Here is the video clip of Reagan's Evil Empire speech, minus
the last two minutes. Scroll down for the transcript.
It follows the full text transcript of
Ronald Reagan's Evil Empire Speech, delivered in
the Citrus Crown Ballroom at the Sheraton Twin Towers Hotel at
Orlando, Florida - March 8, 1983.
Reverend Clergy
All,
Senator
Hawkins,
Distinguished
Members of the Florida Congressional Delegation,
and All of You,
I can't tell you
how you have warmed my heart with your welcome.
I'm delighted to be here today.
Those of you in the National Association of
Evangelicals are known for your spiritual and
humanitarian work. And I would be especially
remiss if I didn't discharge right now one
personal debt of gratitude. Thank you for your
prayers. Nancy and I have felt their presence
many times in many ways. And believe me, for us
they've made all the difference.
The other day in the East Room of the White
House at a meeting there, someone asked me
whether I was aware of all the people out there
who were praying for the President. And I had to
say, "Yes, I am. I've felt it. I believe in
intercessionary prayer.'' But I couldn't help
but say to that questioner after he'd asked the
question that, or at least say to them that if
sometimes when he was praying he got a busy
signal, it was just me in there ahead of him.
[Laughter] I think I understand how Abraham
Lincoln felt when he said, "I have been driven
many times to my knees by the overwhelming
conviction that I had nowhere else to go.''
From the joy and the good feeling of this
conference, I go to a political reception.
Now, I don't know why, but that bit
of scheduling reminds me of a story which I'll
share with you.
An evangelical minister and a politician arrived
at Heaven's gate one day together. And St.
Peter, after doing all the necessary
formalities, took them in hand to show them
where their quarters would be. And he took them
to a small, single room with a bed, a chair, and
a table and said this was for the clergyman. And
the politician was a little worried about what
might be in store for him. And he couldn't
believe it then when St. Peter stopped in front
of a beautiful mansion with lovely grounds, many
servants, and told him that these would be his
quarters.
And he couldn't help but ask, he said, "But
wait, how, there's something wrong, how do I get
this mansion while that good and holy man only
gets a single room?'' And St. Peter said, "You
have to understand how things are up here. We've
got thousands and thousands of clergy. You're
the first politician who ever made it.''
[Laughter]
But I don't want to contribute to a stereotype.
So, I tell you there are a great many
God-fearing, dedicated, noble men and women in
public life, present company included. And, yes,
we need your help to keep us ever mindful of the
ideas and the principles that brought us into
the public arena in the first place. The basis
of those ideals and principles is a commitment
to freedom and personal liberty that, itself, is
grounded in the much deeper realization that
freedom prospers only where the blessings of God
are avidly sought and humbly accepted.
The American experiment in democracy rests on
this insight. Its discovery was the great
triumph of our Founding Fathers, voiced by
William Penn when he said: "If we will not be
governed by God, we must be governed by
tyrants.'' Explaining the inalienable rights of
men, Jefferson said, "The God who gave us life,
gave us liberty at the same time.'' And it was
George Washington who said that "of all the
dispositions and habits which lead to political
prosperity, religion and morality are
indispensable supports.''
And finally, that shrewdest of all observers of
American democracy, Alexis de Tocqueville, put
it eloquently after he had gone on a search for
the secret of America's greatness and genius,
and he said: "Not until I went into the churches
of America and heard her pulpits aflame with
righteousness did I understand the greatness and
the genius of America, America is good. And if
America ever ceases to be good, America will
cease to be great.''
Well, I'm pleased to be here today with you who
are keeping America great by keeping her good.
Only through your work and prayers and those of
millions of others can we hope to survive this
perilous century and keep alive this experiment
in liberty, this last, best hope of man.
I want you to know that this administration is
motivated by a political philosophy that sees
the greatness of America in you, her people, and
in your families, churches, neighborhoods,
communities -- the institutions that foster and
nourish values like concern for others and
respect for the rule of law under God.
Now, I don't have to tell you that this puts us
in opposition to, or at least out of step with,
a prevailing attitude of many who have turned to
a modern-day secularism, discarding the tried
and time-tested values upon which our very
civilization is based. No matter how well
intentioned, their value system is radically
different from that of most Americans. And while
they proclaim that they're freeing us from
superstitions of the past, they've taken upon
themselves the job of superintending us by
government rule and regulation. Sometimes their
voices are louder than ours, but they are not
yet a majority.
An example of that vocal superiority is evident
in a controversy now going on in Washington. And
since I'm involved, I've been waiting to hear
from the parents of young America. How far are
they willing to go in giving to government their
prerogatives as parents?
Let me state the case as briefly and simply as I
can. An organization of citizens, sincerely
motivated and deeply concerned about the
increase in illegitimate births and abortions
involving girls well below the age of consent,
sometime ago established a nationwide network of
clinics to offer help to these girls and,
hopefully, alleviate this situation. Now, again,
let me say, I do not fault their intent.
However, in their well-intentioned effort, these
clinics have decided to provide advice and birth
control drugs and devices to underage girls
without the knowledge of their parents.
For some years now, the Federal Government has
helped with funds to subsidize these clinics. In
providing for this, the Congress decreed that
every effort would be made to maximize parental
participation. Nevertheless, the drugs and
devices are prescribed without getting parental
consent or giving notification after they've
done so. Girls termed sexually active,
and that has replaced the word promiscuous,
are given this help in order to prevent
illegitimate birth or abortion.
Well, we have ordered clinics receiving Federal
funds to notify the parents such help has been
given. One of the Nation's leading newspapers
has created the term "squeal rule'' in
editorializing against us for doing this, and
we're being criticized for violating the privacy
of young people. A judge has recently granted an
injunction against an enforcement of our rule.
I've watched TV panel shows discuss this issue,
seen columnists pontificating on our error, but
no one seems to mention morality as playing a
part in the subject of sex.
Is all of Judeo-Christian tradition wrong? Are
we to believe that something so sacred can be
looked upon as a purely physical thing with no
potential for emotional and psychological harm?
And isn't it the parents' right to give counsel
and advice to keep their children from making
mistakes that may affect their entire lives?
Many of us in government would like to know what
parents think about this intrusion in their
family by government. We're going to fight in
the courts. The right of parents and the rights
of family take precedence over those of
Washington-based bureaucrats and social
engineers.
But the fight against parental notification is
really only one example of many attempts to
water down traditional values and even abrogate
the original terms of American democracy.
Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and
the rule of law under God is acknowledged. When
our Founding Fathers passed the first amendment,
they sought to protect churches from government
interference. They never intended to construct a
wall of hostility between government and the
concept of religious belief itself.
The evidence of this permeates our history and
our government. The Declaration of Independence
mentions the Supreme Being no less than four
times. "In God We Trust'' is engraved on our
coinage. The Supreme Court opens its proceedings
with a religious invocation. And the Members of
Congress open their sessions with a prayer. I
just happen to believe the schoolchildren of the
United States are entitled to the same
privileges as Supreme Court Justices and
Congressmen.
Last year, I sent the Congress a constitutional
amendment to restore prayer to public schools.
Already this session, there's growing bipartisan
support for the amendment, and I am calling on
the Congress to act speedily to pass it and to
let our children pray.
Perhaps some of you read recently about the
Lubbock school case, where a judge actually
ruled that it was unconstitutional for a school
district to give equal treatment to religious
and nonreligious student groups, even when the
group meetings were being held during the
students' own time. The first amendment never
intended to require government to discriminate
against religious speech.
Senators Denton and Hatfield have proposed
legislation in the Congress on the whole
question of prohibiting discrimination against
religious forms of student speech. Such
legislation could go far to restore freedom of
religious speech for public school students. And
I hope the Congress considers these bills
quickly. And with your help, I think it's
possible we could also get the constitutional
amendment through the Congress this year.
More than a decade ago, a Supreme Court decision
literally wiped off the books of 50 States
statutes protecting the rights of unborn
children. Abortion on demand now takes the lives
of up to 1 1/2 million unborn children a year.
Human life legislation ending this tragedy will
some day pass the Congress, and you and I must
never rest until it does. Unless and until it
can be proven that the unborn child is not a
living entity, then its right to life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness must be protected.
You may remember that when abortion on demand
began, many, and, indeed, I'm sure many of you,
warned that the practice would lead to a decline
in respect for human life, that the
philosophical premises used to justify abortion
on demand would ultimately be used to justify
other attacks on the sacredness of human life --
infanticide or mercy killing. Tragically enough,
those warnings proved all too true. Only last
year a court permitted the death by starvation
of a handicapped infant.
I have directed the Health and Human Services
Department to make clear to every health care
facility in the United States that the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 protects all
handicapped persons against discrimination based
on handicaps, including infants. And we have
taken the further step of requiring that each
and every recipient of Federal funds who
provides health care services to infants must
post and keep posted in a conspicuous place a
notice stating that "discriminatory failure to
feed and care for handicapped infants in this
facility is prohibited by Federal law.'' It also
lists a 24-hour, toll-free number so that nurses
and others may report violations in time to save
the infant's life.
In addition, recent legislation introduced in
the Congress by Representative Henry Hyde of
Illinois not only increases restrictions on
publicly financed abortions, it also addresses
this whole problem of infanticide. I urge the
Congress to begin hearings and to adopt
legislation that will protect the right of life
to all children, including the disabled or
handicapped.
Now, I'm sure that you must get discouraged at
times, but you've done better than you know,
perhaps. There's a great spiritual awakening in
America, a renewal of the traditional values
that have been the bedrock of America's goodness
and greatness.
One recent survey by a Washington-based research
council concluded that Americans were far more
religious than the people of other nations; 95
percent of those surveyed expressed a belief in
God and a huge majority believed the Ten
Commandments had real meaning in their lives.
And another study has found that an overwhelming
majority of Americans disapprove of adultery,
teenage sex, pornography, abortion, and hard
drugs. And this same study showed a deep
reverence for the importance of family ties and
religious belief.
I think the items that we've discussed here
today must be a key part of the Nation's
political agenda. For the first time the
Congress is openly and seriously debating and
dealing with the prayer and abortion issues --
and that's enormous progress right there. I
repeat: America is in the midst of a spiritual
awakening and a moral renewal. And with your
Biblical keynote, I say today, "Yes, let justice
roll on like a river, righteousness like a
never-failing stream.''
Now, obviously, much of this new political and
social consensus I've talked about is based on a
positive view of American history, one that
takes pride in our country's accomplishments and
record. But we must never forget that no
government schemes are going to perfect man. We
know that living in this world means dealing
with what philosophers would call the
phenomenology of evil or, as theologians would
put it, the doctrine of sin.
There is sin and evil in the world, and we're
enjoined by Scripture and the Lord Jesus to
oppose it with all our might. Our nation, too,
has a legacy of evil with which it must deal.
The glory of this land has been its capacity for
transcending the moral evils of our past. For
example, the long struggle of minority citizens
for equal rights, once a source of disunity and
civil war, is now a point of pride for all
Americans. We must never go back. There is no
room for racism, anti-Semitism, or other forms
of ethnic and racial hatred in this country.
I know that you've been horrified, as have I, by
the resurgence of some hate groups preaching
bigotry and prejudice. Use the mighty voice of
your pulpits and the powerful standing of your
churches to denounce and isolate these hate
groups in our midst. The commandment given us is
clear and simple: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor
as thyself.''
But whatever sad episodes exist in our past, any
objective observer must hold a positive view of
American history, a history that has been the
story of hopes fulfilled and dreams made into
reality. Especially in this century, America has
kept alight the torch of freedom, but not just
for ourselves but for millions of others around
the world.
And this brings me to my final point today.
During my first press conference as President,
in answer to a direct question, I pointed out
that, as good Marxist-Leninists, the Soviet
leaders have openly and publicly declared that
the only morality they recognize is that which
will further their cause, which is world
revolution. I think I should point out I was
only quoting Lenin, their guiding spirit, who
said in 1920 that they repudiate all morality
that proceeds from supernatural ideas -- that's
their name for religion -- or ideas that are
outside class conceptions. Morality is entirely
subordinate to the interests of class war. And
everything is moral that is necessary for the
annihilation of the old, exploiting social order
and for uniting the proletariat.
Well, I think the refusal of many influential
people to accept this elementary fact of Soviet
doctrine illustrates an historical reluctance to
see totalitarian powers for what they are. We
saw this phenomenon in the 1930's. We see it too
often today.
This doesn't mean we should isolate ourselves
and refuse to seek an understanding with them. I
intend to do everything I can to persuade them
of our peaceful intent, to remind them that it
was the West that refused to use its nuclear
monopoly in the forties and fifties for
territorial gain and which now proposes
50-percent cut in strategic ballistic missiles
and the elimination of an entire class of
land-based, intermediate-range nuclear missiles.
At the same time, however, they must be made to
understand we will never compromise our
principles and standards. We will never give
away our freedom. We will never abandon our
belief in God. And we will never stop searching
for a genuine peace. But we can assure none of
these things America stands for through the
so-called nuclear freeze solutions proposed by
some.
The truth is that a freeze now would be a very
dangerous fraud, for that is merely the illusion
of peace. The reality is that we must find peace
through strength.
I would agree to a freeze if only we could
freeze the Soviets' global desires. A freeze at
current levels of weapons would remove any
incentive for the Soviets to negotiate seriously
in Geneva and virtually end our chances to
achieve the major arms reductions which we have
proposed. Instead, they would achieve their
objectives through the freeze.
A freeze would reward the Soviet Union for its
enormous and unparalleled military buildup. It
would prevent the essential and long overdue
modernization of United States and allied
defenses and would leave our aging forces
increasingly vulnerable. And an honest freeze
would require extensive prior negotiations on
the systems and numbers to be limited and on the
measures to ensure effective verification and
compliance. And the kind of a freeze that has
been suggested would be virtually impossible to
verify. Such a major effort would divert us
completely from our current negotiations on
achieving substantial reductions.
A number of years ago, I heard a young father, a
very prominent young man in the entertainment
world, addressing a tremendous gathering in
California. It was during the time of the cold
war, and communism and our own way of life were
very much on people's minds. And he was speaking
to that subject. And suddenly, though, I heard
him saying, "I love my little girls more than
anything.'' And I said to myself, "Oh, no,
don't. You can't, don't say that.'' But I had
underestimated him. He went on: "I would rather
see my little girls die now, still believing in
God, than have them grow up under communism and
one day die no longer believing in God.''
There were thousands of young people in that
audience. They came to their feet with shouts of
joy. They had instantly recognized the profound
truth in what he had said, with regard to the
physical and the soul and what was truly
important.
Yes, let us pray for the salvation of all of
those who live in that totalitarian darkness --
pray they will discover the joy of knowing God.
But until they do, let us be aware that while
they preach the supremacy of the state, declare
its omnipotence over individual man, and predict
its eventual domination of all peoples on the
Earth, they are the focus of evil in the modern
world.
It was C. S. Lewis who, in his unforgettable "Screwtape
Letters,'' wrote: "The greatest evil is not done
now in those sordid dens of crime that Dickens
loved to paint. It is not even done in
concentration camps and labor camps. In those we
see its final result. But it is conceived and
ordered (moved, seconded, carried and minuted)
in clear, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted
offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut
fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not
need to raise their voice.''
Well, because these "quiet men'' do not "raise
their voices,'' because they sometimes speak in
soothing tones of brotherhood and peace,
because, like other dictators before them,
they're always making "their final territorial
demand,'' some would have us accept them at
their word and accommodate ourselves to their
aggressive impulses. But if history teaches
anything, it teaches that simple-minded
appeasement or wishful thinking about our
adversaries is folly. It means the betrayal of
our past, the squandering of our freedom.
So, I urge you to speak out against those who
would place the United States in a position of
military and moral inferiority. You know, I've
always believed that old Screwtape reserved his
best efforts for those of you in the church. So,
in your discussions of the nuclear freeze
proposals, I urge you to beware the temptation
of pride -- the temptation of blithely declaring
yourselves above it all and label both sides
equally at fault, to ignore the facts of history
and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire,
to simply call the arms race a giant
misunderstanding and thereby remove yourself
from the struggle between right and wrong and
good and evil.
I ask you to resist the attempts of those who
would have you withhold your support for our
efforts, this administration's efforts, to keep
America strong and free, while we negotiate real
and verifiable reductions in the world's nuclear
arsenals and one day, with God's help, their
total elimination.
While America's military strength is important,
let me add here that I've always maintained that
the struggle now going on for the world will
never be decided by bombs or rockets, by armies
or military might. The real crisis we face today
is a spiritual one; at root, it is a test of
moral will and faith.
Whittaker Chambers, the man whose own religious
conversion made him a witness to one of the
terrible traumas of our time, the Hiss-Chambers
case, wrote that the crisis of the Western World
exists to the degree in which the West is
indifferent to God, the degree to which it
collaborates in communism's attempt to make man
stand alone without God. And then he said, for
Marxism-Leninism is actually the second oldest
faith, first proclaimed in the Garden of Eden
with the words of temptation, "Ye shall be as
gods.''
The Western World can answer this challenge, he
wrote, "but only provided that its faith in God
and the freedom He enjoins is as great as
communism's faith in Man.''
I believe we shall rise to the challenge. I
believe that communism is another sad, bizarre
chapter in human history whose last pages even
now are being written. I believe this because
the source of our strength in the quest for
human freedom is not material, but spiritual.
And because it knows no limitation, it must
terrify and ultimately triumph over those who
would enslave their fellow man. For in the words
of Isaiah: "He giveth power to the faint; and to
them that have no might He increased strength. .
. . But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew
their strength; they shall mount up with wings
as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary. . .
.''
Yes, change your world. One of our Founding
Fathers, Thomas Paine, said, "We have it within
our power to begin the world over again.'' We
can do it, doing together what no one church
could do by itself.
Also called the
Persian Wars, the Greco-Persian Wars were
fought for almost half a century from 492 BC -
449 BC. Greece won against enormous odds. Here
is more:
