REVISION

Historians like to hiss the word "revisionism". As I grow old, I understand. One of the subtle tortures of aging is having to listen to phony obituaries of the famous and infamous. Nothing brought this home like the current eulogizing of Nancy Reagan who died a few days ago at 94. 

Ronald Reagan's wife was the epitome of nouveau riche classlessness. Haughty, vain and vacuous, her hallmark contribution to American society was "Just Say No.", her failed way of addressing addiction in the U.S. by spending millions on useless advertising which simply showcased herself. A most telling anecdote was her oblivious reply when she was told one of her veteran make-up staff, a gay man, had died some time before of AIDS. She had not even noticed his absence and responded minimally at the news of his death. I will not be lowering any flags to half mast.