Every year – and with increasing intensity – the media and radical liberal politicians seem to be doing everything possible to continue their attack on the American holiday. Whether it’s Independence Day or Thanksgiving, their attempts to undo these hallmarks of our nation’s traditions reflect an intent to further drive a wedge between neighbors and deepen the dividing lines in our society.
The real tragedy is that this holiday is meant to bring us together as one nation with a common heritage and a unified optimism for the future. Rarely have we had leaders able to tap into the national consciousness to rekindle that unifying spirit so fondly remembered by many of us.
Ronald Reagan gives a memorable Columbus Day proclamation
Of all the holidays the left has tried to cancel, Columbus Day tops the list. Even now, we have leaders in office who regularly use Columbus Day as an opportunity to attack the foundation of this nation.
Fortunately for those of us who remember and respect our history, it hasn’t been that long since we had a President who not only stood up for Columbus Day, but also understood the meaning and the historical context of the holiday, using it to bring Americans together.
On October 3, 1988, President Ronald Reagan did just that when he signed the Columbus Day Proclamation reaffirming October 3 as a national holiday, which began under President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937.
Look:
RELATED: The left cancels Columbus Day across the country
Ronald Reagan talks about true bravery on Columbus Day
Ronald Reagan spoke of courage, hope and determination in his Columbus Day proclamation in 1988. Virtues that seem lost to so many people today.
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In the times we live in, the word “valour” often seems to have been watered down. The virtues of courage and sacrifice are so often used to describe acts that fall short that for some they have lost the depth of their meaning. Reagan then understood what true bravery was when describing the journey of Christopher Columbus to the New World.
“It is on this day that we revisit the enduring lessons of his courage and his leadership,” Reagan told the crowd that gathered in the East Room of the White House. “Columbus, of course, has always held a special place in our history, not just for its journey of exploration, but for the spirit it embodied.”
“He was a dreamer, a man of vision and courage,” continued Reagan, “a man of vision and courage, a man filled with hope for the future and the determination to cast off for the unknown and sail to uncharted seas for the joy of finding what was there.
“Put it all together and you could say Columbus was the inventor of the American dream.”
The American dream, a dream of millions
Certain individuals and groups of people who have hatred in their hearts for our nation regularly paint and distort the image of our country to appear as something that Americans are not inherently intolerant and hateful. While critics hurl their hateful accusations, the greater truth is exemplified by the millions of people around the world who have risked their lives to come to this country for a better life. This was true a hundred years ago and it is still true today.
America is not without flaws. Yet our nation remains a beacon of freedom and hope for many for one clear reason: our nation was founded on the premise of a better future.
In his 1988 proclamation, Ronald Reagan took a moment to recognize people other than Christopher Columbus, using this moment to highlight the legacy and contributions of Italian immigrants to our country.
“For just as Columbus,” he said, “a son of Italy, ushered in the age of European exploration in this hemisphere, so millions of Italian Americans contributed to the building this nation of aspirations on this continent of hope”. .”
“Over the years, millions of people have left this country for these shores, often carrying little more than prayers in their hearts and determination in their souls. And as they came, they brought with them the rich heritage of their homeland, and gave its wealth and strength to our land.
Columbus Day is quintessentially American
Columbus Day stands apart from some other holidays we celebrate because it is quintessentially American to the core. It’s not just one man. Columbus Day is the occasion for the birth and growth of a nation that continues to be the pinnacle of prosperity for many around the world. Our house. America.
As Ronald Reagan remarked, “Yes, Columbus Day is an American holiday, a day to celebrate not only an intrepid researcher, but also the dreams and opportunities that brought so many here after him and all that they and all immigrants have given to this land.”
If you enjoyed watching President Reagan’s 1988 Columbus Day proclamation, you can read his full 1986 proclamation in Senator Ted Cruz’s tweet thread below.
1/x In honor of Columbus Day, and as a proud Italian-American, I give you Reagan’s Proclamation of 1986, reproduced in full.
It’s tragic that we don’t teach young people that anymore.
October 8, 1986
By the President of the United States of America: https://t.co/OGpVno2Y7P—Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) October 11, 2021
We invite you to share this message far and wide if you are proud of your American heritage.
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