Happy birthday, Ronald Reagan

OPINION:

President Reagan often reminded us that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We celebrate his birthday this week, and although his last public statements were decades ago, so many of his words still ring true today.

In October 1964, Reagan addressed a nationally televised audience. “Not too long ago, two friends of mine were talking to a Cuban refugee, a businessman who had escaped from Castro, and in the midst of his story, one of my friends turned to the other and said, ‘We don’t know how lucky we are.’ And the Cuban stopped and said, ‘How lucky you are! I had someplace to escape to.’ In that sentence, he told us the entire story. If we lose freedom here, there is no place to escape to. This is the last stand on earth. And this idea that government is beholden to the people, that it has no other source of power except to sovereign people, is still the newest and most unique idea in all the long history of man’s relation to man.”

In many ways, these words are even more powerful today than they were when he first spoke them. One need only look at places such as New York City, Chicago, Portland, Oregon, and Seattle to see the problem with socialism.

In 1975, Reagan said, “If fascism ever comes to America, it will come in the name of liberalism.” We began to see that as a reaction to COVID-19, when the government started shutting down businesses, schools and places of worship, forcing people to wear masks, and mandating vaccinations for certain workers.

During his first inaugural address, Reagan nailed it when he said: “Above all, we must realize that no arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today’s world do not have. It is a weapon we, as Americans, do have. Let that be understood by those who practice terrorism and prey upon their neighbors.”

He knew that the best way to make America great again was to ensure that we are free.

As we head into the 250th anniversary of our beloved republic, it is appropriate to consider what Reagan thought about our founding principles. In 1981, he said, “Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty.”

He showed that he understood the roles envisioned by our founders when he said these words in his 1981 inaugural address: “It is my intention to curb the size and influence of the federal establishment and to demand recognition of the distinction between the powers granted to the federal government and those reserved to the states or to the people. All of us need to be reminded that the federal government did not create the states; the states created the federal government.”

During our bicentennial year, Reagan 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.”

In his farewell address to the nation in 1989, he spoke from the Oval Office and gave a warning to us all that is just as relevant today as it was then. He said: “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.”

Reagan went on to give a simple solution: “Let’s start with some basics: more attention to American history and a greater emphasis on civic ritual.” Boy, we could use more of that today too.

It is my honor to host a capacity crowd of college students in Nashville, Tennessee, on Reagan’s birthday for a special “Freedom at 250” rally sponsored by Young America’s Foundation. There, we will educate, train and equip the next generation of leaders in the fight for freedom.

You can do your part as well. Share your love for America and passion for freedom with the young people in your life. Remind them, as President Reagan reminded the nation, that the United States is a beacon to the world, like a shining city on the hill.

• Scott Walker is a columnist for The Washington Times. He was the 45th governor of Wisconsin and launched a bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He lives in Milwaukee and is the proud owner of a 2003 Harley-Davidson Road King. He can be reached at swalker@washingtontimes.com.