 Ladies and gentlemen, our Archbishop described a beautiful parent and what a beautiful parent is. We have one in particular that I saved for just this moment. She epitomizes all of the attributes that the Archbishop described. Archbishop O'Connor pointed out the choice of the president to do what many would consider at times unpopular political actions to take certain stands. We here this evening reflect on just one of those actions. His steadfast and resolute support and championing of the concept of tuition tax credits. Mr. Gallagher described some of those opportunities. We think that it is a justice issue, not a money issue. Mrs. Reagan, to have you here. It's a distinct pleasure to present to you, ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you all very much. We're a very wonderful and warm welcome. And of course I realize now that I, in addition to everything else, will be held responsible for the crosstown traffic in New York. Americans are always thrilled to come to this city and believe me for a Midwestern from a small town in Illinois. The sidewalks of New York still evoke that sense of romance and excitement that is unique to this city and this state. Now whether it's that towering lady out there in the harbor or the memory of your first Catholic governor, Al Smith, New York City and New York State symbolize America. It's togetherness, it's openness, it's opportunity, it's hope. And like so many other Americans, I was thrilled a few weeks ago by the sites at Archbishop O'Connor's installation at St. Patrick's Cathedral. The rabbis standing there on the front pews, the Greek Orthodox bishop approaching the altar, St. Thomas Episcopal Church holding hundreds who watched the proceedings on a video screen, and that homily of welcome and humor and love from Archbishop O'Connor. I've been accused of liking a good story, but I really did love the one the Archbishop told about the second grader who wrote him and asked if he held down a job before this one. Same young man also wanted to know if the Archbishop had any children. Well he's spoken to that tonight. I think we're aware that he does the thousands and thousands of children who are in the schools that bring us to this gathering here tonight. But who can forget the substance of your new Archbishop sermon? How many fewer accounts of violence, heartbreak and tragedy would there be? Especially in places like the Middle East, if all the people of the world could take his words to heart. How valid, how meaningful those words are for this season of Lent, this time of reflection and renewal. Whether or not you are of my religious faith or my moral convictions, Archbishop O'Connor said, whether you accept the teaching of the Church or reject it on any issue, I see you as sacred persons to be loved, persons of priceless dignity and worth. Your Excellency, I know how excited you are about your new work here in the Archdiocese of New York. And with a beginning like that, I can't help but think your success here is assured. You have the prayerful best wishes of all of us here tonight and of all America. But your Excellency, just one word of advice about living here in New York. Be careful what you say around Mayor Koch. I know I am. I learned this morning he's working on another book. And Mr. Mayor, if the Mayor would permit me, I'd like to mention that in the city of Scranton, Pennsylvania, where Archbishop O'Connor previously served, Mayor James Barrett McNulty, who's no amateur himself, called the Archbishop the best politician I've ever seen. So I intend to warn the Mayor to be careful too. But I want honestly all of you to know I really was a little nervous about speaking to you here tonight, especially on issues like education. When I look around this room and see the distinguished members of the hierarchy and many prominent educators, not to mention you parents who've given so much time and effort to moving Catholic schools, I have to think of a story that kind of fits the position that I'm in tonight and particularly having to follow the Archbishop up here at this podium. There was a fellow who for very many years had been quite a celebrity in his end of the country up in Pennsylvania because he was in great demand as a speaker. He was the last living survivor of the Johnstown flood. And so in telling and retelling his adventures, as I say, he was in great demand. Finally, however, the day came he passed on to a better life and wasn't in heaven very long before St. Peter told him that newcomers there were expected to sort of bring the others there up to date on what was going on and he said, oh, that's great. And he told him about what he'd been doing on earth and so he said, yes, I'd be very happy to. Well, St. Peter put the group together. He said, I'm sure they'll be interested in hearing what you have to say. And then as he introduced him and as the man stepped toward the lectern, St. Peter just quietly said to him that fell a second from the aisle in the front rows named Noah. But actually the fact that so many of you are activists for education is not a reason for concern but for pride. Not long ago opinion polls showed the confidence of average Americans for our governmental institutions had declined to new lows. Many Americans simply believed that government belonged now to politicians and bureaucrats, not to the people. Well, there was a reason for this. After years of listening to the bromides and aphorisms of liberal government, the people felt they'd been had. Federal spending at skyrocketed. It tripled in the 70s and taxation doubled between 1976 and 1981. Yet far from solving anything, all this government only made our problems worse. It fueled inflation. It drained energy and wealth from the private sector. It halted economic growth and it eventually put millions out of work. But at the root of this spend and spend and tax and tax and borrow and borrow philosophy from the belief that solving our social problems was simply a matter of allocating resources rather than exerting moral leadership. There were those who thought and still do that by changing man's material environment we could perfect human nature and usher in a brave new world. So they favored gigantic government programs and social engineering schemes run by a tiny elite of experts. And that's why they frequently saw traditional values like family, work, neighborhood, religion as obstacles. In their view, the solutions to America's problems were no longer in her homes, her churches, her schools, or her workplaces, but in the bureaucrats budget and the social workers' files. Much of this was well-intentioned. In fact, a book about what liberalism did to even this great city of New York was called, just that, the cost of good intentions. Well, today under the courageous leadership of Mayor Koch, New Yorkers have brought their city back from bankruptcy and disorder. I think you can be proud of that and you can be proud of your mayor. I bet he wishes now he was here. On the national level, the fight goes on. One example is the question of tuition tax credits. As you know, we've submitted a bill to the Congress that would make such credits available to parents like yourselves. And the bill that we propose does not violate the separation of church and state. And it's certainly no threat to public education. What it would do is give hard-working Catholic and other private school parents a break while increasing diversity and excellence in both public and private schools. And I want to compliment you on your efforts in the past for this bill and pledge again my strongest efforts on its behalf. I quoted from a Scottish ballad when we were defeated on that. The ballad goes, I am wounded, but I am not slain. I will rest a bit and fight again. Together we can uphold and reinforce the basic right of all parents to educate their children in the way that best meets their children's needs. But opposition to tuition tax credits isn't the only roadblock those in Washington have put in our way. They also manage during the past generation to construct a tax system that excessively burdens the family and actually discriminates against those traditional family values. For example, the dependency exemption on your income tax, the money you can deduct for raising a child or caring for an elderly relative was $600 in the late 40s. That has been increased to $1,000 now. But if that deduction had been indexed to keep pace with inflation, today you would be deducting more than $3,000 for every one of your children. So you can see that in the very time that the cost of raising a family has gone up, the tax treatment of families has actually worsened. Is it any wonder that American parents feel so much financial pressure today and that such pressure sometimes contribute to family breakups? I want you to know I've told the Treasury Department to come up with recommendations to make your taxes more simple, fair for families and for all Americans, and to increase incentives for economic growth by broadening the base and bringing your income tax rates down, not up. On this issue of tax fairness for families or other issues like the prayer amendment, stricter laws against the criminals that prey on our young people, greater discipline in our schools and our pro-life amendment, there is more at stake here than just one administration's political agenda. Our goal is to make this nation's traditional values a reality in our daily life. When I visited his holiness Pope John Paul II in Rome, and I'm pleased to say I will have the privilege of visiting with him soon again when our paths cross in Alaska, he spoke about the importance of these values. He said it was his profound hope that the entire structure of American life will rest ever more securely on the strong foundation of moral and spiritual values. Without the fostering and defense of these values, he said all human advancement is stunted and the dignity of the human person is endangered. Respect for the dignity of life, concern for our fellow man, extraordinary acts of charity and mercy, this is our heritage as Americans, and how profoundly this heritage has been enriched by the Catholic experience here in New York. There are so many examples that come to mind. In my State of the Union message, I mentioned a man known to many of you, the guardian of homeless youth in Times Square, Father Bruce Ritter, who has saved so many young, formerly lost lives at Covenant House. I know that Father Ritter and all who want to see stronger efforts to combat child abduction and child exploitation will be pleased to learn some good news. Within a week, the Justice Department will sign a $3.3 million grant to create the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. This center will help educate parents to prevent abductions and runaways, assist parents whose children are missing, and give technical assistance to local law enforcement agencies in their efforts to find missing children. Let's win these children back. Or I wonder how many of you remember the daughter of one of America's most famous novelists, a young woman who came from New England to New York before the turn of the century. Her beauty, her own literary skill, and that of her husband's made the young couple the toast of society here. But with the death of an infant son and the unavoidable breakup of her marriage, tragedy struck, the young woman a convert to Catholicism sought again the meaning and purpose of life. And somehow she found herself on Cherry Street in Lower Manhattan, and from that little dilapidated house in New York slums grew a nursing order of Dominican nuns with hospitals throughout the United States. For cancer patients shunned in those days like the lepers of another age, the odyssey of Nathaniel Hawthorne's beautiful daughter Rose Hawthorne Lathrop would become a blessing beyond all description. Hundreds, then thousands would find treatment and solace and hope, and they were welcome whether they could afford it or not. The work of Mother Alfonza of the Hawthorne Dominicans goes on today in two hospitals here in this state and five other hospitals in other states. It's a perfect example of how sorrow built a bridge into the infinite, of how generous and giving have been the hearts of New York Catholics. It's been a tradition carried right up until our own time. Rarely has the world seen a more magnificent display of the cardinal virtues of faith, hope, and charity than in the manner in which your own beloved Terence Cardinal Cook met death last year. It was a fitting and inspiring climax to a life of holiness and service to others. And tonight, ladies and gentlemen, it is my privilege to present posthumously to the nation's highest civilian award, the Medal of Freedom, to Terence Cardinal Cook. Accepting the Medal for Cardinal Cook will be Archbishop O'Connor. Thank you for having me as your guest tonight. I know of no better way to close than by reading this inscription. Cardinal Cook inspired his countrymen with his dedication to his church, devotion to his flock, and service to his country. As the military vicar to our nation's armed forces, Cardinal Cook worked tirelessly on behalf of those who served their country in uniform. As a patriot and national leader, he preached the love of country and championed the cause of human freedom. He will live in the memory of his countrymen as a man of compassion, courage, and personal holiness. Thank you all, and God bless you. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to present Mrs. C. William Ongst from Buffalo, New York, the President of the New York State Federation of Catholic... To the Committee of the New York State Federation of Catholic School Parents, it is my personal privilege to present to you this evening this Medal of Distinction for your outstanding efforts to achieve freedom of choice in education. Although throughout the history of our great nation, many presidents have distinguished themselves in working for various freedoms for our citizens, there has been no one to our knowledge who has worked harder for the basic freedom of educational choice than yourself. We applaud your efforts in this justice issue. Perhaps someday soon, due in large measure to your personal efforts, all parents may be able to use a share of their own tax dollars for the education of their own children. We trust that you will appreciate the significance of the countenances of our patron saints, St. Elizabeth Anne Seaton and St. John Neumann, the founders of the Catholic School movement in the United States imposed on the medal. We pray to these saints frequently to intercede with the Holy Spirit to help us as parents to fulfill properly our role as primary educators of our children. We will ask these saints to intercede with the Holy Spirit to guide you not only in this struggle for freedom of educational choice, but in carrying out all the awesome responsibilities connected with your office. President Reagan, in recognition of your steadfast efforts to achieve freedom of educational choice for all parents, the New York State Federation of Catholic School Parents presents this medal to you tonight. President Reagan, you are aware of executive privilege. I have had the audacity to tuck into this our little buffalo talking proud pin because we are so terribly proud of our city and I would just ask you to excuse me for my chauvinism. Ladies can be chauvinistic too. Mr. President, I would like to present you to... Would you all please remain standing for the President's departure. I'm sorry. May we ask the band to please...