A Nation Without Borders Is No Nation

When People Tell Me That I Became President On January 20th, 1981, I Feel I Have To Correct Them. You Don't Become President Of The United States. You Are Given Temporary Custody Of An Institution Called The Presidency, Which Belongs To Our People.

We Must Act Today In Order To Preserve Tomorrow

We Do Not Deny Any Nation's Legitimate Interest In Security. But Protecting The Security Of One Nation By Robbing Another Of Its National Independence And National Traditions Is Not Legitimate. In The Long Run, It Is Not Even Secure.

I'm No Linguist, But I Have Been Told That In The Russian Language, There Isn't Even A Word For Freedom.

We Have Consistently Supported A Legalization Program Which Is Both Generous To The Alien And Fair To The Countless Thousands Of People Throughout The World Who Seek Legally To Come To America. The Legalization Provisions In This Act Will Go Far To Improve The Lives Of A Class Of Individuals Who Now Must Hide In The Shadows, Without Access To Many Of The Benefits Of A Free And Open Society. Very Soon Many Of These Men And Women Will Be Able To Step Into The Sunlight And, Ultimately, If They Choose, They May Become Americans.