REMEMBERING RONALD REAGAN

 

 

 

David M. Bresnahan
February 7, 2007
NewsWithViews.com

Today is the 96th birthday of President Ronald Reagan.

There will be much said about him today, and there is nothing that I could add to the many tributes to this great man. Instead, I would like to recall some of his own words as I think back on his many accomplishments, and his great wisdom.

"Evil still stalks the planet," said Reagan on Dec. 4, 1992 when he addressed the Oxford Union Society in England. "Its ideology may be nothing more than blood lust; no program more complex than economic plunder or military aggrandizement. But it is evil all the same. And wherever there are forces that would destroy the human spirit and diminish human potential, they must be recognized and they must be countered."

Reagan was regarded as the "Great Communicator." His success came from his ability to address issues in a simple, easy to understand approach that was based on commonsense and logic. For example, in addressing ecology and environmental concerns in remarks to the California Labor Federation on Mar. 7, 1973 he stated: "Fleas are part of the ecological cycle, but I doubt if a dog thinks he is doing something to destroy ecology by wearing a flea collar."

A month later he continued his commonsense approach to the environment when he spoke to the Association of California Water Agencies in Sacramento on April 27, 1973. He said, "We can set a commonsense course between those who would cover the whole country with concrete in the name of progress, and those who think you should not build a house unless it looks like a bird's nest or a rabbit hole."

Commonsense and logic were a part of Reagan in all that he said and did. This was very evident when he addressed the Alfred M. Landon Lecture Series on Public Issues on Sep. 9, 1982 regarding the subject of abortion.

"Simple morality dictates that unless and until someone can prove the unborn human is not alive, we must give it the benefit of the doubt and assume it is. And, thus, it should be entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

He was a firm believer in the importance of the traditional family in society. He said, "Families stand at the center of society," on July 19, 1982 when he spoke to a rally at the U.S. Capitol in support of a balanced budget amendment. On Sep. 22, 1988 when speaking to a rally in Waco, Texas he said "When the liberals say 'family' they mean, 'Big Brother in Washington.' When we say 'family,' we mean, "honor thy father and mother."

He made it clear that he was in favor of less government, and unlike other politicians, he was not concerned what the powerful, influential public employee unions thought of his desire to reduce the size of government bureaucracies.

"Every once in a while, somebody has to get the bureaucracy by the neck and shake it loose and say 'stop doing what you're doing.'" Reagan said in remarks to students at Moscow State Univ. Moscow, May 31, 1988

In his second inaugural address as Governor of California on Jan. 4, 1971 he said, "When those who are governed do too little, those who govern can - and often will - do too much."

He summed up his views on big government when he said: "The best view of big government is in the rear view mirror as you're driving away from it," in his remarks to a meeting of the Chief Executive Officers of National Organizations on Mar. 24, 1982.

In a radio address to the nation on Jan. 26, 1985 he said: "We in government should learn to look at our country through the eyes of the entrepreneur, seeing possibilities where others see only problems."

Reagan was the eternal optimist. He was confident in the ability of Americans to take on any challenge or crisis. In a television program "Meet the Students" on Jan. 7, 1974 he stated: "No crisis is beyond the capacity of our people to solve; no challenge too great."

In a nationally televised address July 6, 1976 he said, "I'm convinced that today the majority of Americans want what those first Americans wanted: A better life for themselves and their children; a minimum of government authority. Very simply, they want to be left alone in peace and safety to take care of the family by earning an honest dollar and putting away some savings. This may not sound too exciting, but there is something magnificent about it. On the farm, on the street corner, in the factory and in the kitchen, millions of us ask nothing more, but certainly nothing less than to live our own lives according to our values - at peace with ourselves, our neighbors and the world."

On Oct. 27, 1964 Reagan delivered a nationally televised appeal on behalf of presidential candidate Barry Goldwater. In his speech "A Time for Choosing," Reagan spoke of our destiny.

"You and I have a rendevous with destiny. We can preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we can sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children's children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done."

He was confident in our ability to solve our own problems.

"I've always believed that a lot of the troubles in the world would disappear if we were talking to each other instead of about each other," said Reagan in his remarks at the Ford Motor Company's Claycomo assembly plant on April 11, 1984.

In his first inaugural address on Jan. 20, 1981 he stated: "I do not believe in a fate that will fall on us no matter what we do. I do believe in a fate that will fall on us if we do nothing."

Reagan had a strong faith in God, and he was never afraid to speak up in defense of religious rights and freedoms. In a radio address to the nation on Sep. 18, 1982 he said, "The Constitution was never meant to prevent people from praying; its declared purpose was to protect their freedom to pray."

Two months latter he said, "I believe with all my heart that standing up for America means standing up for the God who has so blessed our land. We need God's help to guide our nation through stormy seas. But we can't expect Him to protect America in a crisis if we just leave Him over on the shelf in our day-to-day living." Given in an address to the U.S. Savings Associations in New Orleans on Nov. 16, 1982.

"When our Founding Fathers passed the First Amendment, they sought to protect churches from government interference. They never intended to construct a wall of hostility between government and the concept of religious belief itself," he said in a address to the National Association of Evangelicals, in Orlando, Florida on March 8, 1983.

His advice in the commencement address on May 9, 1992 at Eureka College, Eureka, Illinois is still valid for us today. He said, "Live each day to the fullest. Live each day with enthusiasm, optimism and hope. If you do, I am convinced that your contribution to this wonderful experiment we call America will be profound."

© 2007 David M. Bresnahan - All Rights Reserved