| Last week’s curation at RealClear’s American Civics portal starts off with the latest entry in our Disputed Questions series: Is America good? In his lead essay, Wilfred Reilly makes the case that America is a morally good country, because it was established upon the principles of liberty and equality of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He contends that the modern narrative that systemic racism infects America’s institutions simply does not line up with the facts. In response, Adam Seagrave argues that Reilly understates both America’s greatness, as it was the only country in existence founded upon moral principles of “public right,” and the grave evil of slavery, which targeted a person’s humanity in more insidious ways than any other historical form of slavery. Xavier Bonilla writes that we need to see both America’s greatness, including the elimination of slavery, and also its flaws, such as the fact that power has traditionally been confined to the hands of white men. At RealClearBooks&Culture is an excerpt from John Agresto’s latest book, “The Death of Learning.” A board member of the Jack Miller Center, Agresto argues that the purpose of liberal education is “to make us free.” Education at every level should be centered around creating free minds so that students can debate, discuss, and argue about the highest things in life, a virtue that republican government presupposes in citizens. “In sum, we advance in our knowledge not simply through faith in what we are told, not by memorizing a catechism of dogmas or relying on what our peers or our culture believe,” Agresto argues, “but through personal reason and reflection – in listening to all arguments and then deciding for ourselves.” Rounding out this week’s curation are three remembrances of David McCullough, the beloved American historian. At The Atlantic, Candice Millard writes, “To read one of his books is not just to understand the people who populate its pages, but to feel like you know them.” Historian Miles Smith says that McCullough’s chief characteristic is that he “maintained affection and charity towards the United States and its peoples despite its flawed history.” And Richard Moe, President of National Trust for Historic Preservation, notes that McCullough “preferred to focus on lesser-known figures whose achievements and character may have been overshadowed by their predecessors.” Essential Reading Wilfred Reilly, Xavier Bonilla, & Adam Seagrave, RCP The modern United States of America is one of the richest, happiest, and most productive societies ever to exist. The U.S. is... In the News Michael Carlson, Guardian James H. Sweet, Perspectives on History Wilfred McClay, Public Discourse Glori Smith, Deseret News Andrew Langer, Constituting America Jeffrey Tyler Syck, Providence David Randall, NAS Chris Flannery, American Mind Richard Moe, History News Network Scott Bomboy, National Constitution Center Marco della Cava, USA Today Lauren Barack, K-12 Dive Chris Burkett, Constituting America Miles Smith, World John Agresto, RealClearBooks&Culture Thomas Kidd & Tony Williams, BRI Scholar Talks What core contributions did the various Founders make to liberty and constitutional self-governance? BRI’s new “American Founders”... Keith Hughes, Nick Capodice, & Hannah McCarthy, Civics 101 Know your candidates and causes, find your polling place, have a plan! There are plenty of small steps you can take to be ready... Kevin Roberts & Martin Di Caro, History As It Happens This is the fifth installment in an occasional series focusing on slavery, the Constitution, and the current debate over the meaning... Carl Cannon's Great American Stories The current comedy-challenged environment we live in is not all Donald Trump's fault, although Trump's presence on the political stage ... On this date 34 years ago, George H.W. Bush tapped Dan Quayle as his running mate. The pick, announced at ... It's Friday, August 12, 2022, the day of the week when I pass along a quotation intended to be uplifting ... |
