Speech #1040196620

President. I began this speech by talking about how Ronald Reagan expressed better than any other political figure of our era the truest sense of what America stands for. I think it would be appropriate for me to conclude these remarks about Americas immigration policy and about Americas identity with another great story. one that President Reagan recounted more than once in his Presidency. In fact. he found it so moving that he even included it in his farewell address 9 days before he left the White House. Here is the way Ronald Reagan told the story. I have been reflecting on what the past 8 years have meant. and mean. and the image that comes to mind. like a refrain. is a nautical onea small story about a big ship and a refugee and a sailor. It was back in the early 1980s at the height of the boat people. and a sailor was hard at work on the Carrier Midway which was then patrolling the South China Sea. The sailor. like most American servicemen. was young. smart. and fiercely observant. The crew spied on the horizon a leaky little boat. and crammed inside were refugees from Indochina hopinghoping to get to America. The Midway sent a small launch out to bring them to the ship and to safety. And as the refugees made their way through the choppy seas. one of them spied the sailor on deck. He stood up and called out to him. He yelled. "Hello.