I belong to an email group that was started soon after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, sharing stories, opinions and various tidbits about the war. The small group’s focus inevitably expanded to include other subjects. Yesterday, one member sent off a video of Ronald Reagan’s famous Normandy speech 40 years ago, as well as an accompanying NYT article about that iconic speech, and it was impossible not to think of a certain man’s disparaging remarks about service members and veterans. Though much has changed since Reagan’s speech, his words below are in stark contrast to that certain other person’s jaw-dropping comments about letting Russians “do whatever the hell they want” with NATO allies. From Reagan four decades ago:

“We in America have learned bitter lessons from two World Wars: It is better to be here ready to protect the peace, than to take blind shelter across the sea, rushing to respond only after freedom is lost. We’ve learned that isolationism never was and never will be an acceptable response to tyrannical governments with an expansionist intent.”