I might have to stop listening to the 50 Greatest Speeches. It is really depressing. This morning, I ventured back to the Brandenburg Gate to hear a portion of President Reagan’s “Tear Down this Wall” speech. Here is the link:
Reagan, like Kennedy before him, stands on the line dividing the world. He speeches unapologetic truth to the forces of evil assembled against freedom. He stands with the oppressed against the evil oppressor. He stands as an American President speaking for America to the world—and, most importantly, to its enemies. Again, I was shaken by how this has changed. President Reagan spoke FOR America TO the world and our enemies. President Obama speaks ABOUT America (usually by way of chiding us) to the world and our enemies. President Obama is an eloquent speaker, but he will never be remember as a great speaker because his worldview is wrong. He is having trouble seeing reality—very plain reality. The flaw, it seems to me, concerns human nature. I believe that President Obama thinks that evil men (men who would like to kill everyone in New York) will be won over if we show solidarity with them and support (or maybe support…or still thinking about it) their goals. He thinks (President Bush the “W” seemed confused on this at some points as well) that if we are nice to radical Islam, then their hearts will warm toward us. This will never happen. There are foundational contradictions between the West and Islam (not radical Islam—just Islam).
Perhaps this will make it more clear: I am ready to support a mosque near ground zero as soon as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Qatar, the UAE, Afghanistan, Egypt and Lybia allow freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and require that as the rule of law.
When Reagan and Kennedy, saw evil, they opposed it. When Chamberlain and Obama see evil, they placate it. Chamberlain bought us WWII. What will Obama’s folly cost? (Remember, there are nuclear weapons on the other side now.)
This is why a classical Christian education is so important. A student of history could not do what, I fear, President Obama is doing now. Evil and oppression must be opposed—not coddled. It must be fought not compromised with. It must be denounced not encouraged. The men of the West longing for freedom have recognized this time and time again. The Greeks died at Marathon and Thermopylae fought and died rather than surrender to the Persian king, Gideon fought against stacked odds and conquered the hosts of Midian. Charles Martel knew this at Tours. Washington knew this at Valley Forge. Churchill knew this as bombs fell on Britain. Kennedy and Reagan saw this clearly at Berlin. Now, however, it seems that we cannot what should be plain.
