I won a nickname, "The Great Communicator." But I never thought it was my style or the words I used that made a difference: It was the content. I was… - Ronald Reagan

What if free people could live secure in the knowledge that their security did not rest upon the threat of instant U.S. retaliation to deter a Soviet attack, that we could intercept and destroy strategic ballistic missiles before they reached our own soil or that of our allies? I know this is a formidable, technical task, one that may not be accomplished before the end of this century. Yet, current technology has attained a level of sophistication where it's reasonable for us to begin this effort. It will take years, probably decades of effort on many fronts. There will be failures and setbacks, just as there will be successes and breakthroughs. And as we proceed, we must remain constant in preserving the nuclear deterrent and maintaining a solid capability for flexible response. But isn't it worth every investment necessary to free the world from the threat of nuclear war? We know it is.

I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress.

The ten most dangerous words in the English language are "Hi, I'm from the government, and I'm here to help."