Tennessee’s speaker of the House, Lipscomb alumna Beth Harwell, discussed the importance of President Ronald Reagan as a way of leaning into the screening of “Killing Reagan.”

Harwell spoke of the former president and his importance to her and her political party, which has built a super-majority, thanks to the Reagan years.

“I credit him with the transitions from the old, Southern Democrats to the Republican Party because he was loved in the South,” Harwell said. “He was one of the few Republicans that ran and started the whole movement of people feeling comfortable in the South leaving the Democrat Party for the Republican at the top of the ticket.”

The Natonal Geographic special is based on conservative pundit Bill O’Reilly’s book of that title, a part of his successful “Killing Of” series.

Lipscomb students gathered in Shamblin Theater on Wednesday evening for the screening of “Killing Reagan.” The story focuses specifically on the story of the 1981 assassination attempt of Reagan. 

Although the film focused on the events leading up to the assassination attempt, sophomore bioscience and philosophy major Maggie Ogletree said she appreciated the character development of the attempted assassin, John Hinckley, Jr.

“I actually thought it was interesting how they took the time to look at Hinckley because I like how they respected him and spent time explaining him. It wasn’t all about Reagan,” Ogletree said. “I thought they did him justice.”

Ogletree also enjoyed the portrayal of Reagan’s wife, Nancy, and the qualities her character added to the film.

“Seeing her [Nancy] made it more personal and emotional,” Ogletree said.

While O’Reilly is known for his conservative commentary on Fox News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor,” senior Matt Roland gave credit to the film’s storytelling and how it shaped how he views O’Reilly. 

“It really communicated Reagan as being a good communicator and showed how he really formed the Republican Party into what it is today. I think it really interpreted what Regan is,” Roland said. “He’s [O’Reilly] a well-known Republican and many people look up to him. I think that he’s a really big influence within the Republican party.”

As for other influences in the Republican party, Harwell said that Reagan’s influence was impactful on the rest of the world as well. Harwell echoed his outreach to younger generations and, even in the midst of a nontraditional election season, encouraged Lipscomb students to get involved in the political process themselves.

“I can’t even begin to tell you about this political cycle. I don’t think anyone would have the guts to get up and tell you that they understood it and what this nation is going through right now, but I will say that right now, more than ever, we need good people involved in the political process,” Harwell said. “Now is not the time to get despondent or throw up your hands although it can be tempting. Now is the time for good people and young people to be involved in the political process and continue to be involved.”

Harwell is currently up for reelection for Tennessee State House District 56 which includes Lipscomb’s campus. She has served in the Tennessee House of Representatives since 1989 and been Speaker of the House since 2011.

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