Still a Time For Choosing

Folsom Jim Phillips from the Infinite Monkeys reminds us that today is an important anniversary for any good conservative:

Forty Years ago today, on October 27, 1964, Ronald Reagan gave one of the most memorable political speeches of the century on behalf of the ultimately unsuccessful Goldwater presidential campaign: "Rendezvous With Destiny", more popularly known as A Time for Choosing.

The speech is truly one of the greats; Read it here, or listen to it here.

James adds:

Human nature is such that we all too often rely on our leaders and our soldiers to show courage, strength and resolution. But sometimes, the American people need to step up to the plate, and make the right choice. This is such a time.

November 2, 2004 is, once again, "A Time for Choosing" for all of us. Choose wisely.

The example of Reagan - the lone figure (along with Goldwater) at the height of statism in 1964, standing almost alone against the rapacious O'Neil congress, having to face down his own advisers at Rejkjavik before again facing down Gorbachev...kinda makes beating a hamster like John Kerry look tame by comparison, doesn't it?

Listen to the speech. Or read it. Whatever - just absorb the lesson.

Especially this one:

Those who would trade our freedom for the soup kitchen of the welfare state have told us they have a utopian solution of peace without victory. They call their policy "accommodation." And they say if we'll only avoid any direct confrontation with the enemy, he'll forget his evil ways and learn to love us. All who oppose them are indicted as warmongers. They say we offer simple answers to complex problems. Well, perhaps there is a simple answer -- not an easy answer -- but simple: If you and I have the courage to tell our elected officials that we want our national policy based on what we know in our hearts is morally right.

We cannot buy our security, our freedom from the threat of the bomb by committing an immorality so great as saying to a billion human beings now enslaved behind the Iron Curtain, "Give up your dreams of freedom because to save our own skins, we're willing to make a deal with your slave masters." Alexander Hamilton said, "A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one." Now let's set the record straight. There's no argument over the choice between peace and war, but there's only one guaranteed way you can have peace -- and you can have it in the next second -- surrender.

Which, all the rationalizations and bloviations of the Kerry Kamp aside, is our choice today.

Posted by Mitch at October 27, 2004 05:11 AM | TrackBack