There are a lot of things that fit on a bumper sticker in terms

Hear the words of Laurence Tribe, a scholar of law and a teacher of justice, who warns against the seduction of simplicity: “There are a lot of things that fit on a bumper sticker in terms of either liberty or equality or progress that when made more concrete just don't pan out.” In this saying, he unmasks the peril of reducing the deepest struggles of humanity—liberty, equality, progress—to slogans. For though such words stir the heart, they are but sparks; without the fire of depth and detail, they die before lighting the path ahead.

The meaning of his words is plain yet piercing. A bumper sticker can shout a promise of freedom, justice, or advancement in just a few words. These catchphrases thrill the spirit and flatter the mind, for they allow us to believe we grasp great truths without effort. But when we attempt to make these promises real—when they must be shaped into laws, policies, and lived practices—they often fracture under the weight of complexity. For justice cannot be confined to a slogan; it demands labor, compromise, and wisdom.

The origin of this truth is found in the long struggle of democracy. Every movement for change begins with a cry simple enough to rally the masses: “Liberty!” cried the revolutionaries; “Equality!” cried the suffragists; “Progress!” cry reformers in every age. These cries ignite passion, yet when leaders seek to translate them into reality, they find tangled webs of culture, law, and human weakness. Thus, Tribe reminds us that slogans inspire, but they are not enough; they are the beginning of the journey, not its end.

History offers us many mirrors. Consider the French Revolution. The motto “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” blazed across banners, stirring the hearts of millions. Yet when the words were pressed into practice, liberty gave way to the terror of the guillotine, equality became tyranny, and fraternity dissolved into bloodshed. The cry was noble, but the reality proved fragile. The revolution’s failure reminds us of Tribe’s wisdom: great ideals cannot live on slogans alone; they must be built carefully, with patience and discernment, or they will collapse into ruin.

And yet, slogans are not without power. The words “I Have a Dream” spoken by Martin Luther King Jr. began as a vision uttered in simple language, but they did not remain only poetry. They inspired laws, movements, and sacrifices that slowly reshaped a nation. Here lies the balance: Tribe does not despise the bumper sticker, but warns against mistaking it for the full work of justice. It is a seed, but not the harvest.

The lesson is clear: cherish your ideals, but do not stop at the shouting of them. If you proclaim liberty, be ready to defend it through law, patience, and vigilance. If you demand equality, be ready to dismantle systems of injustice and endure the long struggle that follows. If you seek progress, prepare to labor with both hope and discipline, for change is not a single cry but a thousand daily acts of perseverance.

So, children of tomorrow, take these words into your heart. Do not be deceived by the easy beauty of slogans, nor by the shallow promise of simplicity. Let the cry for liberty, equality, and progress ignite your spirit—but then descend into the hard work of making them real. For it is not in the ink of the bumper sticker that nations are transformed, but in the sweat, the courage, and the sacrifice of those who refuse to let ideals die when they leave the realm of words. And in this labor, you will find not only progress, but wisdom, and the lasting strength of justice fulfilled.