The Reagan Years: The Sweet and the Sour

The 80's in America were both celebrated and tumultuous to say the least. Star wars advancements meant many aerospace jobs across America, especially in California resulting in the growth of the middle class and a bustling economy. Simultaneously drug wars in American inner cities caused communities to implode, leaving scores of carnage and the shattering of families for generations.

When Reagan took office in 1981 I was a "wet behind the ears" aged 24, enjoying a nice aerospace position and for the most part a pleasant lifestyle. Thanks to the sweat and bloodshed of my ancestors and people like them, I felt relatively safe, acquired a nice savings, lived where I wanted to, drove what I desired, eat at places my parents only imagined. But as a young black man, I witnessed the near destruction of my people due to the ugly affects of cocaine.

America was proud again. Under President Reagan influential American policy throughout the world ultimately led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Communism as we knew it then. Suburban villages flourished while the inner cities crumbled. There was new wealth and prosperity on Wall Street, but death and incarceration on King Boulevard.

Today, many Americans feel that the senseless wars in the middle east have brought us close to collapse. Most Americans, including me feel the cold affects of a troubled economy. But when I think of the Reagan years, how sweet the sound but the bitter taste is still there.