Ronald Reagan

“ Exercising his unique genius for profound thought in plain language, Lincoln said that "The great principle or idea" assuring our permanence as a nation is its promise "that all should have an equal chance."
The struggle to see that promise fulfilled has continued in our own era and, through the civil rights movement, has inspired new Federal laws that seek to guarantee that "equal chance" by prohibiting discrimination against any citizen on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, age, or handicap. We can be proud of the progress we have made in securing the civil rights of all Americans. ”

“ The example of these Americans, and of so many other brave men and women, reminds us of the tasks that belong to each of us as citizens of this great Nation. We must work to see the civil rights laws strongly enforced and to ensure that every branch of government-at every level-renders justice to individuals without regard to race, sex, color, religion, nationality, or condition of handicap. ”

“ Federal statutes now outlaw housing bias, safeguard every citizen's precious right to vote, and require that people with disabilities be provided accessibility and be treated without discrimination. The misguided few who use force or violence to interfere with others' enjoyment of their civil rights face swift and sure criminal prosecution. ”