"In what he called the 'great tradition of warnings
in presidential farewells,' Reagan reproached the
movies, television and young parents for failing
to indoctrinate American youth in 200-proof
patriotism, the way they did in his day. 'If we
forget what we did,' said the man who still can't
remember trading arms for hostages, 'we won't know
who we are.' The section ended with this weird
passage: 'And children, if your parents haven't
been teaching you what it means to be an American,
let 'em know and nail 'em on it. That would be a
very American thing to do.'"
-- Hendrik Hertzberg
