Ron Reagan: My Dad Showed Me What the Real Nazis Did

Can even someone as revered as their icon, President Ronald Reagan, possibly teach the boorish Boss Limbaugh and other right-wing extremists now poisoning the TV and radio airwaves to choose their words more carefully?

Or are even Ronald Reagan teaching moments wasted on the ideologues now recklessly and self-servingly invoking the name of Adolf Hitler?

The late president's son, Ron Reagan, is among those disgusted and appalled with Limbaugh and other poisonous talk-show ideologues referring to President Obama as a "modern-day Hitler."

Late last week at the open of his Air America radio show, Reagan revealed a personal family story about his late father to make a point about what the real Nazis actually did. (You know, Rush, the ones in 1940's Germany).

"When I was 12," Reagan recalled, "My father said he had something to show me. He said, "I think you're old enough to see the worst that humans can do to one another.'"

Reagan said his Dad reached into a closet, found a dusty old film canister, and put the celluloid contents on the family film projector.

"It was raw, unedited newsreel film of the liberation of Auschwitz," Reagan Jr. said, recalling his shock and horror as a boy seeing for the first time the stacked-up bodies and the walking dead.

"This was not some empty political rhetoric delivered with an eye toward ratings share and ad revenue," Regan said with ill-disguised contempt.

Reagan then added about this about his disreputable fellow talk-show hosts:

These well-fed media jesters can't imagine the suffering they are mocking, and it is shameful. And these are the people," Reagan sighed, "who these town-hall protestors look to for inspiration?

"They're not just being ugly and stupid with their thoughtless rants," the late president's son said angrily. "They are deeply, irredeemably offensive."

"This mindless evocation of Nazis being tied to Obama is disgusting."

The first 10 minutes or so or Reagan's Air America show is often as entertaining and topical as anything in radio. Usually, the talented younger Reagan's tone is sarcastic, mocking, and deliciously snarky when he goes after Limbaugh and "his acolytes, the town-hall ignoramuses."

But this day, when recalling that sobering boyhood episode with his Dad, Reagan's tone was clearly one of disgust.

This day, the president's son sounded even angrier at the poisonous Limbaugh and Glenn Beck crowd than most of us usually are.

My own father, a career Army officer, helped liberate those death camps. Unlike Reagan's father, my Dad could never bring himself to share any of that horrifying experience with our family.

You can hear the seven-minute Ron/Ronald Reagan Auschwitz segment here.

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Comments

[floridafun]

thank you mr reagan for this honest reminder.

[Ameriki]

The Rush Limbaughs and Glenn Becks are auditioning and competing for the Minister of Information post in the new government they are promoting.

[Durango]

While i appreciate the sentiment there are a number of problems here.

It is very unlikely RR had film of the liberation of Aushwitz. That was done by the Russians. After the Germans had cleaned up the place and evacuated the prisoners.

Dachau or Buchenwald more likely.

Secondly: While my Dad was sitting in a freezing foxhole being shelled by the only railroad gun in Italy RR sat out the war in complete comfort in Hollywood. Along with Marion Mitchell.

Granted when he was President he THOUGHT he fought in WW II. But that was only in his head.

[HockeyMom]

Where are the limits set by the FTC? Why is OUR government allowing OUR air waves to be used in this hateful manner? To illicit Nazi Germany is completely over the edge.

People running around hating is a dangerous thing and can ignite and burn like a brush fire. Hate causes so much pain and can turn on the ilks of hannity, beck, and rush in a split second too. Hate knows no boundary.

They better be careful playing with fire, and we better be working on confining their influence. Influence they attain by using OUR air waves.

[AlexNYC]

I was listening to Ron Reagan's radio show when he brought this up and I appreciated his recollection of how his father showed him what Nazis really are. These inflamatory right-wing hacks like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck are offensive propagandists.

[LeAnn Cammack]

Thank you, Mr. Reagan. I only wish more people would take your example and speak up against this disgusting "Nazi" hyperbole.

[ColoradoArtLover]

Thank You Ron Reagan! The decent people left in this country really really really need to speak up!!
Again, thank you!!

[bg66astoria]

I grew up with a grandfather who was medically retired from the Army in the 50s when Saturday TV was dominated by Victory At Sea, The Big Picture (US Army) & the Silent Service (USN Submarine Service).

We have more than enough cable & TV channels now - I wish someone could re-run these shows for the newer generations.

There were more than enough camps for The Allies to liberate on all sides, Central & Eastern Europe - Siam, Indochina, etc.

It's time to go back to Documentary TV instead of "Reaity TV."

[JazzSax UT]

Bravo Ron, now let's her Michael Reagan agree with you.

[PansyRose]

I am appalled by the ignorance of the American people these days. Could Ron please explain the terms socialist, fascists, communist to the listeners of his program. Doubt it would help those protestors at town hall meetings or those who idolize Rush and Glenn etc. Also, what socialist programs are these people against? Schools, libraries, post office, fire fighters, law enforcement and a good road system, hospitals etc. The no tax folks never mention all the waste of the military industrial complex and I wonder why. Hope these questions could be discussed on Ron's show and other talk shows.

[onwisconsin]

I didn't care much for Ronald Reagan as a president but this says something about him as a man.

My dad made sure we were educated about the Holocaust too. He's just as disgusted as I am with people throwing around the term "Nazi".

Limbaugh and his ilk are pushing free speech to its limits. When their speech becomes actionable, do we then get to get them to stop?

[RobertHenryEller]

The most horrible thing about Limbaugh and Beck is that people fought and died defeating Hitler and the Nazis, so that Limbaugh and Beck could grow up and get rich in American because they are free to spout their poison.

They do not realize, or more likely, do not care, that they are spitting on these people's graves. One of those graves is my father's.

But I know.

[Toxess]

Kudos to Ron Reagan for speaking out against those who use the term "Nazi" frivolously.

[LMPE]

Even Bill Maher has said that the GOP of today is not the party of Reagan.

Reagan engaged in really extreme policies. The right wing today has multiplied his policies.

[jalowe1957]

Ron Reagan fils had the guts to point out that his father would not have approved of what the likes of Limbaugh are doing -- tarring Obama with the brush of Nazism while being oblivious to the pain and sufferings those unfortunate to be under Hitler's oppressive thumb.

Perhaps they should send Limbaugh, Beck and the like on a trip to Auschwitz and have them tour the concentration camp -- not only to make them understand what actually went down back then, but also to help them understand how cruel and callous their words and connotations truly are.

[BrettnCalgary]

Heck, they would think it was a treat, a reward, if they got to tour a death camp, not a punishment.