 is the leader of 30 million Atean Americans through the National Atean American Foundation. He is the man who is chairman of the Reagan-Bush ethnic division of Michigan. Our great leader, Frank D. Stella. Thank you very much, Mel, guest-guest, fellow ethnics and fellow Americans. This is a great day for all of us to be honored with the presence of our beloved president. An ethnic America loves him, and we mean it. It is now a distinct pleasure and an esteemed privilege for me to present to you a great American, an outstanding statement, and a great president. Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Frank, I thank you very much, Reverend Clergy, Mr. Mayor, Congressman Bill Broomfield, and all of you. I'll try something to breed in. Well, I appreciate this chance to break bread with you. This center represents something special about America. We Americans came from many lands. We represent just about every race, religion, and ethnic group that's found on this planet. We take pride in our family heritage, passing it on to our children, just like you are doing here. Yet what keeps us together, what cements our national unity, is our abiding love of freedom. And I think that's what America is all about. And that's what this hall is all about, and I'm proud to be with you here today. I have always believed in seeing these wonderful young people today and that entertainment representing so many backgrounds. I just, I've always believed that somehow divine providence put this continent here to be between the oceans, to be found by people from every corner of the earth, that who had that special love for freedom in their heart, that would make them pick up, leave friends and family, and move to this at one time strange and completely undeveloped land. And it just, we are so unique, there is no place on earth quite like us. If America is to remain the free and vibrant country that we wanted to be, and if she's to be the great land of opportunity, we can't lose sight of those principles laid down by our founding fathers. And we must have the same courage and dedication as those brave souls who build America to do what is necessary to keep our country prosperous and to keep us secure from the threat of foreign tyrants and authoritarian ideologies. A few years ago, we had great cause for concern. The economy was in a shambles, murderous inflation, economic stagnation, oppressive taxation and sky-high interest rates were all sapping the strength of our people. Instead of providing leadership, many elected officials joined a chorus of pessimists bemoaning everything that was wrong with America. Well, let me just say in the last four years, we've made a new beginning. And I believe that on November 6th, the American people are going to tell the politicians of the past, forget it, we're not going back to that unhappy past. Our people are enjoying the fruits of low inflation and high growth. Productivity is up, real take-home pay is up, business and corporations hit a record high last year, 600,000 in that single year. Over six million new jobs have been created since the beginning of the recovery. Our European friends call it the American miracle. Well, it isn't a miracle. It's just that the American people built this recovery. Our administration, with the help of good congressmen like Bill Broomfield, just eliminated the roadblocks, which took the form of irresponsible tax and spending policies, over-regulation and too much power centralized in Washington. Once we got the government out of the way, the American people, just like they always have, got on with the job of making this a better country for all of us. And that's especially true of you. When you needed a community center, you didn't go to the government. Under Don Fedorek and Jerry Doozy's leadership, you got together, laid your plans and went to work. And this center is a tribute to your enterprise. It serves the well-being of your entire community. It was completed back in 1978. And I can't help but think, had you gone to the government with all its red tape and bureaucratic entanglements, this project probably would have cost to begin with twice as much. And you'd be paying for it through higher taxes. And of course, we'd probably be meeting someplace else because it wouldn't be finished yet. So congratulations on a job well done. And I know that you've done so much as individuals and as a community to help those newcomers to our shores build a new life through organizations like the Ukrainian Congress Committee, the Ukrainian American Relief Committee, and the Intigent Fund of the Ukrainian National Women's League of America. We need leaders who will encourage people to follow your example, to get involved personally, to strive on their own, to join with others to accomplish what they can before going to government. And that's what this election is all about. The choice this year is between two teams with two distinct philosophies. An opponent, unable to shake loose from the failed policies of the past, still trapped in the mentality of tax and tax and spend and spend, believes in bigger and bigger government. And that's why he made raising taxes the centerpiece of his campaign, his first option in dealing with the problems of America. His tax program would bring back inflation, would knock the legs out from under the recovery with a tax hike equal to $1,890 for every American household. That's more than $150 a month. He's got a knee jerk reaction in favor of taxes. And every time his knee jerks, we get kicked. Let me ask you, would you agree that raising taxes is the wrong way to make your family and your country strong? All right. Well, I kind of expected that answer here in Michigan. Instead of raising your taxes, we need to simplify the tax system, make it easier to understand, and make it easier for us to bring down your tax rates, not let them go up. Our opponents see in America in which every day is April 15, tax day. Well, we see in America in which every day is the 4th of July. Instead of raising your taxes, we'll promote policies that bring economic growth and increase opportunity. I think the best social program for the less fortunate, we're trying to better their lot, is a good job. What we want is a strong and a prosperous America, an America that will be entering the next century with confidence and optimism. Those wedded to the failed policies of the past or tied too closely to special interest groups may be unable to see the great potential that lies ahead. How many of you watched on television as one of our magnificent space shuttles blasted off into space or landed after a successful mission? I'm sure everyone has taken a look at that. I was proud to be there in the California desert to welcome back the Columbia and her gallant crew some time ago. And I remember, suddenly they rushed me up on the platform and they said, yeah, get ready, it's coming. And was making its approach and would be landing in a few minutes. And I didn't see anything. And I said, well, where is it right now? And they said, it's just coming over Honolulu. And sure enough, in a matter of minutes, there it was and it was landing. And when you stop and think that within a single lifetime of some of us, we've gone from the horse and buggy to that space shuttle just in one lifetime. If my opponent had his has his way, there never would have been a shuttle program. He led the fight against starting the shuttle program. He would have spent the money beefing up the bureaucracy in Washington, DC, and that wouldn't get you off the ground one inch. But that program, by developing America's technological genius and by providing so many benefits, was an investment in the future. And it was worth every cent. Today, we're trying to make up for short-sighted decisions of the last decade. That's especially true in regard to our national security. Between 1970 and 1980, when the rest of the budget was skyrocketing out of sight, real spending for defense fell by over 20%. By the end of the decade, our Navy had dropped from over 1,000 ships to under 500. Our Air Force was flying bombers that were, in some cases, older than the pilots. Perhaps the policymakers and this twisted logic is still around. They were making mistakes or mistaking weakness, I should say, for peace. My opponent in this campaign has made a career out of weakening America's armed forces. He's always found one reason or another for opposing vital weapons systems and the modernization of our forces. As for me, I agree with President Dwight Eisenhower when he said, to be strong nationally is not a sin. It is a necessity. One of our top priorities since coming to Washington has been rebuilding our defensive strength. And I make no apologies for that. I pledge to you that as long as I'm president, I will never shortchange the security needs of the United States of America. We take our responsibilities very seriously. We are, for example, absolutely committed to root out waste and fraud and make certain that every defense dollar is used wisely. And those that you've heard lately talking about $500 hammers and $9,000 wrenches don't add, when they say that, that that's what was going on, has been going on for a long time. And when we got here, we started cleaning it up. We're the ones that brought those figures to light, made them public, and we are cleaning it up. And there had been millions and millions of dollars in rebates returned to the government as a result. And we, just a few days ago in the White House, the Rose Garden recognized 12, some in uniform and some defense department, civilian employees who individually had tracked down and found some of these things that had resulted in millions of dollars of savings for us. There had been hundreds of indictments and convictions for fraud in the part of people, some people that were doing these things. But let's not kid ourselves, even when we root out the waste, providing adequate defense is still an expensive proposition, especially when you're playing catch up. Now, those who are complaining the loudest about the cost are, for the most part, the same architects of a decade of neglecting America's security needs. Well, I don't think America's listening to those voices anymore. New voices are being heard now, strong voices that advocate the cause of freedom, voices not ashamed to defend America's interests. There is one such advocate of whom I'm particularly proud. She's our ambassador to the United Nations, Jean Kirkpatrick. She represents a new realism in foreign policy. No longer do we apologize to tyrants about the American way of life or apologize to those domestic critics who always blame America first. She hadn't been in the United Nations very long till there was one of those days when about 27 countries on the floor blasted away at America for this or that. And the next afternoon, kind of abashed, they were calling on our ambassador to apologize. They'd gotten 27 letters. Each one of them had gotten a letter, 27 of them, the very next morning from Jean Kirkpatrick. We're building up the voice of America, so your message, our message, gets through to captive people everywhere. We seek no conflict with anyone. We've gone the extra mile and will continue to do so to reach arms reduction agreements. But from now on, when America negotiates, we'll negotiate from a position of strength. Now, there's another group of Americans we should be thanking. During the previous administration, as prepared and as sank, so did morale in our armed forces. And today, because they know how much we appreciate them, we've attracted the finest young men and women of the service who have ever served this country. But freedom, our freedom is really in their hands. And their commanders tell me that we've got every reason to be confident and proud. And I hope if you see one of those young people now and then in the street in uniform somewhere, you will tell him or her how grateful we are for the job they're doing. There is a new spirit in America. Well, it's not really new. We just recaptured some of that optimism and grit, that love of liberty and zest for life that have always been so much a part of America. And you represent the dream of America more than most. I know that many of you came here with little or no resources. With your hard work and the will to get ahead, you've built a good and decent life for your families. And that's what America's all about. I hope I can count on your support so that in the next four years, we can make certain that we pass on a strong, free, secure, and opportunity-filled America to our children, to the next generation. Well, thank you very much. You fed me well, okay, I'll give in. I'll do it. You're a great poet, Teras Schochenko, whose statue stands in our nation's capital, wrote words for all free people, and I'll conclude with those. He wrote, you shall overcome. God is with you for strength and liberty and righteous truth are on your side. Thank you, doba pa-chen, pa-chen. Goodbye. Goodbye. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. Ladies and gentlemen, he did ask us one question. He said, I hope I will have your support in this election. Does he have it? Yes! All right. I would ask that after benediction, that you please remain seated until the president has been escorted from the room, and then I will be given permission to let you leave, and you have about 20 minutes. Mr. Labor Camp, we ask your prayers for his soul and the countless unknown others who suffered the same fate. Let us pray. Lord, once you spoke to a young man, the future prophet Jeremiah saying, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations. And Jeremiah frightened said to you, our Lord God, look, I do not know how to speak. I'm a child. The new Lord spoke, do not say I am a child. Go now to those to whom I send you and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to protect you. It is God who speaks. And then Lord, you put out your hand and touched Jeremiah's mouth and said, there I am putting my words into your mouth. Look, today I am setting you over nations and over kingdoms to tear up and to knock down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant. Lord, although a man in public office is not directly your prophet, he is nevertheless gravely charged with the responsibility to you and to mankind to be a courageous leader, legislator. A man chosen to be over others. He too is to be a man who would tear up and knock down, destroy and overthrow whatever evils he sees in society. He is chosen, trusted and sent to build, to strengthen that which is good in society, to plant that which will yield justice for his people. Heavenly Father, through your Holy Spirit, walk with our leaders, especially our president Ronald Reagan. Put your words into their mouths as you put them into Jeremiah's. May they too be prophets of good in a world filled with too many false prophets. We the people of Michigan's ethnic mosaic, the representatives of 30 oppressed ancestries, thank you Lord for the grace to share together this free land in harmony. A land where we can preserve and foster our ancestral heritage and yet be every bit an American. Especially we thank you for the opportunity to gather in this Ukrainian cultural center, one of many ethnic heritage centers across this great land so that we might share this meal with the personage who has pledged to represent our unity in harmony, our president. And Lord, we have partaken of your gifts in joy in imitation of the first Christians who came together in the Lord. The scriptures tell us of them. They shared their food gladly and generously. They praised God and were looked up to by everyone. And so Lord, we too gladly thank you for being in our midst today. We beseech you to remain with us and strengthen us in good. Let the words of your Psalmist David be on our lips as we take our leave. Sing joyfully to God. Make a melody. Rejoice and sing. Make a joyful noise before the Lord our King. Come into his presence with exceedingly great joy. Amen. Slava Yusuf Christo. Would everyone be seated please? Yes, please everyone be seated and no one is to leave the room.