Ronald Reagan Lecture Series

Patricia Phillips with Constitutional Scholars Dr. David Bobb, Hillsdale College and Dr. Michael Farris, Founder and Chancellor of Patrick Henry College following the second Ronald Reagan Lecture in 2009

Patricia Phillips with Constitutional Scholars Dr. David Bobb, Hillsdale College and Dr. Michael Farris, Founder and Chancellor of Patrick Henry College following the second Ronald Reagan Lecture in 2009

Ronald Reagan is known as the great communicator because of his ability to explain political ideas in a way that mattered to people's every day lives. That is the goal of the Ronald Reagan Lecture Series:

To present topical lectures with quality speakers to reach out to the community in the same manner as Ronald Reagan did.

While the lecture series was conceived following the devastating election results in 2008, the goal is still very much needed following the 2009 Republican sweep of the three statewide offices. We need to use the current opportunity, while Republicans are in favor, to promote reasoned explanations about why limited government and conservative ideas are the solution to our most pressing problems. Ronald Reagan reached out to Democrats and Independents, and we wanted to do the same with the lecture series. We set out to address the basic values reflected in the Virginian Republican Creed.

The Loudoun GOP agreed to sponsor the 2009 series, and Patricia Phillips was pleased to chair the committee to make it happen and to emcee the lectures. The Series was met with rave reviews for the outstanding speakers and great topics. The lectures were held in varying locations around the County. The 2010 Series includes:

  1. Feb 3: Bill Kristol, editor and founded of The Weekly Standard and political commentator, in Sterling.
  2. Mar 3: General Jerry Curry, Return, on A Strong Defense Promotes Peace, in Purcellville
  3. April 7: Senator Rick Santorum, former Pennsylvania Senator addresses Equal right and individual responsibility, Brambleton
  4. May 5, Grace-Marie Turner, President and Founder, the Galen Institute on Liberty and Responsibility in Health Care.
  5. June 1, Bishop Harry Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian Church on the Role of Faith in Public Life.
  6. July, Mark Mix, The Right to Work Foundation on the role of Labor in a Free Market Economy. South Riding.

You can help us achieve our goal by promoting and attending the lectures with your friends, neighbors and co-workers.

2009 Ronald Reagan Lecture Series

Grover Norquist, founder and president of the Americans for Tax Reform and alumni of the Reagan Administration kicked off the lecture series on Ronald Regan.s birthday February 6 in South Riding. Norquist delighted the audience with his plain spoken explanation of the "leave me alone coalition" and illustrated why an ever expending government budget leads to bad policies - that don't leave people alone.

The March lecture in Lansdowne featured two presentations on current constitutional issues. Dr. David Bobb, PhD, professor at Hillsdale College, DC campus, discussed "Guardrail for Government" an examination of constitutional limits on government and how they preserve individual liberty. Michael Farris, founder of Patrick Henry College, presented "Over the Cliff: UN Rights of the Child" a dissection of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and its potential threat to the parental rights.

Wayne Abernathy, of the American Bankers' Association, discussed "The Virtues of a Free Market Economy" at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville in April. This talk focused on the government intrusion into the banking industry and the behind the scenes account of "federal assistance."

In May, Corey Stewart, Chairman, Prince William County Board of Supervisors discussed "Equal Rights, Responsibilities, and Justice for All." Stewart recounted how Prince William County upheld the rule of law and respected individual rights in their effort to rein in the negative consequences of illegal immigration.

Matt Staver, Chairman, Liberty Council, closed the lecture series in Brambleton in June with a discussion of "The Role of Faith in Public Life." At the time, political and economic corruption were at the high water mark, with Senate seats being offered for sale to the highest bidder, financiers running Ponzi schemes, and executives beggaring both stockholders and workers while systematically lining their own pockets. History shows that our founding father recognized the dangers: George Washington' warned "Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail, in exclusion of religious principle."

The Grand Finale featured a showing of the 90 minute documentary: "Rendezvous with Destiny" to raise funds to support the Lecture Series. "The film reminds us of the charismatic power and educational capabilities Mr. Reagan brought to the presidency," commented Newt Gingrich. Everyone was challenged to consider their own role given the nearly prophetic statement of our current political headings. Ronald Reagan said: "You and I have a Rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children's children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done."