, "no place before or since has ever given Nancy and me the joy and serenity it does"; and
     WHEREAS, Ronald Reagan always believed that the best years of the United States were still ahead;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate honors Ronald Reagan for his exemplary service; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate honors the legacy of Ronald Reagan, by affirming that the best years of our free citizens of Washington State and the United States are still ahead.