Did I hear right that Reagan requested all of this?

[eeyore]

I heard, I think on NPR, that Reagan's last wishes included lying in state so that all of the common people (commoners) would have a chance to say goodbye. Anyone have a link about his last wishes?

If this is indeed what he requested, wouldn't you say it's a little less than humble? Maybe he thought he was Jesus too.

Hell, when I go, throw a little BBQ and raise a glass in my honor. What do you all want when you go?

Here's looking up your old address...
eeyore

[htuttle]

1. I heard that he planned his state funeral in 1982

Apparently, one of the big decisions that need to be made by a president is whether or not to have an official state funeral when they die. Reagan opted for one back in '82, and went as far as choosing many of the speakers for the eulogies, etc... I believe that he wanted Billy Graham to preside over the funeral, but Graham is too ill to do it now.

I think I heard this on CBS or one of the other broadcast networks this weekend.

[lancdem]

3. That would explain the list of speakers

[Bluzmann57]

2. Buy a damn keg

eat red meat and play "Funeral for a Friend" by Elton John. After that cremate me and please don't roll me up and smoke me. Unless you have some dynamite stuff to go with it. :party: :bounce:

[Nite Owl]

4. Commoners?

Was he a King? Think not.
I don't want anything. No funeral and most of all no big flower things. Give that money to someone who needs it. I just want my family and frends to know I loved them and part of me will always be with them.

[eeyore]

7. That's part of what set me off!

I swear the report mentioned common people having the chance to say goodbye. I wonder what kind of crown they have him wearing....

[sui generis]

5. a friend of mine wanted a viking funeral

We bought a giant Barbie yacht, a Ken Doll, some ho hos and twinkies and a fresh pair of underwear (they liked to send them off with goodies for the next life), and a bunch of log starters. Set it on fire at sunset and floated it out on a nearby lake.

1. Don't do this on a day when the wind is blowing toward shore.
2. Barbie Yachts and Ken dolls are pretty damn fire retardant no matter how many times you light them up and send them into the sunset, but underwear and twinkies go up like THAT!

[UTUSN]

6. Yes, That His and Nancy's Instructions Amount to 130 Pages n/t

[seabeyond]

8. these people forget they are merely employees of ours

so many silly people like hero worship these people, i see them as me hiring them to do a job. commoner my ass, i can fire his butt. bush being on top of the list of firings

[eeyore]

9. Absolutely!

And what really pisses me off is that he when asked what type of service he would like, he went for extravagant hero worship at the cost of the taxpayers. Gee, sounds a lot like his presidency.

Hope you like all of the proceedings we payed for!

-eeyore

[calimary]

10. It's amazing how that thought is COMPLETELY dismissed from their minds.

But that's the truth. These people are PUBLIC SERVANTS. WE vote them in. WE hire them, and WE fire them. WE pay their salaries and benefits. THEY serve at OUR pleasure (well, except for the bushies, who cheated their way in). THEY work for US. It's NOT the other way around.

But even so, Reagan had to have his king's send-off - that costs a king's ransom? Fine. He can head out without me, thank you very much. If it's a comfort to his widow, okay I guess. I knew when my kid went with his class on a field trip to the Reagan Library last year that they were already rewriting history up there. It's sad. The other mothers there thought I was some hard-hearted cynic because from time to time I'd mumble some rebuttal to whatever the tour guide was saying, and I refused to ooh and ahh.

For me, I've always thought a pie fight might be good. I'd like to leave 'em laughing, because this mournful, funereal business is so morose. Even so, something small and not maudlin. I just went to a friend's service last Friday. It dragged on for three hours. And while I was impressed how her memory filled the whole church, and people just went on and on with testimonials about her, people were still looking at their watches as they sat there. Not sure that I'd be able to attract such a devoted crowd myself. So I'd like it short and simple. But with good music. Like some Beatles, "Rockin' Round the World" by Country Joe and the Fish, "Louie, Louie" by the Kingsmen, "El Watusi" by Ray Barretto, some Allman Brothers and Traveling Wilburys and Led Zep, and other stuff like that. I had the funeral parlor play big band stuff and Ella Fitzgerald and Sinatra when my dad died, because it was his music, and people came up to me afterwards to tell me how much they enjoyed and appreciated it.

[Gin]

11. from one commoner to king ron..........good riddance.

g

[Unperson 309]

12. My Grandmother specified "NO FUNERAL!"

She hated them, didn't want one, and by Gum I honored her request to the letter. The family wasn't pleased, but as her only surviving offspring, it was in *my* hands.

I informed the family by telephone, informed all of her request and said there'd be NO service of any kind. They were invited to send donations to the American Cancer Society in her name.

I was as popular as a skunk at a picnic, but I will forever be proud that I carried out her wishes exactly.

My *own* last wishes? Par-TAYYYYYY! I insist that everyone gather together and laugh, drink, dance, have a jolly old GREAT time! Tell nasty jokes about me, comment on how fat/ugly/old/whatever I was, ENJOY LIFE, ya turkeys!! Hell, if the party gets raucus enough, I *just* might get up and JOIN ya!

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