Mr. President, Tear Down this Fire Wall

Even the most nostalgic must admit that good and bad leaders are to be found throughout history. What this antiquarian longs for, though, is a return to leaders who espouse American values.

The news feed coming into my home these days is quite troubling, and not because of the dastardly deeds of some far off country. Instead, its the near-treasonous disregard for our values by which our own nation is led.

In the past, American leaders, good and bad, universally acknowledged this nation's commitment to long held values, like fairness, hard work, and thrift. Not so anymore.  Now, its every man for himself, and fear rules the day.

I've been watching old videos of Ronald Reagan, one of our Presidents' with the greatest ability to sell America on itself. Oh, how I long for the days when he was Commander in Chief!

Maybe its the fact that he lived through the Depression and WWII, or maybe its all those years of acting classes -- whatever it is, Reagan talks about America with the same sincere reverence one talks about their one true love!

Here are some of Reagan's words, from his first inaugural address, to inspire you as to what we can expect from an American President, if only one from the past:

Well, I believe we, the Americans of today, are ready to act worthy of ourselves, ready to do what must be done to ensure happiness and liberty for ourselves, our children and our children's children.

And as we renew ourselves here in our own land, we will be seen as having greater strength throughout the world. We will again be the exemplar of freedom and a beacon of hope for those who do not now have freedom. 

To those neighbors and allies who share our freedom, we will strengthen our historic ties and assure them of our support and firm commitment. We will match loyalty with loyalty. We will strive for mutually beneficial relations. We will not use our friendship to impose on their sovereignty, for our own sovereignty is not for sale.

As for the enemies of freedom, those who are potential adversaries, they will be reminded that peace is the highest aspiration of the American people. We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it; we will not surrender for it—now or ever.