Flashback: Ronald Reagan Labor Day 1986

"You know, some people say it's America's natural resources that make our country so great, but the greatest resource of all is our working men and women -- their skill, hard work, guts, and determination," President Ronald Reagan said in his Labor Day address of 1986.

Here's an excerpt from that speech:

Tax reform will be the best thing to happen to the American worker since -- well, since our tax cut in 1981. That's why I urge Congress this Labor Day to remember our responsibility to America's working men and women and waste no time passing tax reform when they return to Washington.

You know, some people say it's America's natural resources that make our country so great, but the greatest resource of all is our working men and women -- their skill, hard work, guts, and determination. It's like the fellow who took some land down by a creek bottom all covered with brush and rocks. And he cleared the brush, and he hauled the rocks away. And then he started cultivating, and he planted. And finally he had a beautiful garden. He was so proud that one Sunday after the church service he asked the minister if he wouldn't come see what he'd done. So, the minister came by. And when he saw the corn that had been planted there, he said he'd never seen any corn so tall and the Lord had really blessed this land. And then he looked at some melons, and he said he'd never seen any as big as that and thank the Lord for that. And he went on praising the Lord for everything -- the squash and the beans and everything else. The farmer was getting a little fidgety. Finally, he interrupted and said, ``Reverend, I wish you could have seen this place when the Lord was doing it all by himself.''

Well, I've always liked that story because it makes an important point. God gave us this great and good land, but it's up to us to make it flourish, to preserve its freedom, and to see it grow in greatness. And this Labor Day, thanks to the American people, our country is growing stronger every minute. I just have one final thing to say: Keep it up, America. You're doing great!