Paragraphs 40-45: Reagan called the Nuclear Freeze Movement a “dangerous fraud.

” Why do you
suppose Reagan used such strong language? Why did Reagan consider the nuclear freeze such a
bad policy? Next, Reagan told the story of a young father—a “prominent young man in the
entertainment world”—who told a large audience that he would rather see his young daughters
die, believing in God, than have them grow up under communism. Why do you suppose Reagan
told this story? Finally, Reagan calls on his audience to “pray for the salvation” of all who live
under totalitarianism, before suggesting that until they find God, the Soviets would remain “the
focus of evil in the modern world.” Have students think about why Reagan chose to use such
strong language.

Paragraphs 46-55: Reagan concluded by speaking out against secularism and “moral equivalency.”
This was the crux of Reagan’s argument, wherein he claimed that the Cold War would be a test of
our spiritual values more than our military might. What did Reagan say were the lessons of history
relevant to the Cold War? Why did he consider the Cold War a spiritual, rather than a military
challenge? Why did he close by declaring communism a “sad, bizarre chapter in human history”?
Did Reagan end on an optimistic or pessimistic note? Why did he close by quoting Thomas Paine?