The Last Best Hope of Man on Earth
Throughout his life, Ronald Reagan delivered many memorable speeches. Americans remember them by their names–”To Restore America,” “A Time for Choosing,” “City Upon a Hill.” His speeches sought to challenge and comfort, strengthen and nurture and instill in us all a reminder of what it means to be an American. No where is this more evident than his address at the first annual CPAC conference, a speech which ended with the immortal line, “We are indeed, and we are today, the last best hope of man on earth.”
Tonight, another American President known for his speeches took to the podium, hoping to bring healing to a community and nation in need. Speaking at the Tuscon memorial service, President Barack Obama sought to echo the sentiments expressed by President Reagan some 37 years ago. Recognizing the caustic fallout from the weekend’s tragic shooting, Obama, in his own way, called for a renewed sense of civility in the political discourse ringing out across the land, a promising tone from a President who has remained virtually silent since the shootings as his supporters concocted hate-filled ad hominem attacks on conservative pundits.
If we are to live up to Reagan’s legacy, we need to begin by acknowledging Obama said the “right things,” time will tell if his followers heed his advice. We need not engage in verbal sparring with our political opponents; we must only hold firm to the principles and truths we know to be true. If this unleashes an angry tidal wave of abuse from the Left, we must refuse to be drawn offsides by their hard count, and instead focus the attention back on the principles we believe make the United States THE exceptional nation.
