Word to LIve by & Reagan Forum

A Reagan Forum – Karen Pence

In this week’s Reagan Forum Podcast we go back just one week to October 17^th when we hosted former second lady Karen Pence for a program and book signing on her latest book, When it’s your turn to serve: Experiencing God’s grace in his calling for your life. As she has said about this book, “This is not a memoir, not a book about Karen Pence, but rather a story about how God used me in a mighty way and how he gently and patiently showed me how to wear the mantle he was placing on my shoulders.” During this program, she sat down in conversation with Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Giller to discuss her book, her life, and her connection with God.

Words To Live By – Beirut and Grenada

In 1982, the Israeli army leveled a siege on the capital of an Arab land – Beirut. They were poised on the southern edge of Beirut. And Palestinian fighters ran raids against their front lines and lobbed mortars in their rear areas; the Israel Defense Forces pounded back at the city with artillery, tank forays, and air strikes. The United States was caught in the middle. The Arab world blamed us, as Israel’s great ally and financial supporter, for all of Israel’s deeds and looked to us to end the fighting in a responsible way. The Lebanese government particularly relied on us to save them from outside predators and to help them restore Lebanese central authority over their country. In effect, every side wanted to squeeze the system for its own purposes, regardless of the cost to the Lebanese. Jordan wanted an Israeli settlements freeze; Israel wanted the US assistance stepped up. Lebanon grew fearful of renewed Syrian dominance as massive Soviet military resupply flowed to Syria, and warring militias battled each other beyond the control of the weak Lebanese central authority. In August 1982, America participated in sending a multinational peacekeeping force to Beirut. As hostilities increased considerably, additional help was required. So, in September 1983, Congress authorized the deployment of Marines for an additional 18 months. And one month later, tragedy struck.

A Reagan Forum – Terry Bradshaw

In this week’s Reagan Forum Podcast we are replaying a favorite from 8 years ago this week, when football legend Terry Bradshaw shared stories with our sold-out audience. He spoke at the Library as part of our special exhibition which featured football and he didn’t disappoint.

Words To Live By – Quality of Life

Everything from eggs and car rentals to a night out at a restaurant is significantly more expensive than before the pandemic. The average family is spending about $700 more per month on the same goods and services relative to two years ago, according to Moody’s Analytics. So what does that have to do with Ronald Reagan you ask? Well, he was devoted to the idea that with government out of the way, the quality of life for Americans can improve. So 40 years ago, he delivered a radio address on the quality of life in America, which you’ll agree, is significantly different from today. And in the second part of this podcast, we’ll listen to a gem of a radio address, entitled “Looking out a Window” when he ponders a bit about life.

A Reagan Forum – Jimmy Lai Documentary

In this week’s Reagan Forum Podcast we go back to an event our Reagan Institute offices held on September 7^th to bring attention to the plight of Jimmy Lai. Jimmy Lai is a Hong Kong businessman. A prominent critic of the Chinese Communist Party, he was arrested in 2020 by Hong Kong police where he currently is serving in prison for organizing illegal protests. During our program, which was co-sponsored by the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, the audience watched the documentary, “The Fight for Freedom: Jimmy Lai and Democracy in Hong Kong.” Following the screening, a panel discussed his case and the state of freedom in Hong Kong today.

Words To Live By – Lebanon vs. Ukraine

Today, we’re well aware of the ongoing debate regarding how much aid we should send Ukraine, and exactly what our level of involvement should be. It’s a question many administrations have faced, and President Reagan’s was no exception. In his case, the hotbed was in the middle east, particularly 39 years ago, when Israel invaded Lebanon, marching all the way into Beirut. By October 1983, the conflict in the middle east, despite our effort to be part of a multinational peacekeeping force, well, the conflict continued to escalate. Syria, Hezbollah, they all engaged and the action was intense in Lebanon. So in today’s podcast we’re going to examine two radio addresses: one in 1978 focused on the UN’s aid to Lebanon and how the Soviet bloc did not fulfill its financial obligation, and then we’ll hear our 40^th President’s perspective on our nation’s commitment to Lebanon in 1983. Of course, in both cases, the Soviet Union is supporting the enemy.

A Reagan Forum – The Republican Presidential Debate

When President Reagan dedicated the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum on November 4, 1991, he said that he wanted the Library to be more than just a place where scholars interpret the past, but that he wanted it to be a dynamic intellectual forum where policy makers debate the future. What better way to honor his vision than to host presidential debates at his Library? Since 2007, the Reagan Foundation has hosted 5 republican primary candidate presidential debates: 2 in the 2008 presidential election cycle, 1 in the 2012 presidential election cycle, 1 in the 2016 presidential election cycle, and then our 5^th one, just last week, as part of the 2024 presidential election cycle. At our debate, which was broadcast on Fox Business and was in partnership with Univision, Rumble and the RNC, six candidates took the stage. They were, in alphabetical order, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Tim Scott. Approximately 700 guests watched the debate live in our Air Force One Pavilion, with another 500 members of the media on our campus watching in the filing center and spin room. In this week’s Reagan Forum Podcast we are replaying this debate.

WTLB – The Heritage Foundation and Ronald Reagan

So, Ronald Reagan and the Heritage Foundation: it was a truly epic partnership. In fact, it's hard to tell the story of one without much of the other's. Heritage was President Reagan's favorite think tank, and Ronald Reagan was the embodiment of the ideas and principles Heritage holds dear. Some say that together, they blazed a new path for America. So I think in today’s podcast, we should focus on this significant partnership.

A Reagan Forum – James Mattis

In this podcast we go back to September 12, 2019 when former Secretary of Defense James Mattis came to the Reagan Library to discuss his brand-new book, Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead.

Words To Live By – The United Nations

So today, we are focusing on President Reagan’s second address to the United Nations, delivered in September 1983, 40 years ago. Why, you ask, this specific address? Well, two things to consider here: the history of President Reagan’s opinion and his relationship with the UN, and secondly, the heated events of 1983 which led to this historic moment.