Words To Live By Podcast

Let’s listen to Ronald and Nancy Reagan themselves talk about their love story.

Since the 1981 inauguration of Ronald Reagan, the ceremony has been held at the west front of the United States Capitol facing the National Mall, with its iconic Washington Monument and distant Lincoln Memorial. But prior to being elected president, candidates must go through the debate process. Let’s start this podcast with our “Ronald Reagan Greatest Debate Moments” collection.

In November of 1979, militants in Iran seized 66 American citizens at the US embassy in Tehran and held 52 of them hostage for more than a year.  Negotiations to get the citizens returned safely to America were hard, as the US administration struggled to find anyone to negotiate within a meaningful fashion. On January 27, 1981, just six days after the inauguration, President Reagan welcomed all of the freed American hostages at the White House and greeted each of them individually.  Let’s listen to his remarks from that day.

January 20, 2021, otherwise known as Inauguration day.  But it’s also historic for another reason.  January 20, 2021 marks the 40th anniversary of Ronald Reagan’s inauguration, making him the 40th president of the united states. Let’s use this podcast to go back 40 years in time, and listen to President Reagan’s inspiring 1981 inaugural address. Let's listen.

Ronald Reagan made a point of honoring American heroes—in ceremonies at the White House and on many other occasions. During his State of the Union Addresses, he began a tradition of extending the nation’s gratitude to ordinary citizens who met extraordinary challenges. He described heroes best during his first State of the Union address, which he delivered on January 26, 1982. Let’s listen.

With President Reagan’s staunch support, NASA put the Space Shuttle to work on 27 occasions during his administration alone, carrying people into orbit, launching, recovering and repairing satellites, conducting cutting-edge research and building the largest structure in space, the International Space Station. Let’s now listen to President Reagan’s radio addresses to the nation on the space program.

In December of 1985, just a month after their Geneva meeting, Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev agreed to record a joint New Year’s Message – one that would play over the radio in both the United States and the Soviet Union.  President Reagan recorded his half at 9am on December 28th from the Century Plaza Hotel in los Angeles.  It was actually broadcast via television at 1pm on January 1st in the Soviet Union. Let's listen.

We’ll start today’s podcast by listening to President Reagan’s 1983 Radio Address to the Nation on the Celebration of Christmas. Let's listen.

Speaking of invoking the 11thcommandment during campaigning, on June 29, 1987, while speaking to political activists, President Reagan spoke about the importance of following this tenant during elections. Let’s listen.

Human Rights Day is observed every year on December 10th– the day the United National General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is a milestone document that proclaims the inalienable rights which everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, color, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Let’s now listen to President Reagan’s remarks in 1988 after signing the Human Rights Day Proclamation.

On December 1, 1985, Ronald “Dutch” Reagan was honored at an All-Star Tribute by the Variety Club for their annual fundraising dinner.  The money raised at this event went to name a children’s hospital building at the University of Nebraska for the president. So in today’s Words to Live By podcast, 35 years after the actual event, we give you the December 1985 All Star Tribute to Ronald Reagan. Let's Listen.

In this week’s podcast, we begin by presenting President Reagan’s Address on the Upcoming Soviet-United States Summit Meeting in Geneva, delivered on November 14, 1985. Let’s listen.

In this week’s podcast, we present Ronald Reagan’s famous October 27, 1964 “A Time For Choosing” speech. Let’s listen.

In this week’s podcast, we go back to a harrowing time during the Reagan Administration – in 1983, over the same week period, the U.S. Marine Barracks in Beirut were blown up by a suicide bomber, killing 241 U.S. military personnel.  And, while dealing with the fallout of the attack, just two days later, President Reagan had to deploy United States forces into Grenada to rescue the American medical students on the island, as well as to help restore order and democracy. In this podcast, we’ll specifically look at the Beirut bombing. Let's listen.

In this week’s podcast, we look at President Reagan’s 1986 trip to Reykjavik, Iceland – one of the five summits held between President Ronald Reagan and Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to discuss meaningful arms reductions. Let's listen.

"I regarded the 1984 presidential election as pivotal – not because I wanted to live in the White House for four more years, but because I believed the gains we’d made during the previous four years were in jeopardy." On October 7, 1984, President Reagan and former Vice President Walter Mondale held their debate focusing on domestic policies. Let’s now listen to the October 7th debate.

“The dreams of people may differ, but everyone wants their dreams to come true…And America, above all places, gives us the freedom to do that, the freedom to reach out and make our dreams come true.” If you search President Reagan’s speeches and papers, you will find hundreds of references to the American Dream.  Let’s listen now to his 1982 address to the nation on the economy, where he talks about the importance of renewing the American dream. Let's listen.

Ronald Reagan knew that the journey to arms reduction would not be short or easy.  He also knew it had to begin with an increase of arms.  As he wrote in his autobiography, “It was obvious that if we were ever going to get anywhere with the Russians in persuading them to reduce armaments, we had to bargain with them from strength, not weakness.” He spoke of his goals for reducing arms and nuclear weapons in a November 18, 1981 speech to the members of the National Press Club. Let’s listen.

On September 7, 1988, President Reagan issued Proclamation 5851 calling out the week of September 17th as Citizenship Day and Constitution Week. Let’s now listen to President Reagan’s remarks at the Bicentennial Celebration of the United States Constitution on September 16, 1987.

Today’s “Words to Live By” honors the 19th anniversary of 9-11.  We remember today not only to honor the almost 3000 innocent souls who lost their lives that day and the other 6000 people who were injured but to send an irrefutable message to those who perpetrated this unthinkable crime that we will never forget and our resolve to continue the fight for freedom will only get stronger. Let’s start with three quotes from President Reagan’s 1981 Inaugural Address. Let's listen.