Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction

Today is February 6th, 2012. Mr Ronald Wilson Reagan would've been 101 years old today. Happy Birthday, Mr. Reagan. As a small token of commemoration, I would like to put focus on what I think is the most important thing he ever said, and he said a whole lot worth remembering.

Our Founding Fathers, here in this country, brought about the only true revolution that has ever taken place in man's history. Every other revolution simply exchanged one set of rulers for another set of rulers. But only here did that little band of men so advanced beyond their time that the world has never seen their like since, evolve the idea that you and I have within ourselves the God-given right and the ability to determine our own destiny. But freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. The only way they can inherit the freedom we have known is if we fight for it, protect it, defend it and then hand it to them with the well thought lessons of how they in their lifetime must do the same. And if you and I don't do this, then you and I may well spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it once was like in America when men were free.

Thank You.

It wasn't but a few months ago that I even found out that the audio of this does indeed exist. Which is good, because I don't think anybody could've ever said this as forceful as he did.

I clipped this part of the speech, which is the end of it, and uploaded it here.

Someone else put the full 43 minute speech up on Youtube, which can be found here.