By Robert B. Charles | AMAC
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Ronald Reagan’s First Inaugural Address, like a fine wine, continues to improve with time. Washington’s Farewell Address, Lincoln’s Second Inaugural, and Theodore Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena” Speech are like that. But Reagan’s words echo – loudly – right now. Why?
In 1980, the world was a train wreck, a major recession was underway, the Soviet Union was strong, the American military was demoralized, and Vietnam was a fresh memory. Fifty-two Americans were held hostage in Iran, taxes were high, drug abuse abounded, record homicides and public confidence was the lowest ever recorded (Pew).
Along came Ronald Reagan, confident in America’s future, resolved to create growth, bring the Soviets to an end, revitalize the military, put Vietnam behind us, bring our hostages home, deeply cut taxes, and restore public health, safety, and confidence.
Democrats, starting with incumbent Jimmy Carter – good man, poor leader – and his Democrat rival Ted Kennedy, would have none of it. They said Reagan was a danger, sure to cause World War III, could not get hostages back, and did not understand what insiders did.
The American people took stock of all this, as we do. They knew Reagan was a former governor, B-movie actor, conservative. But Carter was a flop. They liked Reagan’s authenticity, positive outlook, and optimism.
In 1980, Reagan carried 44 states (58.8 percent of the vote) to Carter’s six and DC (41 percent). By the Inauguration, January 20, 1981, the nation was curious about what Reagan would say.
His speech, in the midst of all this darkness, was light–informed, realistic, and forward-looking, said our greatest days lay “ahead of us,” and why. He took inspiration from the past, was inclusive, and earnest, and called for “a new beginning.”
Here is the spoiler, “bottom line up front,” last chapter first: This man, resolute, undeterrable, humorous, unbending, simple faith, strong heart, trust in destiny, and honorable, tapped into our “better angels,” and delivered.
In his first term, he reversed record stagflation, cut income taxes by 25 percent, created 18 million jobs, honored Vietnam, rebuilt the military, and restored public health, safety, and confidence.
He broke wage inflation by breaking an illegal strike. They broke the law, gone. Smooth as silk, brought in the National Guard, trained new air traffic controllers, and kept his word.
That act of resolve terrified the Soviet Politburo, still oppressing 300 million people in Russia and Eastern Europe. Reagan did what he said. He said they were “destined for the ash heap of history.” Iran sent all 52 hostages home at noon on January 20, immediately after Reagan was inaugurated. He had said, I am coming to get them.
So powerful is faith, resolve, and goodness in unison that Reagan realigned the nation, won 49 states in 1984, brought the Soviets to their knees, ended the “evil empire,” freed 300 million from communism, did what others said could not be done.
But the key, the real key, was that Reagan trusted the American people, and knew if he could just unlock their genius, faith, resolve, and goodness, all would change. He did. It did. Here is the end of the speech that started it all:
“And then beyond the Reflecting Pool, the dignified columns of the Lincoln Memorial… Whoever would understand in his heart the meaning of America will find it in the life of Abraham Lincoln.
“Beyond those … monuments to heroism, is the Potomac River, and on the far shore the sloping hills of Arlington National Cemetery, with its row upon row of simple white markers bearing crosses or Stars of David. They add up to only a tiny fraction of the price that has been paid for our freedom.
“Each one of those markers is a monument to the kind of hero I spoke of earlier. Their lives ended in places called Belleau Wood, the Argonne, Omaha Beach, Salerno, and halfway around the world on Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Pork Chop Hill, the Chosin Reservoir, and in a hundred rice paddies and jungles of a place called Vietnam.”
As this good man, destined to be a great president, spoke, his voice cracked…
“Under one such a marker lies a young man, Martin Treptow, who left his job in a small town barber shop in 1917 to go to France with the famed Rainbow Division. There, on the Western front, he was killed trying to carry a message between battalions under heavy fire. We’re told that on his body was found a diary. On the flyleaf under the heading, “My Pledge,” he had written these words:
‘America must win this war. Therefore, I will work; I will save; I will sacrifice; I will endure; I will fight cheerfully and do my utmost, as if the issue of the whole struggle depended on me alone.’
The crisis we are facing today does not require of us the kind of sacrifice that Martin Treptow and so many thousands of others were called upon to make. It does require, however, our best effort, and our willingness to believe in ourselves and to believe in our capacity to perform great deeds; to believe that together with God’s help we can and will resolve the problems which now confront us.
And after all, why shouldn’t we believe that? We are Americans.”
We are again in crisis. If there is such as destiny, Reagan personified that. He withstood mocking and assassination with honor. He speaks to us. To get our country back on track, we must “fight cheerfully to do our utmost, as if the issue of the whole struggle depended on us alone.” He told us, in so many words, today as then, it does. We can. We must.
Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, attorney, and naval intelligence officer (USNR). He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (2018), and is National Spokesman for AMAC.
