In his 1989 farewell address to the nation, President Ronald Reagan warned that we must internalize and institutionalize a love of country. “An informed patriotism is what we want,” Reagan said. “Are we doing a good enough job teaching our children what America is and what she represents in the long history of the world?”

Now more than ever, Reagan’s words ring true: “I’m warning of an eradication of the American memory that could result, ultimately, in an erosion of the American spirit. Let’s start with some basics: more attention to American history and a greater emphasis on civic ritual.”

According to Reagan, America can be defined in a single word: freedom. “We’ve got to do a better job of getting across that America is freedom — freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise. And freedom is special and rare. It’s fragile; it needs protection.”

REAGAN’S FAREWELL ADDRESS FROM THE OVAL OFFICE: