If children do not understand the Constitution, they cannot

The words of John Roberts, Chief Justice of the United States, ring like a solemn bell echoing through the corridors of time: “If children do not understand the Constitution, they cannot understand how our government functions, or what their rights and responsibilities are as citizens of the United States.” These are not mere words of civic instruction—they are a warning, a prophecy, and a call to stewardship. For when the sacred Constitution is forgotten by the young, the flame of liberty flickers in the wind. The Republic itself—founded on law, reason, and the shared promise of freedom—stands vulnerable not to enemies from abroad, but to ignorance from within.

The Constitution is more than parchment and ink; it is the living covenant between a people and their destiny. It was forged in the fires of revolution and tempered by the wisdom of those who had tasted tyranny. The Founders knew that liberty could not endure in the hands of the uninformed. Education was their safeguard, for only an educated citizenry could preserve the delicate balance between freedom and order. Thus, Roberts’ statement echoes their ancient understanding: a free nation depends upon the moral and intellectual vigilance of its children, for they are the heirs to both its privileges and its burdens.

Consider the lessons of history. In the early days of the Republic, Thomas Jefferson fought tirelessly for public education, believing that ignorance was the truest enemy of freedom. He wrote that if a nation expects to be both ignorant and free, it “expects what never was and never will be.” Centuries later, Justice Roberts continues that same plea—not to scholars, but to every parent, teacher, and citizen. For when schools neglect the teaching of the Constitution, they abandon the foundation upon which every right and every freedom rests. Without that knowledge, the young may grow fluent in technology, but illiterate in liberty.

There is a story from modern America that embodies this truth. In a small town in Iowa, a group of students once challenged a school ban on wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War. They had read the Bill of Rights, and they believed that their expression was protected under the First Amendment. The case reached the Supreme Court—Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)—and the Court ruled in their favor, affirming that students do not “shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate.” That victory belonged not just to those children, but to the spirit of education itself. They understood their Constitution, and through that understanding, they defended the freedom of millions.

The failure to teach the Constitution is not a minor oversight—it is a slow betrayal. When children do not learn the meaning of due process, they do not understand justice. When they cannot define freedom of speech, they cannot defend it. When they are ignorant of the separation of powers, they do not recognize tyranny when it appears in gentle disguise. And so, they grow into adults who are easily swayed by slogans, fearful of authority, and forgetful of their duty as citizens. The greatest danger to democracy is not corruption or chaos—it is apathy born of ignorance.

The responsibility that Roberts speaks of is not confined to classrooms; it belongs to every generation. Parents must speak to their children not only of love and success, but of liberty and law. Teachers must awaken not just minds, but consciences. And the state must remember that civic education is not a luxury—it is a defense mechanism of the Republic. The Constitution cannot protect those who do not know its words, nor can rights endure where they are not understood.

The lesson, then, is both urgent and eternal: freedom must be taught, or it will be lost. The young must learn not only what their rights are, but why those rights were hard-won and how they can be preserved. To love one’s country is not to wave its flag blindly, but to understand its soul—the Constitution that gives it meaning. Every citizen, young or old, is a guardian of that sacred document.

So let this be the action we take: teach your children the Constitution not as a relic, but as a living promise. Read its preamble aloud. Discuss its amendments at the dinner table. Defend it when it is threatened. For when the next generation knows not only how to recite its words, but to live by them, then—only then—will the Republic be safe, and liberty shine undimmed through the ages.