HAPPY BIRTHDAY RONALD REAGAN!
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On February 6, 1911, Ronald Wilson Reagan was born to Nelle and John Reagan in Tampico, Illinois. This week, people across our great country will celebrate the birthday of our nation’s 40th President.
President Ronald Reagan will be remembered for many accomplishments. Some will remember him for ushering in economic growth with his popular 1981 tax cuts. Others will remember his commitment to our men and women in uniform. His commitment brought down communism all around the world and spawned the idea for a missile defense system. And even some others, like myself, will remember him as “The Great Communicator.” I’ll remember how his vision and convictions brought ALL Americans together, raised our morale and once again made us the proudest citizens in the world. It is my belief that this was President Reagan’s greatest gift to America.
President Reagan was a very modest man. Although many historians and admirers shower him with thanks for his accomplishments and contributions to America, he kept a sign on his desk both as governor of California and as President which showed how modest a man he was. That sign read: “There is no limit to what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.” This is a model I have tried to live by during my time as a representative.
I would like to share with you a portion of President Reagan’s farewell speech to the nation.
“It’s been the honor of my life to be your President. So many of you have written the past few weeks to say thanks, but I could say as much to you. Nancy and I are grateful for the opportunity you gave us to serve.....The past few days when I’ve been at the window upstairs, I’ve thought a bit of the ‘shining city upon a hill.’ The phrase comes from John Winthrop, who wrote it to describe the America he imagined.....I’ve spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don’t know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, God-blessed, and teeming with the people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That’s how I saw it, and see it still....We’ve done our part. And as I walk off into the city streets, a final word to the men and women across America for who eight years did the work that brought America back. My friends: We did it. We weren’t just marking time. We made a difference. We made the city stronger, we made the city freer, and we left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.”
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