Ladies and gentlemen. Fellow citizens of the United States. What follows is an excerpt from the 1980 Republican presidential nomination debate between former Governor Ronald Reagan (R-CA) and former CIA director George H.W. Bush.

With the polarizing debate over immigration, border walls and healthcare, I think it’s important to step back and reflect on where we once were as a society — 37 years ago.

Read the transcript and review my commentary below:

My name is David Gossberg. I would like to know:

Do you think the children of illegal aliens should be allowed to attend Texas public schools for free? Do you think parents should pay for their education?

Mr. Bush: Look. I would like to see something done about the illegal alien problem that would be so sensitive and understanding about labor needs and human needs, as that problem would not come up. If those people are here, I would reluctantly say I think they would get whatever it is — whatever society is giving to their neighbors. The problem has to be solved. The problem has to be solved. If we have made illegal — sometimes the labor I would like to see legal, we are creating two things. We are creating a whole society of really honorable family loving people that are in violation of the law, and exacerbating relationships with mexico. The answer to your question is more fundamental than whether they attend houston schools, it seems to me. If they are living here, I don’t want to see six-year-old and eight-year-old kids being made totally uneducated and made to feel they are living outside the law.

Let’s address the fundamentals. These are good people, strong people. Part of my family is mexican.

[applause] Mr. Reagan: I think the time has come that the united states and our neighbors — particularly our neighbor to the south — should have a better understanding than we have had. We have not been sensitive enough to our size and power. They have a problem of unemployment. This cannot continue without the possibility arising with regard to that other country we talked about, cuba and what it is stirring up. The possibility of trouble below the border. We could have a hostile neighbor on our border.

Rather than talking about putting up a fence, why do we not work out our problems? It possible for them to come make here with a permit and while they are working, they pay taxes.

When they go back, they can go back. Open the border both ways by understanding their problems. This is the only safety valve they have with their unemployment, that probably keeps the lid from blowing off down there. This is the only safety valve they have with their unemployment, that probably keeps the lid from blowing off down there.

Source: C-SPAN