Today marks the 99th birthday of former President Ronald Wilson Reagan. Ronald Reagan was a movie star, television star, the 33rd Governor of California and two-term 40th President of the United States of America. 

Ronald Reagan was an American legend, icon and the perpetual hero in the white hat. For many he represents that ideal of a great leader we find severely lacking in today’s political culture.

People of a certain age remember all too well a time when America and The Soviet Union stood on the brink of nuclear apocalypse. It was Ronald Reagan who publicly called the Soviet Union “the evil empire”. He then proceeded to set foreign policy into motion that would ultimately collapse the world’s other super power without firing a single shot.

For over 40 years, a wall tore Germany in half and stood as a physical reminder of the ugliness and horror of communism.  It was Reagan who stood at that wall and demanded that it be torn down.

Reagan was bold, courageous, funny, likable, even lovable. Ronald Reagan was also hated. Those who have the courage to draw a line in the sand usually are.

Perhaps the best way to honor Ronald Reagan is to remember his words, many of which have become immortal.

Ronald Reagan:

Inspirational –

“If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”

“A people free to choose will always choose peace.”

“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.”

“All great change in America begins at the dinner table.”

“Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty.”

“Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them.”

“Democracy is worth dying for, because it’s the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man.”

“Each generation goes further than the generation preceding it because it stands on the shoulders of that generation. You will have opportunities beyond anything we’ve ever known.”

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”

“Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.”

“Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.”

“Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”

“How do you tell a communist? Well, it’s someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It’s someone who understands Marx and Lenin.”

“I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there’s purpose and worth to each and every life.”

“I’ve never been able to understand why a Republican contributor is a ‘fat cat’ and a Democratic contributor of the same amount of money is a ‘public-spirited philanthropist’.”

“If we love our country, we should also love our countrymen.”

Reagan’s Humor –

“It isn’t that liberals are ignorant. It’s just that they know so much that isn’t so.”

“My fellow Americans. I’m pleased to announce that I’ve signed legislation outlawing the Soviet Union. We begin bombing in five minutes.” -joking during a mike check before his Saturday radio broadcast

“It’s true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance?”

“I hope you’re all Republicans.” -speaking to surgeons as he entered the operating room following a 1981 assassination attempt

“Honey, I forgot to duck.” -to his wife, Nancy, after surviving the assassination attempt

“I am not worried about the deficit. It is big enough to take care of itself.”

“I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of national emergency — even if I’m in a Cabinet meeting.”

“Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.”

“The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”

“I want you to know that also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.” -during a 1984 presidential debate with Walter Mondale

“Recession is when your neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours. And recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his.”

A birthday celebration held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library will be streamed live HERE beginning at 10:30 am Pacific, 12:30 Central and 1:30p Eastern Today.

Reagan’s Great Speeches –

“Evil Empire”