A Real President

It may be that in our darkest hour, what is needed more that fine words and righteous indignation is courage. One time, not so long ago, this country was suffering from humiliations abroad and economic distress at home. But a man stepped forth into the vacuum of leadership in Washington; and though he alone was not enough to constrain the growth of government, he showed the wisdom, leadership, and adherence to principle enough to inspire a generation to value its precious freedoms.

Ronald Reagan was revered and reviled for his ability to speak plainly, to sense the pulse of the American people, to soothe national wounds and to inspire citizens to aspire to personal greatness. There are many on the right who claim that the era of Reagan is dead, that liberty and responsibility are old-fashioned ideas; but if that be true, then the era of America is dead.

But I refuse to believe that. I will take up Reagan's mantle, as each one of us must, and carry the war of ideas to the enemy. Our children, out forefathers, our Founding Fathers know that we can and we must live up to our generation's calling: To preserve the Republic from the most dire threat it has ever faced - the enemy within.

We must renew our principles, our morals, and our courage with such wise words as were spoken at Ronald Reagan's Inauguration in 1981. We must be our own leadership until we find the right man or woman to lead the nascent movement to restore our liberty; and for examples of the leadership that will be sufficient to the task, we must turn to the past - to the Reagans and the Churchills, to the Jacksons and the Washingtons - men who endured incredibly perilous times, and who met their allotted challenges with steely persistence, bold principles, and unwavering grace.