"Knute Rockne, All American"

Remarks by Ambassador Wos
June 5, 2005
Sõprus Cinema

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,

A year ago today we learned of the death of former President of the United States of America Ronald Reagan. It was, of course, a somber moment. However, Ronald Reagan was hardly the kind of President, or the kind of man, who was defined by somberness. Rather, he was a highly expressive man, with a clear joy for life. And that life - his life - was rich, long, and full. He excelled at not one, but two careers.

As a diplomat, I'd like to say a word about his extraordinary success as a statesman. Determined to end the stifling injustice of Soviet communism, he harnessed the might of the U.S. government and U.S. economy to this purpose.

At the time, some thought it was a hopeless mission, but mere months after President Reagan left office, he saw the Berlin Wall come down - the same wall he famously called on Mr. Gorbachev to tear down.

More relevant yet for us here in Estonia, the entire Soviet Union came tumbling down a couple of years hence. There are lots of people who can take the credit for this collapse, first and foremost the brave citizens of Estonia and the other occupied countries who struggled tirelessly to end their own oppression. Still, I like to think that President Reagan's brave words and braver actions were an inspiration to those inside the Soviet Union - a message from the outside that they certainly weren't alone in their quest.

But - we're not sitting in a movie theater to talk about foreign policy. Before he became a statesman, Ronald Reagan was an actor, and a pretty popular one at that. When he first ran for office, some belittled his background as an actor. What those naysayers learned to their chagrin, is that being an actor is actually not bad training for becoming a successful politician. Politicians who want to get elected and get re-elected have to communicate, and Reagan's acting skills enabled him to do that extremely well. After all, he was known as the "Great Communicator."

Now, thanks to the film service of the U.S. Department of State, we have a copy of "Knute Rockne, All American," in which we can see how Mr. Reagan honed those acting skills as a young man. At the same time, we see a real slice of life from the United States. There's hardly anything more American than college football (American football, that is - the kind you play with your hands, not your feet), and this film is full of it. I hope you enjoy it.

But first, I'd like to introduce Ilmar Raag (RAHG), Chairman of the Board of Estonian Television. Mr. Raag is one of Estonia's great film buffs, and we're very lucky to have him here today to say a word of introduction. Thank you for your attention. Mr. Raag…..