76-01-B3
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Women's March
TranscriptI'm going to talk about a women's movement that isn't concerned with the controversy over women's place in the world. I'll be right back. There's a savagery loose in the world. While we can claim peace on the technical grounds that no nations are in a state of declared war, people are being kidnapped, hijacked, blown up and mowed down by rifle and machine gun fire. Innocent people going about their daily work killed simply because they're targets of opportunity. Those doing the killing claim to serve a cause, redress of ancient wrongs, political differences, economic imbalance and even religious differences. The innocents die on Cyprus, in Latin America, Lebanon, Africa and in the north of Ireland. We're naive indeed if we accept the bloodshed as resulting solely from the local causes proclaimed by the terrorist bands and guerrillas. Behind the scenes, an evil power helps provide the weapons, feeds the fires of hatred and intolerance, because continued strife brings closer the dream of a Communist dominated world. Of course the only killings in the Communist world is the official execution of those who dream too much of freedom. One of the most tragic trouble spots is Northern Ireland, where for seven years neighbor has taken the life of neighbor and done so in the name of God, the same god prayed to by both sides. There is a non-sectarian issue to be sure, the argument as to whether Northern Ireland should remain under British rule or become a part of the Irish Republic, but the religious difference is very real and lends a special bitterness to the dispute. Just when you would think the killing had become so commonplace is to be endured, something happened a few weeks ago that resulted in a kind of miracle. During these seven years bombs have been exploded in crowded taverns and department stores, cold-blooded executions have taken place and continual sniping has added to the toll. Then a few weeks ago three children of one family were killed by the IRA. Ironically killer or killers and victims were on the same side. The children weren't the targets as far as is known. They just happened to be in the way when the guns talked. One woman—aunt to the three children, spoke to another woman. Then the two set out to speak to others. Only days after the funeral a meeting of two or three thousand women took place. They demanded an end to the killing and called on women everywhere to join them. It's always been my belief that women brought civilization to the world. Without their influence, we males would still be carrying clubs and in recent years we've come pretty close to doing that again. Just days ago thirty thousand women from both sides, Catholic and Protestant marched through Belfast, voicing one demand: stop killing our children. In Dublin, twenty thousand marched in sympathy. Smaller groups did so in other irish towns. In Belfast, stones were hurled at them, by men, of course, young men. They kept on marching. Women stepped off the sidewalks to join them they asked their sisters all over the world to join them to rally for an end to the killing. What if it happens? Imagine the men in the Kremlin if they look down on Russia's women marching in the streets demanding peace. Why not? Does anyone have a better idea? This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening. |
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