Assorted Reagan Quotes

A few years ago, my family and I toured the Washington, DC area. Among our destinations were the Lincoln Memorial, and Arlington Cemetery. At the Lincoln Memorial, I was struck by the words from the Gettysburg Address (we had just spent two days there) and Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, I think the finest American speech, ever. At the Arlington Cemetery, I was greatly moved by the plaques of quotes around John F. Kennedy's grave site. At the time, I thought, "Man, no one speaks like this anymore!"

Once again, having grown accustomed to a steady diet of TV news and the LA Times, I was wrong. Ronald Reagan was a wonderful speaker, and had some great writers working for him. There is some good stuff at the Reagan Library web site. Here are some great quotes:

"I've always believed that a lot of the trouble in the world would disappear if we were talking to each other instead of about each other."-- April 11, 1984

"...I know it's hard when you're up to your armpits in alligators to remember you came here to drain the swamp."--February 10, 1982

"General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"--June 12, 1987

"This country was founded and built by people with great dreams and the courage to take great risks."--January 26, 1983

History is a ribbon, always unfurling. History is a journey. And as we continue our journey, we think of those who traveled before us. We stand again at the steps of this symbol of our democracy--well, we would have been standing at the steps if it hadn't gotten so cold. [Laughter] Now we're standing inside this symbol of our democracy, and we see and hear again the echoes of our past: a general falls to his knees in the hard snow of Valley Forge; a lonely President paces the darkened halls and ponders his struggle to preserve the Union; the men of the Alamo call out encouragement to each other; a settler pushes west and sings a song, and the song echoes out forever and fills the unknowing air. It is the American sound. It is hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent, and fair. That's our heritage, that's our song. We sing it still. For all our problems, our differences, we are together as of old. We raise our voices to the God who is the author of this most tender music. And may He continue to hold us close as we fill the world with our sound--in unity, affection, and love--one people under God, dedicated to the dream of freedom that He has placed in the human heart, called upon now to pass that dream on to a waiting and hopeful world.--Second Inaugural Address, January 21, 1985

And in all of that time I won a nickname, "The Great Communicator." But I never thought it was my style or the words I used that made a difference: It was the content. I wasn't a great communicator, but I communicated great things, and they didn't spring full bloom from my brow, they came from the heart of a great nation--from our experience, our wisdom, and our belief in principles that have guided us for two centuries. They called it the Reagan revolution. Well, I'll accept that, but for me it always seemed more like the great rediscovery, a rediscovery of our values and our common sense.--Farewell Address to the Nation, Oval Office, January 11, 1989

Inspiring. Motivating. Hopeful. Visionary.