Word to LIve by & Reagan Forum

Words To Live By – Star Wars and SDI

40 years ago, the Russians were still on the march, just like today. Then, of course, it was known as the Soviet Union, and the threat they posed to the United States and Europe was unrelenting and terrifying. European leaders were begging President Reagan to do something, complaining that the presence of SS-20s armed with nuclear warheads felt like the Russians had a gun to their heads. But European leaders were afraid to speak out against the Soviets, publicly, because they were afraid the Russians would cut off their energy as Europe relied on them for natural gas. And the Soviets knew that their power over Western Europe was based on energy. So, President Reagan was determined to define a new path for the American people: one to eliminate the threat of nuclear war for the entire human race. In this podcast, we’ll talk about a dynamic new exhibit at the Reagan Library that combines artifacts and information on President Reagan’s plan to protect America - known as the Strategic Defense Initiative, and actual artifacts from George Lucas’ film series, Star Wars. The exhibit is open now, entitled: Defending America and the Galaxy: SDI and Star Wars. In addition to SDI artifacts, there are Star Wars treasures like a land speeder, a Dykstraflex camera, Princess Leia’s dress, and more fascinating items.

A Reagan Forum – The Honorable Kathleen Hicks

On March 20, 2024, the Reagan Institute held its second annual National Security Innovation Base Summit in Washington, D.C. The event convened prominent thought leaders, current and former public officials, investors, and representatives of the most innovative industry and technology companies to discuss the important issues facing our annual National Security Innovation Base ecosystem. The program also unveiled the second iteration of its groundbreaking National Security Innovation Base Report Card which measures the health, effectiveness, and resilience of this ecosystem and provides recommendations for improvement. The program’s keynote was the Honorable Kathleen Hicks, the 35^th Deputy Secretary of Defense. Following her remarks, she sat down in conversation with Reagan Institute Director Roger Zakheim.

Words To Live By – The Dominican Republic

Today, the turmoil and civil war in the country of Haiti dominate the headlines. As of this writing, for three weeks, Haiti’s capital has been trapped in a gory cycle that far exceeds the kidnapping and gang violence for which it was already known. An insurgent league of heavily armed gangs is waging war on the city itself, seeking new territory and targeting police and state institutions. The Dominican Republic has stationed 10,000 soldiers on its border with Haiti. Officials there are worried that chaos in Haiti will send migrants streaming into their country. As a democratic ally, the Dominican Republic was an important and recognized partner in the fight against communism and corruption in the Caribbean. So in April of 1984, President Reagan welcomed President Jorge Blanco to the United States.

A Reagan Forum – Active vs. Activist Citizenship

During his farewell address to the nation on January 11, 1989, President Reagan said, “An informed patriotism is what we want. And are we doing a good enough job teaching our children what America is and what she represents in the long history of the world?” Today, the Reagan Institute’s Center for Civics, Education, and Opportunity stands at the nexus of civics and education policy answering President Reagan’s call for an “informed patriotism” to ensure for a prosperous future for America. Educators and organizations committed to civic learning and engagement often feel hesitant, fearing they'll be labeled political. Meanwhile, parents may wonder about the distinction between active participation and advocacy, and whether their child's teacher is equipped to navigate these waters. To discuss these topics, the Reagan Institute held an online forum on March 13, 2024, specifically to discuss how to foster informed and engaged citizens in today's polarized climate. The panel took a deep dive into the nuances of "active citizenship" versus "activist citizenship," exploring how these concepts intersect and sometimes clash in educational settings.

Words To Live By – Basketball at the White House

At Eureka College, our 40^th President participated in almost every sport. No, he wasn’t a candidate for the Olympic team. Ronald Reagan’s football coach Ralph McKinzie said, “Dutch was not an outstanding player but he was a good plugger with a lot of spirit and desire.” Besides football, he went out for the swimming team and became captain. He tried out for track and won his letter in that sport as well. As for basketball, well that was only a high school pursuit, but as President, he was thrilled to invite the basketball teams who excelled during March Madness.

A Reagan Forum – The Best of President Reagan's Humor

Just a few days ago, the nation celebrated April Fool’s Day. Although the day has been celebrated for several centuries by different cultures, its exact origins remain a mystery. Some historians speculate that April Fools' Day dates back to 1582 when France switched from the Julian calendar (which begins its new year around April 1 each year) to the Gregorian calendar (which begins its new year on January 1 each year). People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes and were called “April fools.” Today it’s become a day for pranks, hoaxes, and jokes. And no one loved a good joke more than President Reagan. So we thought we’d spend today’s Reagan Forum podcast celebrating the best of President Reagan and his humor.

Words To Live By – Trip to China

40 years ago, in the spring of 1984, President Reagan spent six days in the People’s Republic of China, visiting Beijing and Shanghai. To ease into the schedule, he was a week getting there and he spent another day and a half in Alaska afterward, meeting once more with Pope John Paul II. It was Ronald Reagan’s first trip to a Communist country and was somewhat strained because of his campaign as Taiwan’s leading political champion in the US. When he was elected, he still believed that the government that had fled to Taiwan in 1949 was the legitimate government of China. It’s believed that Richard Nixon was quite influential with Reagan regarding China, emphasizing its importance as a counterweight to the Soviet Union.

Words To Live By – Denouncing Anti-Semitism

We know that Israel had no better partner/defender/protector than Ronald Reagan. And our 40^th president never missed an opportunity to denounce anti-semitism, bigotry, or prejudice. In this era of strident anti-semitism, bigotry, and prejudice occurring in our nation today, we thought we should focus briefly on President Reagan’s campaign against hatred. In 1984, he clarified his beliefs when he was invited to deliver an address at the Young Leadership Conference of the United Jewish Appeal in March 1984.

A Reagan Forum – Craig Shirley

On March 8, 2024, the Reagan Foundation hosted a virtual event with bestselling author Craig Shirley. Craig Shirley is the author of four critically praised bestselling books on President Reagan, Reagan's Revolution: The Untold Story of the Campaign That Started It All, Rendezvous with Destiny: Ronald Reagan and the Campaign that Changed America, Last Act: The Final Years and Emerging Legacy of Ronald Reagan, and Reagan Rising: The Decisive Years, 1976-1980. He joined us on March 8 to discuss his latest book on Ronald Reagan, The Search for Reagan: The Appealing Intellectual Conservatism of Ronald Reagan. The new book chronicles what Craig Shirley believes is the untold secret of Reagan's success: strong moral compassion and the vast but underrated intellect of a philosopher-president. "A true leader has a moral, physical, and intellectual presence," Craig said. He continued, “I was in the room with Reagan many, many times. He was always the one person in the room who was the moral, physical, and intellectual leader." During the program, Craig Shirley sat down in conversation with Reagan Foundation and Institute Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Giller.

Words To Live By – St. Paddy's Day and Economic Recovery

Well, this podcast might be airing a few days after St. Patrick’s Day but bear with me. We’ve got an interesting radio address for you combining the President’s two favorite topics - briefly about St. Patrick’s Day and how America’s economic recovery was well underway. The President was at Camp David - it was a cold wintry March day, where he was tucked away safely in his compound with his trusty yellow pad in his hand, drafting a new radio address. He even talks about diversity! Yes, back in 1984.