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Tribute
to President Ronald
Reagan
Ronald
Reagan is a role model and hero to
Nancy Rister. He motivated her to get
involved in politics. The following
remarks were presented by Mrs. Rister
at the Williamson County's annual
Reagan Day Dinner on February 19,
2001.
Tonight
we remember President Ronald Reagan
because his birthday was Feb. 6th. How
appropriate that we celebrate it on
President's Day when the country
celebrates two other great Presidents
whose birthdays are this month-George
Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
Ronald
Reagan inspired me to get involved when I
heard him speak at a rally in Midland when
he was running for President. I got within
6 feet of him but was too shy in those
days to push forward and shake his hand. I
joined the National Party and soon became
involved locally.
He
is known for many famous lines. We
remember the words on the evening of the
Challenger disaster, as he was to address
the nation on the State of the Union but
spoke of the crew who waved goodbye as
they walked on board. Soon they "slipped
the surly bonds of earth to touch the face
of God."
We
remember him speaking about the Evil
Empire and his words to Gen. Sec.
Gorbachev to open the gate and tear down
the Berlin Wall.
Perhaps
you were in Houston or watched on TV the
Republican National Convention in 1992
when he said, "This fellow they've
nominated claims he's the new Thomas
Jefferson. Well, let me tell you
something….I knew Thomas Jefferson.
He was a friend of mine…. Governor,
you're no Thomas Jefferson!"
Perhaps
you remember him telling us, "there seems
to be an increasing awareness of something
we Americans have known for some time.
That the ten most dangerous words in the
English language are "Hi, I'm from the
government and I'm here to
help."
"We
have long since discovered that nothing
lasts longer than a temporary government
program."
Let
me share some of the things I found that
you may not know about him. Did you know
that on Nancy's birthday he sent flowers
to his mother-in-law when she was alive
because he was so grateful for the
wonderful daughter she had and he removed
the mother-in-law jokes from his
speeches.
He
was a deeply religious man. In one speech
he said that "with freedom goes
responsibility. Sir Winston Churchill once
said you can have 10,000 regulations and
still not have respect for the law. We
might start with the 10 Commandments. If
we lived by the Golden Rule, there would
be no need for other laws."
At
a NRA banquet he said, "Standing up for
America also means standing up for God who
has blessed this land. If we could just
keep remembering that Moses brought down
from the mountain the Ten Commandments,
not ten suggestions-and if those of us who
live for the Lord could remember that He
wants us to love our Lord and our
neighbor, then there's no limit to the
problems we could solve or the mountains
we could climb together as a mighty force
for good. The United States remains the
last, best hope for a mankind plagued by
tyranny and deprivation. America is no
stronger than its people and that means
you and me. Well, I believe in you, and I
believe that if we work together, then one
day we will say, "We fought the good
fight. We finished the race. We kept the
faith." And to our children and our
childrens' children we can say, "We did
all that could be done in the brief time
that was given to us here on this
earth.
Here
is one our Commissioners Court can
appreciate when in 1981 he said, "You
know, the difference between local
government and Washington is very simple.
Recently, there was a little town whose
traffic signs were only 5 ft high and they
decided to raise them for better
visibility for the motorists to 7 ft above
the ground. The federal government came in
and said that they had a program that
would do that for them. They lowered the
pavement 2 ft."
He
said this at a luncheon for USC and Notre
Dame on Nov. 23, 1990… "In closing, I
know some of you are wondering if I'm
going to say that line from a certain
movie. But I know better than to take
sides so I've come up with what I hope
will be a good compromise. As you may
know, tomorrow I will flip the coin to
officially start the game. So if you'll
permit a little modification: Will you
tell your teams to go out there and win
one for the Flipper?"
Another
time he concluded his remarks as I am
about to with "a little Irish
blessing-although, some suggest it's a
curse: May those who love us, love us. And
those who don't love us, may God turn
their hearts. And if He doesn't turn their
hearts may He turn their ankles so we'll
know them by their limping."
On
President Reagan's 83rd birthday
celebration at the RNC gala in D.C. he
said this:
"Now
as most of you know, I'm not one for
looking back. I figure there will be
plenty of time for that when I get
old."
He
turned 90 this month but he probably was
not aware of it. The cruelty of Alzhiemers
has robbed Pres. Reagan of his memories to
look back to just as it robbed my Dad. But
we haven't forgotten President Reagan or
his accomplishments. I think it would be
fitting to remember this President,
undoubtedly the greatest President in my
lifetime so far, in prayer and lift Nancy
as she cares for him now and Maureen who
is battling cancer also up in prayer.
But
I also want us to pray for our new
President, Laura, the girls and all those
he took with him to Washington. As Sen.
Gramm will surely agree with me-Washington
isn't like Texas and they need our daily
prayers, too, so would you stand with me
and bow your head for a moment of silent
prayer?
Thank
you. Please be seated.
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