Monday, December 10, 2018

Bohemian Grove and Ronald Reagan by Gavon Cromika



Ronald Reagan, one of the most distinguished Presidents of the United States, is a part of the organization known as Bohemian Grove. It is an elite society for rich and powerful men. Reagan was pictured with others meeting in Bohemian Grove; he was the president at one point in time, and he was a distinguished member of society (Flock 1). This evidence backs up the statement because only the rich and powerful are invited into the Bohemian Grove. There are many conspiracies about the Bohemian Grove, but let's explore the one that includes Ronald Reagan and how they decide the presidents ahead of time. He won both of his campaigns by winning at least forty-four states electoral votes (1). He had a rough childhood his family was poor, and they moved around several times. Ronald was the second son born on February 6th, 1911 (1). He lived in Tampico, Ilinois, however, the family moved to Dixon, Illinois when he turned nine. Reagan was a life guard from 1926 to 1933, where he saved seventy-seven people (1). World Biography describes his early career saying,

“Reagan eventually found a job in Davenport, Iowa, as a sports announcer for a radio station. His skill soon earned him a position at WHO in Des Moines, Iowa. At the station one of his chief duties was to reconstruct Chicago Cubs baseball game broadcasts from reports sent by telegraph (a communication device that uses coded signals to send messages). In 1937 Reagan persuaded WHO to send him to cover the Cubs' spring training games in California. However, his real motive was to try to launch an acting career in Hollywood, and he was soon appearing in the movies” (World Biography).

In Reagan’s acting career he received okay reviews, but he did not receive good roles. However, in 1940 he ended up landing a major role, which ended up making him famous, in Knute Rockne-All American as George Gipp (Flock 1). In 1938 he became engaged with his costar Jane Wyman, whom he married two years later (1). They had a daughter in 1941 and adopted a son in 1945 (1). However, the marriage was short lived seeing as Reagan and Wyman divorced in 1948, making Ronald the first president to have been divorced (1).

Ronald Reagan was one of our nation’s most tenacious leaders. Throughout his life people described him as many things (Flock 1). American Historama says:

The character traits of President Ronald Reagan can be described as outgoing, friendly, confident, charming, cheerful and superstitious. It has been speculated that the Myers-Briggs personality type for Ronald Reagan is an ESFP (Extraversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judgment) with the temperament of an idealist. An outgoing, fun, unconventional and attentive character who excels in interpersonal interactions. Ronald Reagan Personality type: Resourceful, enthusiastic, optimistic, gregarious and persuasive. ("Ronald Reagan")

However, this essay will only go over Reagan’s charm. He won over the people of our fine country just because of his charm and his friendliness towards those whom he barely knew.
Ronald Reagan used his charm to win his elections. His acting career had help him to understand what influenced the people best and what they wanted most. The people at that time wanted tax cuts. According to Britannica Reagan was, “promising steep tax cuts, increased defense spending, a balanced budget, and a constitutional amendment to ban abortion” ("Ronald Reagan"). He went on to lower the top marginal tax rate from seventy percent all the way down to fifty percent. He made promises before his election and he kept those promises. This caused many to want him to be re-elected. This caused him to be more trustworthy showing that he can keep a promise. This just added to his charm. His trustworthiness work with his charm to make him somebody people wanted to stay around.
One conspiracy about the Bohemian Grove is that the members meet up once a year for seventeen days in July (Hanson). Hanson wrote a book called Bohemian Grove: Cult of Conspiracy. In his book he talks about how it is rumored that some members include former president, astronauts, big corporate CEOs, and even some leaders of the CIA (1). Hanson talks about how it is rumored that the members worship an owl which is called the, “Great Owl of Bohemia” (1). He goes on to say that members perform a human sacrifice to their god, this ritual is called, “The Cremation of Care” (1). Things just get weirder though as Hanson says:

Stories have come out of the Grove about wild homosexual orgies, male and female prostitutes being engaged in what can only be described as extreme sexual games, young children being exploited in unspeakable ways, up to and including cold-blooded ritual murder. There are stories involving actual human sacrifice on the “altar” of the owl God statue. Understandably, it’s all very hard to believe. (1)

It is believed that aside from this that they are supposedly only male club who decides many matters some of which concerning who is the next president or who becomes senator (1). They can decide who's in charge wherever and whenever they want.

A second conspiracy theory describes the experience of a man sneaking into the Bohemian Grove. Philip Weis, a reporter, managed to get into contact with one of the most powerful Bohemians, Mary Moore, and was able to get inside of the Grove during one of their sessions. Weiss writes, “I came and went on 7 days during the 16-day encampment, openly trespassing in what is regarded as an impermeable enclave and which the press routinely refers to as a heavily guarded area” (Weiss). As Weiss talks about his experience, he states, “I was able to enjoy most pleasures of the Grove” (1). At first glance it seems his story completely contrasts the conspiracy of Hanson. However, later he writes, “Then everyone hushed as a column of hooded figures carrying torches emerged solemnly from the woods 100 yards away, bearing a corpse down to the water” (1). Weiss starts to see the dark side of this, at once, beautiful place. Like in what Hanson wrote, Weiss writes that there are owl statues all around this encampment. An interesting part of the story is when Weiss talks about what it feels like to be in the encampment. He writes:

The sense that you are inside an actual club is heightened by all the furnishings that could not survive a wet season outdoors: the stuffed lion on top of Jungle camp; the red lanterns in the trees behind Dragons camp at night, which add to the haunting atmosphere; the paintings of camels, pelicans and naked women that are hung outside; the soft couch in the doorway of Woof camp, and everywhere pianos that, when the encampment is over, go back to the piano warehouse near the front gate. There's a feeling of both great privilege and rusticity. Bohemians talk about roughing it, but at a privy in the woods near the river, there is a constantly renewed supply of paper toilet-seat covers. And the sand at the Russian River beach is traversed by coconut-fiber mats and rich figured squares cut from the carpets in the "City Club," the five-story brick Bohemian building in downtown San Francisco (1). 

Much like Hanson, Weiss describes that there is a ritual named the Cremation of Care. He describes it as, “intended to put the busy men of the club at ease and banish the stress of the outside world, but it arouses critics of the encampment because they interpret it to mean that Bohemians literally don't care about the outside world. Cremation of Care, they fear, means the death of caring” (Weiss).
In conclusion Ronald Reagan’s charm allowed him to secretly work with the Bohemian Grove. This is because he had shown that he could be trusted and the people were charmed by his wonderful efforts to cut taxes and make their country better than it was before he was president. Was Reagan on of the countries strongest leaders or was he one of the most deceptive?


Works Cited


Hanson, Mike. “A Book by Matt Hanson.” Bohemian Grove Exposed, http://bohemiangroveexposed.com
“Ronald Reagan.” American Historama, 20 Nov. 2018, http://www.american-historama.org/presidents-united-states/ronald-reagan.htm
“Ronal Reagan Biography.” Encyclopedia of World Biography, 21 Nov. 2018, https://www.notablebiographies.com/Pu-Ro/Reagan-Ronald.html
“Ronald Reagan.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Nov. 2018, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ronald-Reagan#ref214227
       Weiss, Philip. “Masters of the Universe Go To Camp: Inside the Bohemian Grove.” Who Rules America, 23 Oct. 2018.https://whorulesamerica.ucsc.edu/power/bohemian_grove_spy.html 

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