School districts around the country, and the taxpayers that

Hear, O guardians of the young, the voice of Charlie Pierce, who spoke with urgency and clarity: “School districts around the country, and the taxpayers that support them, have a moral right to the information the NFL might have concerning the medical aspects of the game, and to assess the risks to the students in their charge. Colleges have a moral right to that information for the same reasons.” Though these words were born of debates over sport, they echo the timeless struggle between power and responsibility, between knowledge hoarded and truth shared.

The origin of this quote lies in the growing awareness of injuries within the game of football, most gravely the wounds to the brain—concussions that may scar not only the body but the very soul of a player. For decades, the NFL, vast in power and wealth, carried knowledge of these dangers, yet was slow to share its findings. Pierce’s words strike like thunder: if the league possesses truth, then it is bound by moral right to unveil it, so that the young, the schools, and the families may judge for themselves whether the price of glory is too high.

For what is a school district but a steward of children, entrusted by parents and upheld by taxpayers? Their duty is not only to teach letters and numbers, but to guard health, to nurture lives, to ensure that those in their charge may grow in strength rather than be broken in the bloom of youth. To deny them knowledge of risks is to betray this sacred trust. A shepherd who sees the wolf yet says nothing is guilty of the blood of his flock; so too, any power that hides dangers from schools and colleges is guilty of the harm that follows.

History itself bears witness to the peril of withheld truth. Recall the tragedy of tobacco. For many years, corporations knew the harm their products caused, yet concealed it behind veils of false science and smiling advertisement. Countless lives were lost, and only when the truth was revealed did society awaken to protect its children. The parallel is clear: where health is at stake, silence is a weapon, and truth is salvation. Pierce’s cry is thus a demand for justice, that knowledge be unshackled and handed to those whose duty is to protect.

Yet let us not despise the game itself. Football, like all contests, can inspire discipline, courage, and brotherhood. It teaches the value of teamwork and endurance. But virtues must never blind us to dangers. A sword may serve justice in the hand of a hero, yet it may wound the careless child. To ensure that young players reap only the good and not the ruin of sport, the truth of its medical aspects must be known. Thus, the call is not to destroy the game, but to play it wisely, with eyes open to both its beauty and its peril.

The lesson is clear, O listeners: where lives are at stake, there is no higher duty than transparency. Let no institution, however wealthy or powerful, hold secrets that affect the health of the weak. Knowledge must be shared, for only then can families, schools, and colleges make choices worthy of their sacred trust. To withhold such truth is not merely negligence—it is betrayal of the community and of the future.

Therefore, let your actions be guided thus: demand truth where health is concerned. Support leaders who value transparency over profit. Teach the young not only the glories of sport, but also its risks, so that they may choose with wisdom. And above all, remember that students are not commodities of entertainment, but the living heirs of tomorrow. Their safety is a higher law than any contract, their future a greater treasure than any league’s fortune.

So take heed, and pass down this teaching: the people have a moral right to the truth, and the guardians of youth have a sacred duty to demand it. In this lies the path to justice, to safety, and to honor. For when truth is shared, the young may grow strong, the schools may fulfill their charge, and the nation itself may endure in health and in wisdom.