Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch has a very simple message for America ahead of its 250th birthday: Take self-governance seriously or risk losing the country.
The Trump appointee delivered the straightforward message while speaking at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute (RRPFI) on Tuesday. The justice’s appearance alongside his former law clerk and co-author Janie Nitze centered around the promotion of their new children’s book, Heroes of 1776: The Story of the Declaration of Independence, which explores the stories of some of the American Revolution’s biggest and lesser-known heroes.
During his interview, Gorsuch was asked by RRPFI President David Trulio about the “decline of civic education” in America. Trulio further questioned the justice about what parents can do to “counter” this trend in their own lives and communities.
While acknowledging the “huge problem,” Gorsuch noted the significance of Independence Day and the “ideas” espoused in the Declaration of Independence. More to the point, however, he expressed concern about the future of the country should America fail to pass the recognition of such important principles onto the next generation.
“We celebrate July 4, when that document was approved. It’s those ideas that unite us, and if they don’t get taught, and if the virtues that led to them don’t get taught, then I worry,” Gorsuch said.
The justice went on to note that America “has so much going for it” and is “the greatest country in the world.” Addressing the young people in the audience, he encouraged them to “appreciat[e] what you have,” learn from America’s “history so you don’t repeat some of the mistakes,” and to find “the virtues and the courage and the examples of people to learn and live by.”
Gorsuch then turned his focus to the parents in attendance. He pushed them to use their “voices” to demand that these foundational principles be taught in their children’s schools and further underscored the importance of a self-governing society. In doing so, he noted that Americans have an obligation to “take ownership” of the nation they call home.
“You have voices in your schools. Insist they teach history. Insist they teach civics,” Gorsuch said. “You gotta take ownership of this. At the end of the day, democracy is supply and demand and politicians are responsive. So, I don’t think we can blame others. We have to take ownership of it ourselves.”
The call to action is similar to the message the justice gave during a Fox News interview last year. Speaking to network host Lawrence Jones about the decline of civic knowledge, Gorsuch warned that “the greatest danger America faces today” is “itself.”
The Declaration’s ideals “required courageous men, women, and children to make happen in 1776, and they require the same of us today,” Gorsuch said at the time. “Thomas Jefferson said an ignorant people will never remain free for long, and he’s right. We need to know our history in order to preserve it.”
