We pay a price when we deprive children of the exposure to the

Hear, O seekers of justice, the words of Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to sit upon the highest court of the United States: “We pay a price when we deprive children of the exposure to the values, principles, and education they need to make them good citizens.” These words are not spoken as idle warning, but as a judgment drawn from the wisdom of law and the lessons of history. For every generation, the fate of the republic rests not upon its armies or its treasures, but upon the souls of its children. If they are deprived of truth and virtue, the cost shall be borne not only by them, but by all who come after.

What does it mean to pay such a price? It is the price of ignorance that breeds corruption. It is the price of selfishness that devours community. It is the price of apathy that allows injustice to rise unchecked. A child who is not instructed in values may grow skilled in trade, yet lack compassion; a child who is not formed in principles may wield power, yet without justice. Such a person may thrive in the short term, but their society suffers, for a nation without good citizens is a house without pillars—inevitably destined to collapse.

Consider the fall of Rome, which Gibbon and others chronicled. In its early days, Roman youth were taught the virtues of duty, discipline, and sacrifice for the common good. These formed the backbone of the republic. But as centuries passed, these lessons were neglected. The children of Rome grew indulgent, seeking wealth and pleasure without civic virtue. The empire rotted from within, long before the barbarians struck from without. Here is the very price O’Connor warns of: a society that forgets to shape its children into citizens prepares its own destruction.

Her words also shine with hope, for they remind us that such ruin is not inevitable. The republic is preserved when children are given not only education of the mind, but training of the heart. Schools must teach reading and arithmetic, yes, but they must also teach the meaning of justice, the necessity of freedom, and the sacred duty to care for one another. The family must instruct not only in manners, but in values—honesty, courage, and service. The church, the community, and the nation must all play their part in shaping souls prepared to stand as guardians of liberty.

Reflect upon the story of Frederick Douglass, who, though born into slavery, seized education with ferocity and taught himself to read. He declared that knowledge was the pathway from slavery to freedom. But more than this, he embraced the principles of equality and justice, becoming not only a freed man but a great citizen whose voice changed the conscience of a nation. His life reveals the truth of O’Connor’s words: when children are denied the tools of virtue and knowledge, they are robbed of their future; when they are given these gifts, they may rise to save even the world around them.

Beware, then, the temptation to treat education as nothing more than preparation for labor. A child trained only for work but not for citizenship becomes a cog in the machine, not a steward of the common good. Beware also of neglecting values and principles out of fear of controversy. For if we do not instruct the young in justice, equality, and freedom, others will instruct them in prejudice, selfishness, and apathy. The soil will never remain empty—it will always grow what is planted, whether good seed or weeds.

Therefore, O keepers of the future, take this charge: give your children values to guide them, principles to anchor them, and education to empower them. Teach them the meaning of truth, the worth of compassion, the beauty of service. Let them not only prepare for careers but also for citizenship, for their responsibility is not only to themselves but to the whole. Invest in their minds, shape their hearts, and awaken their consciences, for upon them rests the fate of tomorrow.

The final word is this: as O’Connor has declared, the price of neglect is great, but the reward of faithful instruction is greater still. A nation that raises wise, just, and compassionate citizens secures its future against decay. Let us then pay the cost of teaching now, that we may not suffer the greater cost of ignorance later. For in the children of today, rightly formed, lies the promise of a society worthy of tomorrow.