Okay - I get that Ronald Reagan was an important man for Americans (and Russians) I get that he led a very full life. He was in his 60's when he was President (oldest one) he was a movie star, he wrote nice love letters, and he died on Sunday age 93.
I can even understand why they're giving him a State funeral today and a National funeral on Friday (kidna) -- And I get why NBC in America is doing coverage of the whole thing commenting like it's a football game.
What I don't get is what it's got to do with us down under?
Ronald Reagan was President from 1981-1989 and I was born in 1983 - so I was 6 when Bush came to power and 10 when Clinton came into office. -- But at age zygote, 6 and 10 -- the only thing American I worried about was Sesame Street, Full House and later - the SImpsons.
The only recollection I have of the Gulf War was I was at my Grandma's house and I couldn't watch Sesame Street because of the War coverage.
Okay so that's me -- I'm only 21 - I don't have any connection to Reagan so I don't get why his funeral is being televised on my tv in Australia.
Our current PM has only been PM since 2001 - so HE never had any "dealings" with Reagan.
As far as I know there wasn't alot happening in Australia in the early 80's (expo 88 and commonwealth games excepted)
I'm not even sure Reagan's ever been to Australia.
So I just find it weird that Channel 7 has dedicated their morning slot to NBC's coverage of Reagan's funeral.
Then again I found it weird that Channel 9 dedicated their morning to coverage of David Hookes' funeral earlier this year.
As far as I know they've never done it to anyone else. Sir Donald Bradman didn't have a televised State Funeral when he died in 2001.
Victor Chang's funeral was not televised, neither was Shirly Strickland or Christina Cook (Australia's oldest woman died age 114) or even Alec Campbell (our last surviving ANZAC) Those people and more were honoured with State Funerals but they weren't televised
To my knowledge the only people who've had televised funerals in Australia while I've been alive were Princess Diana (all 4 Channels had round the clock coverage of that), David Hookes (channel 9) and today's Ronald Reagan (channel 7).
The Queen mother didn't have a televised funeral when she died. (last year?) Neither did her daughter Princess Margaret.
We didn't televise the funerals of the victims of Port Arthur, any of the backpacker murders or Jayden Leskie or even Threadbo.
So I ask you -If so many Australian's who passed on have done such great things to deserve a State or National Funeral but the hour or more that their funeral takes is not televised apart from maybe a 3minute segment on the news - What is so Important about David Hookes (my only guess is the way he died and the fact he was a donor) and more to the point -- What's so important (to Australian's) about Ronald Reagan.