Ronald Reagan

* After reading Doug Gamble’s glowing and reverential description of Ronald Reagan’s presidency (“Reagan the Patriot, Meet Clinton and His Legacy,” Commentary, Dec. 10), I am more proud than ever to be an American. A liberal, free-thinking American. Those of us who weren’t sealed in the imperialistic vacuum of the Reagan presidency remember history quite differently from those who pine for the good old days of welfare cuts and tax breaks for the rich.

While Gamble decries Clinton’s self-aggrandizing, he is dubiously ignorant of Reagan’s own self-praise. Reagan left office, according to Gamble, bemoaning the country’s teachers for not teaching their students the freedom that is America. He had eight years to improve the educational system. What happened? Maybe keeping teachers’ salaries just above the poverty level taught them the harsh realities of his freedom.

If Reagan was the great patriot, as Gamble claims, where was he during World War II when all the true patriots were building planes, surviving food rationing and fighting and dying for their freedom?

Forget Mt. Rushmore, only canonization will satisfy Reaganites like Gamble.

BOB McCALL

Los Angeles

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* Reagan presided over the savings and loan scandal, which cost us all billions of dollars. He went on a spending spree and racked up the greatest peacetime debt in history. He also couldn’t make a coherent extemporaneous comment. I never could figure why they called him the Great Communicator.

RONALD W. FEGLEY

Whittier

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* Reagan loved this country--Bill Clinton couldn’t wait to change it.

Reagan saluted the military because he wanted to--Clinton saluted because he had to.

Reagan thought our people were great--Clinton wanted to change them and take care of them.

Reagan thought the Oval Office belonged to the people--Clinton made it his private possession.

Reagan loved and respected Nancy--Clinton loves women but doesn’t respect them.

Reagan inspired the people--Clinton made us believe that we aren’t all that much.

And on and on.

ROBERT H. WILLIAMS

Monterey Park