Page 1 of 2

The Reagan Assassination Attempt

PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2011 8:53 pm
by Kurt
I read a bit about it because it is featured in wikipedia today. The part I found interesting was how Jerry Parr, the Secret Service Agent most likely responsible for saving Reagan's life, was influence to become an agent after seeing Ronald Reagan's movie "Code Of The Secret Service" multiple times as a child.

So I read further, following links here and there. Inevitably I stumbled upon the Hinkley Junior story. Hinkley was inspired to shoot Reagan in an attempt to mimick Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver...which he also saw multiple times...and to impress Jodie Foster and become her equal in society because he would become famous like she was. So during this event we have two people influenced to eventual action by movies they saw when most impressionable. That alone is strange but it gets stranger.

What is not well known is that Taxi Driver was inspired by Arthur Bremer's diary (Published as The Assassins Diary) and the writer Paul Schrader used that book to craft the character of Travis Bickle. So we have an attempted assassin inspiring a movie character which inspired another attempted assassin.

And the person who foiled one assassination was inspired by another movie made specifically under government pressure for Hollywood to make up for its glamourization of criminals by portraying G-Men in a positive light, and that movie was made by the actor whose life was saved as president.

Re: The Reagan Assassination Attempt

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2011 10:40 pm
by Caliban
I was similarly inspired in my career choice by Z cars, Whinnie the pooh's big adventure and Apocalypse now.

Re: The Reagan Assassination Attempt

PostPosted: Wed May 04, 2011 3:20 am
by Kurt
Caliban wrote:I was similarly inspired in my career choice by Z cars, Whinnie the pooh's big adventure and Apocalypse now.


I got a degree in Anthropology / Archaeology (combined at my school because it was a BA and not a BS) because of Indiana Jones. I was an archaeologist for a bit too in 1991. I guess the factor we were missing with inspiration was "crazy" and "desire to kill".

Oh yah, Parr had a bit of the crazy, he believed he was called by god to protect Reagan. That was why he liked his crappy movie so much as a kid. He is a fundy preacher now.

Re: The Reagan Assassination Attempt

PostPosted: Sat May 07, 2011 3:26 pm
by Sri Lanky
I delved into Geology for a bit...the most ancient kind of history. Thankfully at the time there were few jobs in that field (early 80's)....otherwise I wouldn't have had such a tumultuous and insane life.

Reagan was a dinosaur. I studied him in paleontology.

Re: The Reagan Assassination Attempt

PostPosted: Fri May 20, 2011 4:37 pm
by Sri Lanky
I have a hard time remembering the reaction to the assassination attempt...I think it was mostly silence and disbelief....which is why I have trouble remembering. Was in Wisconsin at the time....fucking around in Milwaukee in a haze of booze and weed along with others who probably didn't give much of a shit. Ah,that's why I don't remember.

Re: The Reagan Assassination Attempt

PostPosted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 12:53 pm
by flipflop
Reagan took the .22 slug in his side under his arm, apparently when his bodyguards gave him the once over en route to hospital and found the entry wound (the bullet itself had lodged near his heart) he played it pretty cool and didn't want a fuss. When they got to the hospital entrance Reagan refused a trolley and wanted to walk into the ER, just like an old cowboy.

Cheers

Re: The Reagan Assassination Attempt

PostPosted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 12:50 am
by kilroy
nah, the alzheimers made him forget he was shot. by the time he got into the hospital he probably didn't even remember where he was.

Re: The Reagan Assassination Attempt

PostPosted: Tue May 22, 2012 9:29 am
by swordpoint9
Reagan was indeed a great leader during that era ! A real Old west type of Old School Man . That knew how to defeat an enemy . Unlike the current Dear Leader who enjoys subverting the US from the inside ....

Re: The Reagan Assassination Attempt

PostPosted: Tue May 22, 2012 9:35 am
by Mikethehack
kilroy wrote:nah, the alzheimers made him forget he was shot. by the time he got into the hospital he probably didn't even remember where he was.


Best theory so far.

Re: The Reagan Assassination Attempt

PostPosted: Tue May 22, 2012 10:56 am
by Ultra Swain
swordpoint9 wrote:Reagan was indeed a great leader during that era ! A real Old west type of Old School Man . That knew how to defeat an enemy . Unlike the current Dear Leader who enjoys subverting the US from the inside ....


He was also a HUAC snitch.

Re: The Reagan Assassination Attempt

PostPosted: Tue May 22, 2012 11:03 am
by swordpoint9
Which time has proven Him correct !

Re: The Reagan Assassination Attempt

PostPosted: Tue May 22, 2012 11:20 am
by Ultra Swain
swordpoint9 wrote:Which time has proven Him correct !


That is debatable, but the time honored standard still applies. Snitches end up in stitches.

Re: The Reagan Assassination Attempt

PostPosted: Tue May 22, 2012 11:24 am
by swordpoint9
No debate to it but Have a great Day .. Be safe

Re: The Reagan Assassination Attempt

PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2012 3:22 pm
by WillyBlues
I always thought Brady got the worst of the deal. It was really the first assassination attempt caught in "real time" aka on TV, though I'm not sure if Fromm's attempt on Ford was caught on TV or if she got off a shot.

We have a very long history of presidential assassinations, it's a wonder people are continually shocked.

Re: The Reagan Assassination Attempt

PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2012 9:45 pm
by Sri Lanky
The President of the United States of 'Merica is clearly NOT the most powerful person in the world.