Pubdate: Mon, 07 Mar 2016
Source: Washington Times (DC)
Copyright: 2016 The Washington Times, LLC.
Contact:  http://www.washingtontimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/492
Author: Valerie Richardson

ANTI-DRUG CRUSADE CAME TO DEFINE NANCY'S ROLE AS FIRST LADY

First lady Nancy Reagan was better known for her shrewd political 
instincts than her policy chops, except when it came to her fight 
against drug abuse.

Her "Just Say No" campaign, which she continued to promote after 
leaving the White House in 1989, raised awareness about the dangers 
of drug use for children and teens, prompting the creation of 
thousands of clubs in schools nationwide.

Mrs. Reagan said the idea for "Just Say No," a phrase that has since 
entered popular iconography, came from a talk she gave at an 
elementary school in Oakland, California.

"A little girl raised her hand," she recalled, "and said, 'Mrs. 
Reagan, what do you do if somebody offers you drugs?' And I said, 
'Well, you just say no.' And there it was born. I think people 
thought we had an advertising agency over who dreamed that up - not true."

As part of her anti-drug push, Mrs. Reagan met with Pope John Paul II 
in 1987 and made appearances on popular television shows "Diff 'rent 
Strokes" and "Punky Brewster."

She spearheaded two international "Just Say No" policy conferences, 
one of which was held at the United Nations.

The "Just Say No" campaign ultimately became a target for opponents 
of the Reagan administration's War on Drugs, but also came as 
evidence of the changing role of the first lady. Most presidents' 
wives had been involved in home-based projects such as beautifying or 
refurbishing the White House.

Betty Ford changed that by advocating on behalf of the failed Equal 
Rights Amendment, and Rosalynn Carter followed up by focusing on 
mental health. Despite being criticized on the left as a throwback to 
the pre-feminism times, Mrs. Reagan continued the trajectory with her 
anti-drug crusade as well as her involvement in her husband's 
personnel and political decisions.

Besides "Just Say No," Mrs. Reagan also launched a policy initiative 
to promote foster grandparents, result in about 19,000 such 
grandparents participating in the lives of 65,000 children in all 50 
states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, 
according to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Library.

Reagan biographer Craig Shirley recalled her anti-drug work as well 
as her commitment to welcoming returning prisoners of wars from 
Vietnam, as well as "bringing grace and dignity back to the White House."

Former Secretary of State James Baker, who also served as Mr. 
Reagan's chief of staff, praised Mrs. Reagan for her "extraordinarily 
fine, sensitive communications antenna."

"She did not insert herself into every policy decision in the White 
House, but on the big ticket items, we on the staff always knew if 
you had Nancy Reagan on your side, you had a hell of a lot better 
chance of seeing what you wanted to see accomplished," Mr. Baker said 
Sunday on Fox News.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom