Larry Klayman
Thankful for the past, hopeful for the future
By Larry Klayman
On Thanksgiving Day, I read several chapters of President Ronald Reagan's autobiography, "An American Life," which I bought at the Reagan Library a few months earlier.
This reminded me of the simplicity and clarity of his world vision, his recounting of history in this era and his courage. Reagan was a confident and positive man, unafraid to tackle the significant and perilous events that swirled around him – from the nation's then "malaise" and ruined economy left by his seriously flawed if not foolish predecessor, President Jimmy Carter, to the challenge of bringing down the "evil empire," at the time known as the Soviet Union. Indeed, ever since his departure as president in 1989, the country has been devoid of real leadership and as a result has headed in the nosedive it now finds itself in under the rule of a socialist, Marxist, pro-Islam, anti-American president who not only has malevolent intent to remake the United States in his own image, but has a latent hatred for persons who are not of his ilk. The reading of President Reagan's memoirs was a real inspiration to me; a sign that we can, with fearless courage and real sacrifice and personal risk, reclaim the vision of our Founding Fathers and again make the nation that "shining city on a hill" the Gipper talked about.
Let me share with you just one portion of Reagan's autobiography to emphasize just how well the nation was left under his tenure and how, as the eternal optimist and visionary, he believed that our problems – which pale in comparison to today – could be solved into the future. Recounting his and Nancy's flight from Andrews Air Force Base on Air Force One from Washington back home to Santa Barbara, Calif., on the last day of his presidency, he mused:
"And, as I reflected on what we had accomplished, I had a sense of incompleteness – that there still was work to be done. We need a constitutional amendment to require a balanced budget. Congressional redistricting has become a national disgrace and needs to be cleaned up. The president needs a line-item veto to cut out unnecessary spending.
"I said earlier that in Hollywood if you didn't sing or dance, you became an after-dinner speaker. I didn't learn to sing or dance in Washington, so I was thinking about my plans to be back out there on the speaking circuit, trying to get people to pressure their representatives to take action on these issues.
"Just then there was a quiet knock on the door of our cabin and I was reminded that we were taking our last ride aboard what had been Air Force One. We were told there was a gathering of all those on board – staff, press, and Secret Service – a chance to say good-bye before we landed. There were warm handshakes, tearful embraces, and lots of picture-taking. Finally, champagne was poured and glasses were raised. 'Mission accomplished, Mr. President,' someone called out, 'mission accomplished.' 'Not yet, I thought to myself, not yet.'"
[Ronald Reagan, "An American Life: The Autobiography," Simon and Schuster, pp. 725-726 (1990).]
Amazing, in 1989, all President Reagan believed that needed to be done to set the nation straight and complete his work was a balanced budget, a line-item veto and congressional redistricting. This was a thankful age, one that held out much hope for the future, particularly since the 40th president had reshaped the United States in his own conservative image, which emphasized personal freedom, not a socialist welfare state that worships government rather than God.
Today, we confront more than just a few problems, to put it mildly. Our current president, who lacks legitimacy to even be president since he's not a "natural born citizen" as required by the Constitution, is mired in serious scandal – from NSA-gate, to IRS-gate, to Benghazi and Extortion 17-gate, to Obamacare-gate, to Fast and Furious-gate, to name just a few outrages. And, with his latest bow to Islam, the "mullah in chief" has again thrown not just Israel but our own security interests under the bus, with a Neville Chamberlain-type appeasement deal with his "fellow mullahs" in Tehran over Iran's nuclear facilities and capabilities to build atomic weapons, which this neo-Nazi Muslim regime has threatened repeatedly to use to wipe Jews and Christians off the face of the map.
To those ultra -leftists apologists such as Al Sharpton and Martin Bashir, who, focusing on shamelessly bashing persons such as myself and other patriots not afraid to go against the current regime, intentionally turn a blind eye to reality and wonder why I say that the criminal in the White House bows down to Allah, his current deal with Iran is proof positive of his allegiance to Islamic interests over America and Israel. Just today, the Ayatollah Khatami warned President Obama not to include Israel in any nuclear negotiations because "the Jewish state must be destroyed." The terrorist leader and member of Iran's Assembly of Experts says, "However, we firmly believe (Israel) must be wiped off the face of the earth and we don't recognize (its existence)."
Things do indeed look bleak this Thanksgiving. But like President Reagan, and taking a page from his self-confident optimism for the nation, I am more than hopeful that by the grace of God, the American people will rise up in the near future and peacefully rid the nation of the scourge that now occupies the White House, as the corrupt Republican leaders on Capitol Hill stand by raking in money for their 2014 political election coffers and continue to allow Obama to wreak havoc on our Judeo-Christian heritage and well-being.
We the People have no choice but to be optimistic, just as our Founding Fathers were when they declared independence in 1776, when all seemed bleak under the despotic rule of another tyrant, King George III.
So let us be thankful this holiday period that we still, barely, have a nation to save. And, with courage and sacrifice, we will save America and reclaim it as that "shining city on a hill" our great 20th century president did so much to further.
Join the Second American Revolution in honor of this great man, our country and God. We must save the United States from destruction under our current leadership. See www.reclaimamericanow.net to view our Reclaim America Now Coalition rally on Nov. 19 proclaiming the Second American Revolution with a host of activist speakers.
© Larry Klayman
On Thanksgiving Day, I read several chapters of President Ronald Reagan's autobiography, "An American Life," which I bought at the Reagan Library a few months earlier.
This reminded me of the simplicity and clarity of his world vision, his recounting of history in this era and his courage. Reagan was a confident and positive man, unafraid to tackle the significant and perilous events that swirled around him – from the nation's then "malaise" and ruined economy left by his seriously flawed if not foolish predecessor, President Jimmy Carter, to the challenge of bringing down the "evil empire," at the time known as the Soviet Union. Indeed, ever since his departure as president in 1989, the country has been devoid of real leadership and as a result has headed in the nosedive it now finds itself in under the rule of a socialist, Marxist, pro-Islam, anti-American president who not only has malevolent intent to remake the United States in his own image, but has a latent hatred for persons who are not of his ilk. The reading of President Reagan's memoirs was a real inspiration to me; a sign that we can, with fearless courage and real sacrifice and personal risk, reclaim the vision of our Founding Fathers and again make the nation that "shining city on a hill" the Gipper talked about.
Let me share with you just one portion of Reagan's autobiography to emphasize just how well the nation was left under his tenure and how, as the eternal optimist and visionary, he believed that our problems – which pale in comparison to today – could be solved into the future. Recounting his and Nancy's flight from Andrews Air Force Base on Air Force One from Washington back home to Santa Barbara, Calif., on the last day of his presidency, he mused:
"And, as I reflected on what we had accomplished, I had a sense of incompleteness – that there still was work to be done. We need a constitutional amendment to require a balanced budget. Congressional redistricting has become a national disgrace and needs to be cleaned up. The president needs a line-item veto to cut out unnecessary spending.
"I said earlier that in Hollywood if you didn't sing or dance, you became an after-dinner speaker. I didn't learn to sing or dance in Washington, so I was thinking about my plans to be back out there on the speaking circuit, trying to get people to pressure their representatives to take action on these issues.
"Just then there was a quiet knock on the door of our cabin and I was reminded that we were taking our last ride aboard what had been Air Force One. We were told there was a gathering of all those on board – staff, press, and Secret Service – a chance to say good-bye before we landed. There were warm handshakes, tearful embraces, and lots of picture-taking. Finally, champagne was poured and glasses were raised. 'Mission accomplished, Mr. President,' someone called out, 'mission accomplished.' 'Not yet, I thought to myself, not yet.'"
[Ronald Reagan, "An American Life: The Autobiography," Simon and Schuster, pp. 725-726 (1990).]
Amazing, in 1989, all President Reagan believed that needed to be done to set the nation straight and complete his work was a balanced budget, a line-item veto and congressional redistricting. This was a thankful age, one that held out much hope for the future, particularly since the 40th president had reshaped the United States in his own conservative image, which emphasized personal freedom, not a socialist welfare state that worships government rather than God.
Today, we confront more than just a few problems, to put it mildly. Our current president, who lacks legitimacy to even be president since he's not a "natural born citizen" as required by the Constitution, is mired in serious scandal – from NSA-gate, to IRS-gate, to Benghazi and Extortion 17-gate, to Obamacare-gate, to Fast and Furious-gate, to name just a few outrages. And, with his latest bow to Islam, the "mullah in chief" has again thrown not just Israel but our own security interests under the bus, with a Neville Chamberlain-type appeasement deal with his "fellow mullahs" in Tehran over Iran's nuclear facilities and capabilities to build atomic weapons, which this neo-Nazi Muslim regime has threatened repeatedly to use to wipe Jews and Christians off the face of the map.
To those ultra -leftists apologists such as Al Sharpton and Martin Bashir, who, focusing on shamelessly bashing persons such as myself and other patriots not afraid to go against the current regime, intentionally turn a blind eye to reality and wonder why I say that the criminal in the White House bows down to Allah, his current deal with Iran is proof positive of his allegiance to Islamic interests over America and Israel. Just today, the Ayatollah Khatami warned President Obama not to include Israel in any nuclear negotiations because "the Jewish state must be destroyed." The terrorist leader and member of Iran's Assembly of Experts says, "However, we firmly believe (Israel) must be wiped off the face of the earth and we don't recognize (its existence)."
Things do indeed look bleak this Thanksgiving. But like President Reagan, and taking a page from his self-confident optimism for the nation, I am more than hopeful that by the grace of God, the American people will rise up in the near future and peacefully rid the nation of the scourge that now occupies the White House, as the corrupt Republican leaders on Capitol Hill stand by raking in money for their 2014 political election coffers and continue to allow Obama to wreak havoc on our Judeo-Christian heritage and well-being.
We the People have no choice but to be optimistic, just as our Founding Fathers were when they declared independence in 1776, when all seemed bleak under the despotic rule of another tyrant, King George III.
So let us be thankful this holiday period that we still, barely, have a nation to save. And, with courage and sacrifice, we will save America and reclaim it as that "shining city on a hill" our great 20th century president did so much to further.
Join the Second American Revolution in honor of this great man, our country and God. We must save the United States from destruction under our current leadership. See www.reclaimamericanow.net to view our Reclaim America Now Coalition rally on Nov. 19 proclaiming the Second American Revolution with a host of activist speakers.
© Larry Klayman
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