The Right Honorable Baroness Thatcher and I – November 1995
Been thinking abit. not sure what all the pieces are as the number of them keeps growing. but have had numerous conversations today about the legacy of Lady Thatcher (LT). Having gotten the news early today that she had died of a stroke.
It was more than 20 years ago, that i worked diligently to secure a positive response to an invitation that had been extended for her to visit our community. She left office in late 1990 and i began working on the details of what I hoped would be a 10th anniversary celebration of then President Reagan’s visit to our community. There were many reasons why LT would be the most logical appropriate guest for such an occasion.
I remember distinctly when the phone call came in late January, 1993, her scheduler said LT had gladly accepted the invitation and was looking forward to visiting our community. What transpired over the next 9 months was extraordinary and adventure-filed. More details on that later.
Over the next three years I was privileged to host and organize three other visits by LT.
But for now, I’m going to ponder a bit more her legacy and give thanks for what she risked to be and do.
An old friend, Bill Kristol, at the Weekly Standard offered this thought about her death today in the context of being the last of the three, Thatcher/ Reagan/Pope John Paul II who basically won the Cold War. Personally this end of an era suggests to me one more time the difficulty of preserving Liberty. and what is required from each of us. Kristol quotes from a letter to Wm F. Buckley from Whittaker Chambers (a soviet defector), the task of each generation is reminded:
So each age has to find its own leaders for an eternal task—the defense and renewal of civilization.
I’m reminded daily that this “renewal” is so desperately needed. My privilege to have interacted with LT only confirms the task that remains…and further encourages me in my calling.