79-15-7
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Miscellaneous and Goodbye
TranscriptFor the last time I'm cleaning up my desk with a few items you should hear. I'll be right back. Believe me my friends, I speak to you today with mixed emotions and maybe it’s fitting that I make it the final desk cleaning day. The first item is, in my opinion, very serious for all of us and another indication of how far we are straying from the very basic of our system. The Mountain States Legal Foundation has filed a suit with the Federal government claiming that Constitutional rights of several states are being violated. When Congress voted to extend the time for states to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment it refused to allow several states to change their position and rescind the approval they had given earlier. A few weeks ago the U.S. Dept. of Justice, which should be the defender above all of constitutional rights, filed a motion with the Idaho court where the case is being heard. The motion was to disqualify the judge appointed to hear the case. Now hear this! The Justice Department wants him disqualified because of his religion. He is a member of the Mormon church. I leave it to you to imagine what such a precedent could do to our entire system of justice if judges can be either assigned or disqualified on the basis of religion. These next few items may make you laugh but you'll hurt a little too. A former California Superintendent of Education, Dr. Max Rafferty has uncovered a few items having to do with extremes in the battle of the sexes. The Department of Health, Education and Welfare has discovered that in one public school more boys than girls were being spanked. If the school doesn't want a million dollars in Federal aid to be withheld it will henceforth spank girls and boys in exactly equal numbers. In Woonsocket, Rhode Island, the City Council has rules that from now on those metal covered holes in our streets we've long called "manholes" will henceforth be known as "person holes." And in Missoula Montana, a "Peeping Tom" ordinance is now a "Peeping Person" law. Well that's all the desk cleaning for today and as I indicated when I began it has been my last such chore. This has been my final commentary. I'm going to miss these visits with all of you. I‘ve enjoyed every one. Even writing them has been a lot of fun. I've scratched them out on a yellow tablet in airplanes, riding in cars, and at the ranch when the sun went down. Whenever I've told you about some misfortune befalling one of our fellow citizens you've opened your hearts and your pocketbooks and gone to the rescue. I know you have because the individuals you helped have written to let me know. You’ve done a great deal to strengthen my faith in this land of ours and its people. You arc the greatest. Sometime later today if you happen to catch me on television you'll understand why I can no longer bring you these commentaries. This is Ronald Reagan, and from the bottom of my heart—thanks for listening. |
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