The Reagan Legacy - Still the Best Blueprint for America

Remember the movie Field of Dreams – James Earl Jones in his rich royal voice telling Kevin Kostner “If you build it, they will come.” That’s what seemed to happen one hot summer day last year. The date was August 28, 2010. From all over America, people began a pilgrimage. Some left days before. Most awoke early on the 28th, leaving their homes in the middle of the night, boarding buses, trains, planes and cars. They converged on the nation’s capital in droves. Old, young, families, every race, creed and color, they came, drawn to the National Mall like moths to a flame, not really knowing what to expect, but hoping, praying that it would be good for them, for their families and for their country. A half a million Americans gathered and waited as the event was about to begin, stretching out from the Lincoln Memorial, along the Reflecting Pool, past the WW II Memorial, reaching back to the Washington Monument, rising tall above the Mall with the engrave plaque, reading Deo Gratias at its peak.

There was something special in the air as we waited, something good, some spiritual sense of peace, some quiet connection amongst the throng who had gathered, a sense that we were all united in a cause greater than ourselves, when in the hazy blue sky, from the Washington Monument, a perfect formation of geese flew overhead, above the Reflecting Pool, straight to the Lincoln Memorial. Was this a sign of sorts? For those of us who were there, you know exactly how we felt.

This was the Restoring Honor Rally organized by Glenn Beck. We came hoping for something, something positive for those of us who worried that our country had been hijacked, turned asunder, and plunged down a dark abyss with no bottom, by an administration that seemed hell bent on destroying over 200 years of culture, tradition, and values, that millions before us protected, nurtured, and passed on to us to safeguard. We prayed, we sang, we honored America, we remembered who we were and why we were here. When the day was done, we came away, refreshed, encouraged, and more determined than ever that our fight to restore honor to our republic was achievable.

Beck’s message was simple. If we all act as Americans, in the true sense of who and what we are, if we practice being good to ourselves, to our neighbors, and sacrifice for our country, then one by one we can change America, regardless of the politicians. But to do that, to live the life, to preserve the dream, to promote the optimism and hope for our future, we must know our past. We must understand and be comfortable with who we are as Americans, we must understand that America does have a date with destiny, that there has been Divine Providence at work in the founding, the formation and the growth of our country. And we must understand that we have lost our way. We must understand that we have to turn back to the founding principles. We must embrace individual freedom, personal responsibility, limited government and free markets. We must become what our forefathers envisioned, and if we each do that, we can reverse the slide, regain the greatness, and restore honor to America.

I begin with this story, because I left that rally feeling good about America in a way I had not experienced since Reagan was in office. I believe Beck captured the essence of Reagan’s message, namely that it is the inherent goodness of the American People that defines the nation’s character – that we, the people, can carry the dream despite the self-centered interests of politicians who would mortgage our future for their own power and personal gain. That ethereal concept of finding who we are as Americans takes on substance if we look to Ronald Reagan, who in his words, his actions and in his presidency personifies the ideals that we seek as Americans.

Here is a man who was completely at ease in his skin. He lived his ideals, he knew what was at his core, and he proudly professed what he believed in. He didn’t test the political wind, vacillate depending upon his audience du jour, or couch his words to be politically correct. He endured criticism, both from his political enemies and from the media, with a smile. He spoke directly to the American people with a message that was clear and unambiguous, and the people responded. He lifted a nation out of its malaise and set us on a path of unprecedented prosperity and pride.

Considering the current state of our nation, as I continue, I ask that you weigh each aspect of his beliefs, his vision and his legacy against the current occupant in the White House. I also ask you to examine how relevant all that Reagan professed years ago is today. As I read and researched, I found it uncanny that the words spoken by Reagan 30-40 years ago are still the best answers to the problems facing the nation today. If we had just one politician, no make that one statesman, who could eloquently speak today the words that Reagan spoke, the nation would swarm to that person, and carry him or her to the presidency in 2012.

You can tell something about a man but what he writes, not what is written for him. Ronald Reagan was a prolific writer. He wrote his scripts for his radio show, many of his speeches and countless letters to friends, public figures and the common American who expressed his concerns to the President. His letters were personal, folksy, and plainly written. He exuded eternal optimism, loved his country with all its faults, and believed in the greatness of the American people. His message encouraged self reliance, placed individual liberty as the pinnacle of our rights and humbly acknowledged the handwork of our Creator in the framework of our country.

In a letter to a Mrs. Lenore Hershey back in the 1970s Reagan explained some of his feelings about America:

“In reply to your letter of May 21, here is why I still believe in what is right about America.

Americans are, in their time of discontent, encouraged by doom and gloom criers who would have us believe our only salvation lies in becoming docile sheep for the government shepherd. I happen to believe government is not the solution to our problems – government is the problem.

It is true we have grievous troubles, but it’s also true we are better off than any other people on earth. Ninety five percent of our people have the daily minimum intake of nutrients essential to maintain health; 99 percent of our homes have gas or electric appliances in their kitchens; 96 percent have TVs, and we own 120 million automobiles and trucks. That’s on the material side.

There is a spiritual side. We are a generous people. We have shared our wealth more widely among our people than any other society heretofore known to man. We support more churches and libraries, more symphonies and operas, and more nonprofit theaters than any other country. We publish more books than all the rest of the world put together.

One third of all young people in the world who are getting a college education are getting it in the United States and we have more doctors and hospitals, in proportion to population, than any other country in the world.
Now all we need is to be reminded of our destiny – that God intended America to be free; to be the golden hope of all mankind.” (1a)

Throughout his radio broadcasts, he offered his views on life, politics, and the trials of everyday Americans. He criticized government and what was wrong with America, but always held out hope for a better future, acknowledging that we are all human and make mistakes. He believed that America was the greater good worth fighting for even when it became his time to sacrifice his career for the war.

When Reagan was thirty years old, World War II broke out. In talking about a few movie parts he was being offered he said this, “I’ve been told, here at the studio, of two very important parts that were to be mine, They are in pretty big pictures, so I guess I can say my rules work. But I won’t be doing those pictures. Uncle Sam has called me, a Reserve Officer in the Calvery, and I’m going off to war, still true to my precepts: (a) to love what you are doing with all your heart and soul, and (b) to believe what you are doing is important.

I love the Calvery….(A)nd along with a few million other guys, I feel pretty strong about my country. As for believing what you are doing is important – well, if fighting to preserve the United States and her Allies isn’t important, you name it.

And who knows – maybe when I get back again, “when the world is free” there will be other parts waiting for me and for my buddies.” (3a)

We’ve all heard the stories, the quotes, those moments that will live forever. I don’t know about you, but it seems that whenever I hear the words “Ronald Reagan” I feel a smile coming on, I feel good, I feel proud to be an American. There was something real, something very human, something very approachable about our president. When he was shot, the nation held its breath, but even out of that terribly frightening time in our history, he managed to keep his humor, his smile and his magic.

Peggy Noonan relates a number of anecdotes:

When he was shot - When they told him he was going to be operated on he looked up at the doctors and said, “I just hope you’re all Republicans”

…..in the recovery room, Ronald Reagan had started to come to. When he opened his eyes Nancy had been with him, looking down at him, and he did what he did when she was upset. He repeated the joke “Honey, I forgot to duck.”

During the time that he couldn’t speak, he wrote notes:

“Could we rewrite this scene beginning about the time I left the hotel?”

“Send me to L.A. where I can see the air I’m breathing.”

“If I had this much attention in Hollywood I would have stayed there.”

A note to his top aides “Who’s minding the store?” And when they assured him the government was running as usual he said “What makes you think that would make me feel better?” (3b)

Let’s get back to the problems we face today. I want to read something, and you tell me, is there anyone out there today who is really saying what has to be said. We know where Barack Obama is taking us. We know how he has handled foreign policy, the economy, the military, political correctness, and how he has become an apologist for what he believes is American arrogance. If anyone is looking for the answers to the question, “what is Obama doing wrong and how do we correct it,” I suggest the following:

“We are a proud people with much in our history to be proud of. But in our nation’s capital, pride in our country and our heritage seems to be out of fashion. That is not true of our people. All over America I have found the people hungering to be told the truth about our situation and ready to respond to a legitimate call to duty. The American people are not ready to consign the American Dream, with all that it means to oppressed people everywhere, to the dustbin of history.

May I suggest an alternate path our nation can take; a change in foreign policy from the vacillation, appeasement and aimlessness of present policy?

That path must offer three broad requirements. First, it must be based on firm convictions, inspired by a clear vision of, and belief in, Americas’ future. Second, it calls for a strong economy based on the free market system which gave us an unchallenged leadership in creative technology. Third, and very simply, we must have unquestioned military ability to preserve world peace and our national security. And let me make it plain this can only be done if we eliminate the foolishness that has reduced almost to the vanishing point our intelligence gathering capability.

We cannot afford for example having 8 congressional committees overseeing all covert intelligence operations.

…..We turn dollars made available to American taxpayers over to the United Nation and other international organizations who make no effort to separate the deserving from the undeserving. And in doing so we often find ourselves underwriting those who call us imperialist while their pursuit of Marxism is literally subsidized by American capitalism.

….We have lost out in international economic competition not only because we have overgoverned, overregulated and overtaxed, but because our method of taxation has discouraged investment risk and enterprise, and the results of overtaxation have siphoned people and their work from the private sector, which accounts for our production, to the public sector, which is not only the least productive segment of our economy, but devotes much of its activity to impeding production…” (2a)

My friends, Ronald Reagan wrote this in March 1980, before he was elected to the presidency. Simple, straightforward, unashamed, unambiguous, and easily understood by the common man. Those words, spoken almost 31 years ago, still outline the framework for restoring America’s greatness today.

Truths, values, core beliefs in line with the Founders vision, have no expiration date. Sadly, today, the only clear voice opposing President Obama, and offering a plan for greatness, is the voice of our last great president, repeated by those of us who understand what is truly at stake.

But let’s move on. Let’s touch a few more problems we face today. The 111th Congress, in its Lame Duck death throes, managed to extend unemployment benefits to 3 years. This was supposed to be a way to stimulate the economy - how in God’s name, I’ll never know.

In a letter to Secty of Health and Human Services, Richard Schweiker, replying to an article that states were forbidden to require work in exchange for unemployment benefits …. ”Why didn’t unemployment insurance start out with something like a work requirement? It sure would end the “extended vacation” feature some have used it for.” (1b)

In a letter to Mr. Irving Moulton, Perrysburg, Ohio, Reagan expressed the need to think about the regular tax paying American when we talk about welfare and unemployment insurance “…..Yes we have compassion for those who’ve tried and failed or who through no fault of their own must seek our help.

But we can’t impose unfairly on those who carry the load and make this country go and whose taxes pay the freight. For too long the forgotten American has been the citizen who sends the kids to school, goes to work, supports church and charity and pays taxes to keep the wheels turning. We’ll keep thinking of and caring for these Americans.” (1c)

When a man has strong convictions, he is not afraid to act for what he knows is right, and criticism be damned. When the air traffic controllers went out on strike Regan proclaimed that if the air traffic controllers “do not report for work within 48 hours, they have forfeited their jobs and will be terminated.” And then, when they defied his presidential proclamation, he did with no one expected – he fired 11,000 controllers.

No where is strength and conviction more vital than in establishing a nation’s foreign policy. Our enemies can sense weakness, lack of resolve, and hollow threats. They can recognize a paper tiger and will poke and prod at the soft underbelly of a nation bereft of the will to defend itself and stand up for what is morally right. We have all witnessed America shamefully brought to her knees due to the inactions of presidents who did not understand their sacred duty to defend the country and its citizens.

On November 4, 1979 a handful of Iranians seized the American embassy in Teheran and captured 52 American citizens, holding them captive for 444 days. A weak and ineffectual President Carter retreated to the White House while America, a superpower, was castrated by a handful of Islamic radicals.

Today, the capitulation and appeasement policies of the Obama administration have emboldened our enemies to once again probe the weaknesses of the once proud eagle. The malicious intentions of North Korea, Iran, Venezuela and the ever present threat of Islamic Fundamentalism are allowed to fester, oblivious to the platitudes of the United Nations and the mealy-mouthed rhetoric of a president without convictions.

Just as our enemies can sense weakness, they are acutely attuned to the threat that accompanies a leader with the moral strength to act on his convictions. Reagan was clear in his criticism of the Carter administration’s handling of the hostage situation, and the hostage takers understood that he would not allow the crisis to continue unabated. The Iranian Hostage Crisis ended the moment Reagan was sworn in as president.

His policy towards the Soviet Union, likewise, was based on his conviction that the “evil empire” must be defeated. He reversed the established policy of détente, embarking on a military arms buildup and a deliberate escalation of the Cold War. Rather than appeasement and capitulation, Reagan challenged the Soviet Union to keep pace with America’s military expansion and threatened to throw out the balance of power with the Strategic Defense Initiative, The Star Wars Missile Defense System.

He understood that we must always negotiate from a position of strength, and when arms reduction talks with the Soviets did not go his way, he walked out of the meeting, much to the chagrin and astonishment of the diplomatic elite. It was Reagan, together with Pope John Paul II and Margaret Thatcher, who formed a triumvertae of principled, strong willed statesmen, confident that there goals were pure, their convictions honorable, whose actions eventually resulted in the total collapse of the Soviet Empire without firing shot.

One of the biggest arguments between conservatives and liberals is the role of government in manipulating and stimulating the economy. We have witnessed unprecedented spending, bailouts, so-called stimulus packages, government regulation and takeover of major segments of the American economy, with the resultant skyrocketing debt that has mortgaged the future of our children and grandchildren. The liberal playbook, in a striking resemblance to Soviet-Era central planning, proclaims that only the government can produce change ensuring fairness and equality of outcome, leaving us all suffering equally and strangling investment, entrepreneurship and innovation.

The Reagan philosophy called for government to get out of the way, unleashing private enterprise and free market capitalism to determine the winners and losers while stimulating the economy.

As with JFK’s analogy of a rising tide lifting all ships, Reagan’s theory of trickle-down economics, while loudly condemned by the left, produced a vibrant economic climate in the 1980s. Reagan knew that economic change, economic growth, is contingent on American ingenuity, technology and the willingness to take a risk.

To quote George Will:

“Change begins in America when Thomas Alva Edison in Menlo Park, New Jersey, says he has not failed because 80 materials have proved unsatisfactory for making filament for an electric light bulb – he has succeeded in learning 80 things that didn’t work….”

“Change begins in America when in a garage in Detroit, the young Henry Ford conceives not only a vehicle for the masses, but a mode of mass production that will make Americans mobile and prosperous…”

“Change begins in America when in 1954 a traveling saleman of six-spindled milk-shake machines called Multimixers visits the McDonald brothers’ restaurant in San Bernadino, California, where eight Multimixers were kept busy. The idea Ray Kroc got that day produced not only a great corporation, but an entire industry.” (4a)

Will goes on to describe the boom of the 1980s:

“During Reagan’s term The key to America’s success has been job creation – 19 million more than Europe’s net job creation in those years. There were 93 consecutive months of economic growth, a peacetime record. The economy grew by one third during the Reagan years, as though we had added another economy the size of West Germany…..”

“In the so-called “decade of greed” Americans gave more to charity – more as a percentage of their wealth- than ever before, and did so in spite of the fact that the reduction of marginal tax rates sharply reduced the incentives for giving. The “decade of greed” can more accurately be called the “decade of industriousness” because more Americans worked harder than ever before, producing more wealth than was produced ever before.” (4b)

George Will had it right, but Reagan’s own word’s, even simpler than Will’s, profess that unbounded faith in the citizens of this great land:

“We who live in free market societies believe that growth, prosperity and ultimately human fulfillment, are created from the bottom up, not the government down. Only when the human spirit is allowed to invent and create, only when individuals are given a personal stake in deciding economic policies and benefitting from their success -- only then can societies remain economically alive, dynamic, progressive, and free. Trust the people. This is the one irrefutable lesson of the entire postwar period contradicting the notion that rigid government controls are essential to economic development.”

And to emphasize the limitless potential embodied by a free society: “There are no such things as limits to growth, because there are no limits on the human capacity for intelligence, imagination and wonder.”

Reagan knew that it was the American people who made the nation great. Not the politicians, not the bureaucrats and not those who were uncomfortable with the idea of American exceptionalism. Listening to the words of his last presidential address to the American people, he once again spoke honestly and simply:

“An informed patriotism is what we want. And are we doing a good enough job teaching our children what America is and what she represents in the long history of the world? Those of us who are over 35 or so years of age grew up in a different America. We were taught, very directly, what it means to be an American. And we absorbed, almost in the air, a love of country and an appreciation of its institutions. If you didn't get these things from your family you got them from the neighborhood, from the father down the street who fought in Korea or the family who lost someone at Anzio. Or you could get a sense of patriotism from school.

And if all else failed you could get a sense of patriotism from the popular culture. The movies celebrated democratic values and implicitly reinforced the idea that America was special. TV was like that, too, through the mid-sixties.

But now, we're about to enter the nineties, and some things have changed. Younger parents aren't sure that an unambivalent appreciation of America is the right thing to teach modern children. And as for those who create the popular culture, well-grounded patriotism is no longer the style. Our spirit is back, but we haven't reinstitutionalized it. We've got to do a better job of getting across that America is freedom—freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise. And freedom is special and rare. It's fragile; it needs protection.”

Once again, the words spoken over twenty years ago have as much meaning and as much authority today as they did then – it’s just that not enough people are saying those words, and meaning them, and living them.

When we think of Reagan - no, when we dream of Reagan, when we begin to feel that warmth and pride at being Americans, when we picture his easy, confident smile, the “aw shucks” demeanor that endeared him to the everyday working man, we have to wonder, “Did we really have this man as our president, or was it the fantasy of a heartwarming movie, the storyline of a marvelous book, read and enjoyed by so many, and indelibly etched into the collective American memory.” Ronald Reagan was all that we envision as good about America, he was that special embodiment of Americana, so beautifully brought to life by Frank Capra. With all due respect to Jimmy Stewart, Reagan was Jefferson Smith in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” He was George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” He was the kind grandfatherly figure smiling at a child, the self-reliant cowboy riding the range, the determined warrior challenging the “evil empire” – “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,” and the comforting voice in times of sorrow, “We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' to 'touch the face of God.”

Over the course of the last two years the American people were awakened from their slumber by continual government encroachment and the accelerated erosions of our liberties, the “fundamental change” promised by Barack Obama. The voice of “We the People” rose loud and strong and accomplished what our elected representatives were unable to do on their own, apply the breaks to the runaway trainwreck that the current administration was orchestrating so well. Again, let us return to words of Ronald Reagan, spoken at the 1986 State of the Union Address: “Government growing beyond our consent had become a lumbering giant, slamming shut the gates of opportunity, threatening to crush the very roots of our freedom. What brought America back? The American people brought us back -- with quiet courage and common sense; with undying faith that in this nation under God the future will be ours, for the future belongs to the free.”

My friends, this nation has been held close to the heart of our Creator since its birth. Divine Providence has guided us and led the way. The hand of God has never wavered from America – yes, we have let that hand go, and turned our back on our God at times – but He has never left our side.

We have been blessed with the right person being there when we needed them most; the Founders coming together to conceive this Dream that we have all inherited, Washington overcoming staggering odds and multiple failures to lead a fledgling nation, Lincoln holding the Union together by his sheer will, a magnificent military of brave warriors, sacrificing all for a greater good when faced with threats to liberty, both to themselves and to strangers around the world, and Ronald Reagan, exuding his eternal optimism and belief in the American people, emerging out of the malaise of the Carter presidency to restore hope and dignity to a nation when it needed it most, staring down our mortal enemies, uplifting the spirit of a whole country and once again focusing America on its eternal destiny to be the light of freedom to the entire world.

And now, as we patriots fight to once again rescue our nation from the malfeasance and ineptitude of those entrusted with the stewardship of our children’s and grandchildren’s inheritance, we wait for the next Ronald Reagan to emerge. But, as we look across the broad spectrum of the political landscape, there is no apparent figure rising to the occasion, and so it is my friends, that this time it may be up to each and every one of us to pick up the mantle and serve our country.

As I close, we come full circle back to the theme of Glenn Beck’s Restoring Honor Rally. If we each understand who we are as Americans, why we are here, why America is a special place, “that shining city on a hill,” and if we return to the founding principles, the traditions and mores of our Judeo-Christian faith, and begin to live our lives guided by the principle of personal responsibility, if we encourage entrepreneurship and free markets, if we fight for limited government at every turn, if we cherish our liberty, fight for it with every breath we take, and if we do it with confidence in America’s future, with a smile on our face, with a hand extended to our fellow Americans, and with a profound belief that all we have has been given to us by our Creator, then we can, and we will make things right.

You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will 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.

Thank you, God Bless you, and God Bless America


Selected Bibliography and Footnotes:

Reagan – A Life In Letters
Edited by Kiron K. Skinner, Annelise Anderson & Martin Anderson
New York: Free Press, 2003
(1a) p258, (1b) p349, (1c) p349,

Reagan – In His Own Hand
Edited by Kiron K. Skinner, Annelise Anderson & Martin Anderson
New York: Touchstone, 2002
(2a) P471,

Noonan, Peggy. When Character Was King
New York: Viking Penguin, 2001
(3a) p51, (3b) p186,

Will, George. The Leveling Wind
New York: Viking Penguin, 1994.
(4a) p423, (4b) p266,

A Conservative Message of Hope

As I sit to write on this 21st of December, I am reminded that today is the winter solstice, the so-called shortest day of the year, the day when darkness relinquishes its grip later in the morning and reclaims the skies earlier in the evening, limiting the light of day to its briefest appearance of the year.

To listen to many of my fellow patriots, one would think that the darkness will never end, the skies will never brighten, and the breath of spring will never arrive. They lament the continuing manipulation of a lame duck congress that seems hell bent on destroying every vestige of American greatness before relinquishing its stranglehold on the nation. They gnash their teeth over every failure of republican representatives to hold fast to the conservative ideals of the multitudes of concerned citizens who have returned them to power. They despair that the gains we made this year will disappear overnight with every piece of legislation that comes to a vote.

While I share the concerns, the angst, and the outrage of the final days of the 111th Congress, I suggest we remember who we are as Americans. We proudly proclaim that our nation was founded on Judeo-Christian traditions, so at this wonderful time of the year let us embrace the traditions and cultures that make us who we are.

Weeks ago we moved from the uniquely American Thanksgiving Day to the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, commemorating a miracle when what appeared to be only enough oil to keep the light lit at the Menorah for a single day, burned for eight days while more oil was prepared. In a few short days Christians will celebrate the birth of Christ, the Son of God, sent to earth as the Messiah, the one who would reclaim salvation for mankind. Our traditions, our cultures, our beliefs, our eternal optimism for hope. Remember that we each have the flame of freedom burning within us, acknowledged by our founders as being an inalienable right bestowed on us by our Creator. Each of us must nurture that flame and keep it burning, so that it may light the flame of freedom for others around the world.

Let us be mindful of the work we have ahead of us in the rescue of our nation, but let us not dwell on the negative, but rather look forward to the challenge and the eventual success that is a part of our very being as Americans.

We believe that this nation was conceived and guided by Divine Providence, put here for a reason, and destined to be the light of freedom for all mankind. Our forefathers have accepted challenges, setbacks, and hardships, and have risen up as victors. The first settlers suffered to take hold of the land, the pioneers and frontiersmen tamed a wild west, the initial assault on D-Day met with massive casualties and the island hoping in the Pacific resulted in terrible loss of life, yet generations of Americans have overcome these trials and achieved greatness. It is now our turn to weather the storm, to keep a steady hand and a focused eye, and to move ever forward, and to do it with the grace and hope of those who have come before us.

Let us remember that we are novices at what we are doing and that our movement as concerned citizens did not even exist two years ago. Rather than dwell on the negative, think of what might have been had we not become engaged, had we not raised our voices, had we not allowed our passion and love for America to become the one safeguard to the liberty of a nation. We have a class of conservative representative ready to take over the reins in the House, we have slightly more conservative representation in the Senate, we have made great strides in statehouses, and we have the organization and apparatus to continue to exert influence on those who have not yet heard our voices.

Starting tomorrow, each day will get longer. The sun will rise earlier and set later; the light of day continually encroaching on the darkness of night. We will weather the winter and welcome the spring and the rebirth and resurrection which it brings. A new year filled with challenges and hope is almost upon us. Last year we feared that all we cherished as Americans could have been lost, yet we rose to the occasion and lived to fight another day.

Let us make 2011 a year of continued advances for the cause of liberty, and a time of renewed commitment to this dream we call America. As long as even one of us keeps the embers of freedom burning within us, America will continue to live.

Let us face the incoming year with the optimism and spirit that Ronald Reagan so comfortably portrayed in all he did. Let us honor the celebration of his 100th birthday not with negativism and fear, but with a smile and an understanding of who we are as Americans, and a commitment to achieve our date with destiny.

Enjoy your family, your friends, your fellow patriots and all the joys and blessings that we have as Americans. I wish you all the Peace and Blessings of this Christmas Season and all the Health and Happiness of the New Year.

Nico

Deo Gratias

In the Jewish faith, rich in tradition and culture, on the feast of Passover, the youngest person at the table asks the question “Why is this night different from all other nights?” The question allows the children to learn of the past and to reflect on the history of their ancestors.

On this Thanksgiving Day, let us ask the question, “Why is this Thanksgiving different from all the others?” Why should our gratitude be stronger, more intense, and more meaningful in the year 2010? Let us take a moment to reflect on the events of this past year.

Thanksgiving is by its very nature a feast of reflection, of appreciation and of gratitude for all we have, all we have been blessed with. This year, unlike so many others, we here in America realized that our freedoms, our boundless opportunities, our unbridled spirit and our limitless pursuit of happiness, all those things we have taken for granted for far too many years, are not etched in stone, but only exist to the extent that we, the citizens of this great nation, are prepared to fight for them.

Remember the words of Marcus Aurelius as he spoke of Rome in the movie Gladiator “There was a dream that was Rome. You could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish, it was so fragile.” We finally understood that our American Dream, all we cherish, all we hold dear for our children, could vanish before our eyes under the misguided leadership of a president and a congress that sought to destroy all that was good in America. The only safeguard for these precious blessings was the will of the patriotic citizens of our nation.

So let us give thanks for the Great Awakening of the American People. Let us gratefully acknowledge that We the People finally accepted our responsibility to become engaged in our politics, to raise our voices, and to stem the tide of socialism and the soft tyranny that would strip our away our liberties and subject us to a government leviathan, intent on crushing American greatness and prosperity. Let us pledge that our gratitude will forever be accompanied by our continued vigilance and action, for we have only slowed the demise of our country, and we must be prepared for a long fight to again right our ship of state.

Let us also remember to give thanks for the selfless sacrifices of the American warriors, both past and present, for their constant vigilance, keeping us safe from those who would do us harm, and likewise give thanks to their families, who live each day without their loved ones, hoping and praying for their continued safety. May our heavenly Father watch over each and every one of them, holding them close to His merciful breast, and shielding them from harm.

Let us, on this Thanksgiving Day, give thanks for our ancestors, our parents and grandparents, who traveled to this land of opportunity in hopes of providing us with a better life. If you are fortunate enough to still have your parents and grandparents, call them and thank them. Tell them you love them. Thank them for your life in America. If they are gone, and if you believe in an afterlife as I do, thank them in your thoughts – they will surely hear you and smile.

For those of us with children and grandchildren, thank God for the joy they bring to our lives, for their love and affection.

Finally, let us drop to our knees and give thanks to our God, whose divine mercy has placed us here, in this great nation, at this special time, blessed beyond the dreams of all the other people on this planet. Let us accept these blessings, cherish them, and be the stewards who will pass them on to future generations of Americans, who must always do their duty to make this world a better place in His name.

Deo Gratias.

A Pledge to America's Veterans

You don’t know me, but my name is Nico, and I am one of countless Americans who have been awakened to our duty as citizens of this great nation.

Up until about a year ago I never did anything that could be considered serving my country. I never put my plans on hold, left family and friends, sacrificed, or put my life on the line for a greater cause. No, I am just one of millions of Americans who have enjoyed the American Dream, lived a good life, and taken for granted all the wonderful blessings and liberties that we have in this great nation, and which are safeguarded for us, as they have been for generations of Americans, by a long line of selfless warriors, of which you and your fellow veterans are but the latest in that time honored tradition.

You men and women who have served this country, and who continue to serve this country, are the very backbone of our society – you are the deterrent that keeps us free – you are the tip of the sword that keeps our enemies at bay – you are America.

Today, there are things going on in our country which have caused many citizens to realize that our freedoms, our traditions and our culture, indeed our very way of life, are but fleeting treasures, which can evaporate before our very eyes when we forget that vigilance is the responsibility of every American.

We can no longer ignore the political ramifications, economic impacts, and foreign policy trials that are the consequences of elections based on immediate gratification, entitlements, and a lack of sacrifice. The American Patriots in every town are rediscovering that, who we are as Americans, what we stand for, and the founding principles of our nation, matter and are worth fighting for.

I have become actively engaged in what has become the Tea Party movement. I have finally found a small way to serve, to make my meager contribution to preserve this country for future generations. I have spoken at rallies, at group meetings, and have organized small groups of concerned citizens at dozens meetings in New Jersey, and have personally spoken to thousands of concerned citizens. Their concerns and their passion about restoring America to its greatness are real and this is what I want to share with you.

These people want a constitutionally responsible, small government. They want fiscal responsibility. They want a return to personal responsibility, free markets, and individual liberties. Besides these virtues, the single most significant thing that unites these people is their respect and love for this country’s veterans and those now serving in our military. They understand the sacrifice. They finally get it.

You all need to know that the vast majority of Americans think of you often, and they now pray for the safety of those serving today, and support the sacrifices of their families. The people I have come in contact with certainly feel that way, and their respect and gratitude towards our veterans is warm and heartfelt. I wanted you know that.

So what I am trying to say is Thank You, thank you all for all you have done, for all the good that you represent. I know that I speak for many, many Americans, and likewise for countless generations of people from every corner of the world, who owe their lives, their freedom, and their opportunity to those of you who sacrificed so much for a greater good.

We citizens now do solemnly swear to do our part, to fulfill our obligations as citizens, to safeguard our heritage, and to remain vigilant over those we place in power. We will treasure, nurture and sacrifice to preserve The Dream that you have gained for us, so that it may become the sacred inheritance that we bequeath to our children and our grandchildren.

To do that, we will teach our children and grandchildren why we honor you veterans. We will teach them our history, teach them of our sacrifices, and teach them of their obligations as citizens. We will tell them what happens when we are not vigilant caretakers of our democracy. We will make it clear to them that freedom is not free. Great words, but what do they mean?

We will show them pictures of the cemeteries throughout Europe and the Pacific filled with American graves. We will take them to National Cemeteries honoring our veterans – let them try to fathom the endless rows of graves. Take them to the Vietnam Memorial – let them touch the names engraved in stone. Walk them through the WWII Memorial and through the sacred fields of Gettysburg, where 147 years ago, 3 days of battle resulted in some 50,000 casualties. We will show them what those words mean, “Freedom isn’t free.” We will make it real; make it important, lest they ever forget.

God bless you all.
Nico Rago

Portions of this essay are taken from my Independence Day Address and also from a personal letter to a special young man now serving our country. – N.

We are at war

“Yes. Fight and you may die. Run and you will live, at least awhile. And dying in your bed many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that, for one chance to come back here as young men, and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but will never take our freedom?”

These famous words of William Wallace to his troops before the Battle of Sterling may seem a little over the top as we rally our forces for this coming Election Day, but think for a minute what is really at stake as we approach the most pivotal election in our lifetime.

If you believe that we are merely engaged in a debate of ideas, that whatever the outcome, America will continue on as it has in the past, that our way of life will merely experience some slight inconvenience, then I suggest that you have not been paying attention these last twenty two months.

We are at war, a so far bloodless war, for the very soul of America. Too strong a statement? I direct you to the very words of President Obama in a radio interview that aired on Univision. Speaking to Hispanics, Mr. Obama said, “If Latinos sit out the election instead of saying, ‘We’re going to punish our enemies and we’re gonna reward our friends ……”

Who are the enemies he speaks of? Was he speaking about Islamic terrorists? The Taliban? No, the president of the United States was inciting Hispanic Americans to punish their fellow America citizens who do not fall into lock step with his agenda of redistribution of wealth. The president of the United States continues his deliberate, calculated division of America on religious, economic and social issues, pushing America into a state of civil unrest.

He has declared war on the free market. He has declared war on our system of contracts and law. He has declared war on law enforcement officers who would dare to uphold the concept of securing our borders. He has declared war on our brave men and women in the military by placing them in harm’s way under restricted rules of engagement that jeopardize their safety, while denying them their constitutional right to participate in the government they protect via their vote. He has declared war on the Constitution that has been the fundamental framework of our republic. He has done all of this with the cooperation of politicians who we have elected to represent us.

We are indeed at war. There can be no compromise. There can be no partial peace. We must defeat the liberal, progressive ideology that is neutering our country. We must oust from office any and all who do not espouse the simple tenants of individual liberty, personal responsibility, free markets, and a limited government, exercising fiscal responsibility and compliance with its Constitutional authority.

We are out of time. Our actions, protests, and commitments of the last year and a half will mean nothing if we cannot produce the results on Election Day. The Left will try anything to steal this election. The media has prostituted itself to the status of a propaganda machine. It will all come down to turnout on Tuesday. Do not be lulled into thinking this is a done deal. Double your resolve, fire up your passion and bring others out to vote.

My fellow patriots, America has been infected with a cancer that is destroying us from within. Our government has been co-opted by a sleeper cell of radical socialists put in place decades ago. If we allow this congress to remain unchanged, we will have forfeited the inheritance of our children and grandchildren, which has been safeguarded and nourished by the sacrifice, blood and commitment of generations of American citizens. If we fail to overturn the radical agenda of this corrupt regime, we will forever be branded as the generation that refused to fight, the generation that lost the Dream, the generation that forgot that this country was founded under a Divine Providence to forever be a beacon of hope and liberty to the entire world.

I cannot fathom telling my children and grandchildren that I allowed the destruction of this great nation to happen on my watch. How about you?

Nico

Render to Caesar.....

I do not normally write about moral issues but the events of this past weekend were extremely emotional for me and I thought I’d share.

I was asked to give some brief closing remarks at the end of a Respect Life Dinner event at our Catholic church which is actively supported by my local Knights of Columbus Council. The keynote speaker was the founder of a crisis pregnancy center in North Jersey. My role was to speak about the positions of our local congressional candidates vis-a-vis abortion. This was to be a simple outline comparing two candidates, and I had not prepared any notes.

As I listened to the keynote address, heard the stories about the expectant mothers who struggled with peer pressure, family abandonment and socio-economic forces pressuring them to abort their children, stories I have heard time and again, and how our country had lost its moral compass, how we have failed as a society to elect representatives who would support our values, the emotions and passions that have roiled within me this past year forced me to reevaluate what I would say. How would I address 110 of my fellow Catholics, and tell them things they needed to hear, but would never be told?

A few thoughts formed, I approached the podium, and judging from the reaction of the room, and the dozens of grateful comments that I received afterwards, delivered one of the most well received and powerful talks I have ever given. Since there were no prewritten notes, this is an approximation of how it went.

*************

I have been asked to speak to you tonight about the positions on abortion of the congressional candidates here in our district. I have decided not to do that, for that would be too easy for you. We are now in a new America, an America where we must all become intimately aware of what is going on in our country. We can no longer leave decisions to others. We cannot expect someone else to tell us whom we should or should not vote for. We must understand that we are responsible for this nation. We have a duty to be informed and educated citizens. We live in the greatest country in the world, have the most opportunities, and are blessed with abundant liberties bestowed by our Creator, and with these blessings come a sacred responsibility to be vigilant and knowledgeable citizens.

So how do we discuss religion and politics – how do we deal with that awful taboo?

We have been taught, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” But when Caesar condones the murder of innocent children, when Caesar strips the citizens of every vestige of self respect, condemning generation after generation to believe that only Caesar can care for them, depriving them of the very human dignity that comes with self reliance and personal responsibility, and takes their very freedom in return for his largesse, then it is time when we as Catholics, when we as citizens, must rise up and proclaim “No, Caesar, this will not stand!”

Elections have consequences, and in the end, we really do get the kind of government we choose. It was said tonight that it’s a shame that New Jersey, a predominantly Catholic state, still does not have a parental notification requirement before a child has an abortion. It’s not a shame, it’s a fact. We Catholics voted for the representatives we have. We have two senators who will continue to sanction the murder of the unborn child because Catholics elected them.

We complain about the current administration in Washington. Somebody has to tell you that 54% of Catholics voted for Obama. Some of our church hierarchy and some religious communities also supported his slogans of Hope & Change without looking at the consequences. Understand that these Catholics, some of our bishops and other religious, have bought into this nebulous notion of “social justice” and supported candidates who espouse that term. Do they not realize that the progressive interpretation of social justice is merely redistribution of wealth, class envy and the subjugation of entire generations of people for a vote? Shouldn’t we instead be looking for social justice as defined by charity, unbridled opportunity, personal responsibility and individual freedom? And shouldn’t charity begin at home, then be supplemented by friends and by church, with government intervention only as a last resort, and only for the truly needy?

Such was not the case. Catholics voted for their social justice, and along with the progressive or liberal social justice candidate comes a sure fire vote for unbridled abortion rights. Fifty four percent of Catholics elected the most anti-life president we have ever known, a man whose record includes repeated votes against legislation which would have banned the most heinous crime of partial birth abortion. Fifty four percent of Catholics, if they most likely voted party line, elected a congress that has rubber stamped this president’s agenda. Fifty four percent of Catholics have consented to the de facto nomination of two Supreme Court judges, who will undoubtedly vote down any legislation that might limit abortion on demand.

Elections have consequences. When you go home tonight, I admonish you to pray as hard as you ever have for the continued health and safety of Justice Scalia, Justice Thomas, Justice Alito, Justice Roberts and Justice Kennedy. If God forbid, something would happen to one of them, then that fifty four percent of Catholics would have sealed the fate of your fight for a pro-life society. We could be saddled for twenty or thirty years with a court which would overturn any progress you could ever achieve and would uphold legislation that would render your efforts harmless. You would be left with prayer and only prayer, and while that is a powerful tool, would it hurt to have some legislative and judicial clout on your side?

So understand that it is up to each and every one of you. Yes you, and you, and you. You cannot wait for someone else to do your job. You cannot complain and hope for some miracle change. In the words of Ronald Reagan, “To sit back hoping that someday, some way, someone will make things right is to go on feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last – but eat you he will.”

Nico

Address to The Morristown Tea Party Labor Day Rally

Address to the Morristown Tea Party Labor Day Rally
Never Forget
(The body of this address was taken from a previous post)

On September 6, 2001, nine years ago today, Americans had no idea that their days of domestic peace and security, their long-standing isolation from the forces of terrorism, would vanish forever in five short days. On September 11, 2001, American lives were forever changed and security became a nebulous notion, sometimes apparent, often no more than a hope, an apparition that we prayed would materialize into a reality while we wandered through an ever-changing rainbow of terror alerts.

We said that we would never forget the horrors of 911. We came together as a nation and swore that never again would we be caught off guard by those who would seek to destroy our way of life.

Today, the current administration seems to have forgotten the lessons of history. They cannot speak of a war on terror, they refuse to acknowledge that Islamic Fundamentalists are our enemy, and they continue to place obstacles in the way of those who would protect us.

A massacre at Ft. Hood, the Christmas Day Underwear Bomber, the attempted attack in Times Square, all written off as isolated incidents perpetrated by troubled individuals. We undergo screening at airports, yet terrorists can simply walk across our Southern border, while the administration threatens sovereign states and law enforcement personnel with lawsuits and condemns the actions of Arizona lawmakers in that bastion of hypocrisy and ineptitude, the United Nations.

Those of us here today understand that the proud eagle, always vigilant, and with sharpened talons is the best protection against our enemies, but when we remove the talons and expose the soft underbelly, we surely invite attack by those who swear to destroy us.

Let us here today pledge that we will always remember, and come November let us elect those who understand that the security of America is the prime directive, indeed the sacred duty, of our government.

So now I ask you to please come back in time with me. Clear your mind, close your eyes, and as painful as it may be, let me paint that terrible picture for you once again. Let it be indelibly impressed in your mind lest you ever forget. Let us begin with a moment of silence…...

Remember……

It was the penultimate perfect day. Crystal clear blue sky, not a cloud to be seen, the air crisp and clean. New Yorkers of every stripe, in their own inimitable way, hurried about their business, rushing off to school or work, to a morning run or a latte at Starbucks. Down the subway, chasing a bus, stuck in morning rush hour traffic, or scurrying across the crowded streets they came, converging on downtown Manhattan like bees to the hive. For some, the day held an important meeting, for others only the mundane daily grind. They came, thinking ahead to their evening plans – a trip to the gym, pasta or chicken for supper, a romantic evening with that someone special – never knowing that those plans would never materialize.

They also came that morning – filled with hate for Americans and their freedom, their pursuit of prosperity, their individualism and their attitude, nowhere else better portrayed than in New York. Their mission was simple – to kill those who cherish liberty and to destroy the dream that is America.

Remember the first newscast – a plane had crashed into the Trade Center. Surely an accident, it quickly became the focus of the morning news.

Remember watching the broadcast, the speculation, the queasy feeling of seeing the first tower on fire. As the broadcast continued a second plane appears in the background – why was it flying so low, so close to the skyscrapers rising from the bedrock below?

Remember the shock as the second tower was hit. Flames bursting out from all sides – the realization that this was no accident – the understanding that the unthinkable was happening before our very eyes, broadcast for all the world to see.

Remember thinking that this was the worst day of our lives, and soon realizing that it had merely just begun. A fire at the Pentagon? – no another plane on a perverted act of religious vengeance. Then a fourth down in Pennsylvania. Back to the smoking inferno in New York, we watched horrified as office workers, fleeing from the flames, stepped out onto a window ledge one hundred floors above, held hands, and jumped to their deaths, while far below firefighters and police ran into the fire and up the stairs in a valiant effort to rescue their fellow Americans.

Remember the utter despair as the first tower collapsed in on itself, the plume of smoke and debris filling lower Manhattan, only to be followed by the collapse of the second tower, completing the devastation of the financial district and crushing the spirit of America.

Remember the immediate aftermath – air traffic halted, the market tumbled, the fear of subsequent attacks hung in the air, and the economic stability of the country hung in the balance.

But this was America. Unwilling to surrender to fear, defiant and proud, led by the sheer bravado that is New York, the country began to rebound. They came from all across the great expanse of our land, professionals and volunteers, men and women, the rich and the poor, every race, creed and color, united by the common bond that is America. Flags were raised and the ruins were cleared. Offices and schools opened. The wheels of commerce once again began to turn.

In Queens a special part of American culture and tradition brought the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets, bitter enemies, together on a ball field where rivalries were momentarily forgotten and players embraced. Emotions and tears flowed openly, starting with the opening pitch, continuing through Liza Minnelli’s passionate rendition of “New York, New York” in the seventh inning, and culminating in a storybook ending as Mike Piazza, the darling of the New York fans, won the game with a dramatic home run. At that moment it was clear that the Islamic terrorists had failed, and that America would rise up and reclaim its place at the top of the hill.

Remember the resolve as we mourned and buried our dead, united in prayer and purpose, and planned vengeance on those who would destroy us. There was a very special feeling coursing through the veins of the country then. All differences were set aside and political bickering was given a backseat as congress united, not as democrats and republicans, but as Americans.

Just as time heals all wounds, time also dampens our resolve. Vigilance gives way to complacency. Cooperation to partisanship. Volunteerism to entitlement. Leadership roles change, new agendas come into vogue, and the course of our country is altered. Where once we projected military might, we now drop our defenses and apologize for being the great country that we are. We coddle those who wish us harm and prosecute those who rose to the challenge and defense of the country in the face of pure evil. Traditions are jettisoned for a vague notion of change, and our sacred liberties are threatened by a soft tyranny that would transform the face of the nation we hold dear.

As we commemorate the events of 9-11, let us first mourn our dead, both the innocent victims and the heroic first responders who embodied all that is right with America. Let us remember the emotions and passions that wrenched us all on that faithful day – shock, fear, sorrow, despair – followed by rage, vengeance and resolve. Finally, let us also remain vigilant to all forces that would seek to destroy our nation, both via malicious intent or by misguided actions, both foreign and domestic, for we alone are the last defense of our liberties.

May God have mercy on the souls of those whose lives were lost on that tragic day, and may He continue to bless and to hold America close to his merciful heart.

Thank you.

Nico