Commentary
-
Our commentary partners will help you reach your own conclusions on complex topics.
Regardless of what any American feels about what steps we should take in response to Vladimir Putin’s aggressive war in Ukraine, for sure most are appalled by what he has done.
As Putin moves to regain Russian control over nations that once were part of the Soviet sphere, we ought to think about the circumstances under which the Soviet Union collapsed to consider how it all might be reversed.
In March 1983, President Ronald Reagan spoke to the National Association of Evangelicals and delivered what would famously become known as the speech in which he called the Soviet Union the “evil empire.”
Discussing America’s effort to confront the Soviet Union’s nuclear arsenal, President Ronald Reagan said
“I urge you to be aware of the temptation of pride, the temptation of blithely declaring yourselves above it all and label both sides equally at fault, to ignore the facts of history, and the aggressive impulses of an evil empire to simply call the arms race a giant misunderstanding and thereby remove yourselves from the struggle of right and wrong, good and evil.”
Reagan spoke more than powerful words of truth that day. He spoke almost as a prophet.
In that speech he said that, “While America’s military strength is important, let me add here that I have always maintained that the struggle now going on for the world will never be decided by bombs or rockets, by armies or military might. The real crisis we face today is a spiritual one; it is a test of moral will and faith.”
Some eight years later, the Soviet Union, which for years during the Cold War was thought to be the superpower rival of the United States, collapsed.
There was no war. There was just Reagan’s unwavering commitment to the principles he articulated that day in 1983.
Eight years after that speech, in 1991, the Ukraine, now under siege by Putin, was independent and free.
Now, here we are some 30 years later, as Americans watch events unfold in the Ukraine, perhaps we should refocus on what’s going on in our own country.
For if we lose a sense of the importance and relevance of Reagan’s words as they apply at home today, we surely will not know how to relate to events as they transpire in the rest of the world.
And there is plenty of reason to believe we are losing that perspective here at home.
We see a direct correlation within our own borders, in our own country, of the decline in faith in the eternal principles that keep us free and safe, and, with this decline, Americans are gradually, but decisively, choosing to abandon our freedoms.
In a survey published at the end of last year, Gallup reported that 69 percent of Americans self-identified as Christians in 2021 compared to 90 percent who self-identified as Christians in 1971.
In 2021, twenty-one percent of Americans said they have “no religion” compared to only 4 percent in 1971.
In 1965, 70 percent of Americans said religion was “very important” to them. By 2021 this was down to 49 percent.
Coincident with the decline of the importance that Americans give to religion, Americans now have turned over their lives increasingly to more government – government control.
In 1950, government at the federal, state, and local level took almost 23 percent of the American economy. In 2020, that reached almost 45 percent.
So let’s turn back again to what Reagan said.
Reagan said in that same speech, “We must never forget that no government schemes are going to perfect man.”
Our struggle, according to Reagan, is about good and evil.
It’s not an accident that as America retreats in this struggle, as Americans increasingly believe that government can perfect man, and as we relinquish our freedoms that despots like Putin will step forward and try to move the world back to a darker time.
We must not let that happen. We must regain as Americans our moral strength, our moral integrity, our moral character.
-
Biden using taxpayer dollars to buy voters is indefensible
In July 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned President Biden’s attempt to cancel more than $400 billion in student debt. Biden has since been exploring ways to bypass the ruling. Recently, he announced that over 270,000 individuals enrolled in his income-driven repayment plan (SAVE) will have $7.4 billion in debt canceled. This action brings the…
-
Trump should move ahead with federal abortion bans
Decades-long Republican efforts to roll back abortion access are now paying off in the aftermath of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court ruling which overturned Roe v. Wade. And yet today, an overwhelming majority of Americans say that they believe at least some abortion access should be protected. GOP presidential candidate Donald…
-
Biden’s White House shows hostility toward Christianity on Easter
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden recently hosted an education-themed Easter egg roll at the White House, while also acknowledging International Transgender Day of Visibility. Some Republicans criticized the White House for banning religious themes from designs in the children’s egg decorating contest. Straight Arrow News contributor Star Parker argues that the White House…
-
Kamala Harris’s abortion clinic visit endorses crime against humanity
Kamala Harris became the first American vice president in history to visit an abortion services provider while in office on Thursday, Mar. 14. That visit was a part of her “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour, which she hopes will mobilize Americans concerned about dwindling access to reproductive healthcare and abortion services. Straight Arrow News contributor…
-
Schumer must stand down on attacks against Israel
On March 14, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, issued a stark warning that Israel was at risk of becoming a “pariah,” and advocated for a new election to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Schumer’s remarks on the Senate floor, notable given his history of unwavering support for the Jewish state, sparked widespread controversy among…
Latest Opinions
-
Supreme Court justices split over Idaho’s abortion law
-
Businesses sue over FTC ban on noncompetes
-
National Enquirer ex-publisher: Tabloid made up stories to help Trump
-
Bird flu fallout: USDA says milk is safe, states must test dairy herds
-
Biden administration cracks down on flight refunds and hidden fees
Popular Opinions
-
In addition to the facts, we believe it’s vital to hear perspectives from all sides of the political spectrum.