On Sunday, September 15, Purdue University Northwest Sinai Forum hosted the first program of its 71st season at Stardust Event Center at Blue Chip Casino, Hotel & Spa in Michigan City. The audience was made up of over 1,100 subscribers, students and community members from Northwest Indiana and beyond.
The Sinai Forum was established in 1953 by Sylvia and Dr. Milton Bankoff, Rabbi Karl Richter and an inspired group of citizens from Michigan City, IN. Their intention was to give members of the community the opportunity to engage in town hall-style conversations with speakers from various occupations and walks of life. Over the years, the Sinai Forum has featured such prestigious figures as Jackie Robinson, Oprah Winfrey, and Steve “The Woz” Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, Inc.
The Sinai Forum’s latest presentation, entitled “Defending Democracy: A Conversation with Liz Cheney,” saw former U.S. representative of Wyoming’s at-large congressional district Liz Cheney share her thoughts on the current state of American politics. Liz Cheney and her father, former vice president Dick Cheney, both lifelong Republicans, have declared their support of Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. Liz Cheney denounced former President Donald Trump for his denial that President Joe Biden won the election in 2020. She also criticized Trump for the role he played in the events that took place in the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
As she recounted her memories of the January 6 incident, Liz Cheney emphasized the importance of a peaceful transfer of power.
“The transfer of power from president to president is very important,” Liz Cheney said. “Not only because it is the foundation of what it means to live in a constitutional republic, but also because, if you think about it, the President of the United States is the most powerful office in the world. Along with the responsibilities and the power of the presidency come a whole range of powers that are truly awesome to consider and that we can only entrust those to an individual with the highest character.”
Liz Cheney discussed her family’s passion for American history and stressed that we must keep the legacy of our country in mind as we move forward into the 2024 election.
“The fact that violence doesn't determine who rules in this country, is fundamental to who we are as Americans,” Liz Cheney said. “Our children and our grandchildren deserve to grow up in a country where we decide who leads us through votes and elections. Future generations will ask us, ‘What did you do?’ and all of our deeds will be written in the book of history. I am confident that we are both a good and a great nation, and that our votes will send a message to the world and show them who we are, what we stand for, and what we believe in.”
Renowned NBC 5 Political Reporter Mary Ann Ahern took to the stage to moderate the Q&A portion of the conversation. She presented Liz Cheney with questions submitted by audience members and included some questions of her own as well. Liz Cheney offered her thoughts on what she believes our takeaways from our current political climate should be.
“I hope we can all walk away with a civics lesson from this period we are living in,” Liz Cheney said. “When we're debating with each other, we must do it in a way that reflects our understanding that others can have substantive disagreements with us. Some of the most interesting and effective exchanges I’ve had with my fellow members in Congress involved policy disagreement. However, I knew they'd done their homework and I wanted to understand why they had arrived at the view they did. I could tell that they wanted to understand something about me as well. That kind of collaboration doesn't require you to abandon your principles, but it does mean that we can find a way as a country to work together respectfully, united by common dedication to the Constitution.”
After the presentation’s conclusion, the attendees enjoyed refreshments, posed for pictures with Liz Cheney, and purchased copies of her book “Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning.”