| Last week’s curation at RealClear’s American Civics portal begins with an op-ed by the Jack Miller Center’s Elliott Drago which argues that the Father of the Constitution, James Madison, can help bring clarity in our modern battles over free speech. He notes that Elon Musk’s tweet, “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy,” brought heavy criticism because of our public disagreements over how private companies protect free speech. Madison’s authorship of what became the First Amendment, and the pushback he and Jefferson gave to the Alien and Sedition Acts, shows that “governments that place boundaries on free speech create societies in which the people can never truly rule,” Drago writes. “Simply put, Madison believed the First Amendment gave Americans free speech as well as making them the voice of self-government.” In an acceptance speech for the Bradley Prize, Glenn Loury states that the American Dream is alive and well for black Americans. He points to the emergence of a black middle class, the existence of black billionaires, and the overall influence of black culture on American culture. “In fact, when viewed in global comparative perspective,” Loury argues, “we black Americans are rich and powerful with, for example, ten times the per capita income of a typical Nigerian.” He notes that to argue that the American Dream doesn’t apply to black Americans “is to tell a lie to our children about their country – a crippling lie which, when taken as gospel, robs our people of agency and a sense of control over our fate. It’s also a patronizing lie that betrays profound doubt about our ability to face up to the responsibilities and to bear the burdens of our freedom.” For the Claremont Review of Books, Daniel J. Mahoney reviews the 1619 Project book, finding it to be “occasionally more nuanced than the” original essays but still dominated by “ideological Manichaeism.” In his view, the 1619 Project is a “reckless and willful distortion of the historical record” and “an effort to identify the American story unilaterally with irredeemable racism, systematic oppression, unprecedented violence, and Hitlerian malignity.” He also highlights the many historians and scholars such as James McPherson, Gordon Wood, and Wilfred Reilly who have made penetrating critiques of the “1619 narrative” that America is fundamentally based on white supremacy. Original Posts Elliott Drago, RealClearAmericanCivics Essential Reading Daniel J. Mahoney, Claremont Review of Books A self-respecting people must be a self-critical people, open to introspection and ready to repent of real sin. But self-criticism is... In the News Guy Shepherd, Planned Man Camilla Fine, USA Today Glenn Loury, City Journal Editorial Board, Quillette Steve Wintermute, Times News Sean Salai, Washington Times Claire Helm, WGXA Marsha Familaro Enright, Martin Center for Academic Renewal Paul Moreno, Law & Liberty Tim Ott, History.com Jean Hastings Ardell & Joe Nalven, Times of San Diego John D. Sailer, City Journal John Hood, RealClearHistory Tunku Varadarajan, Wall Street Journal David Frum, The Atlantic Inside Edition Veterans and other people all across America are answering a special Memorial Day request this year. At precisely 3 p.m. local... Allen Mendenhall, Chris Metress, & Don Noble, NAS “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you... Jason Stevens & Jeff Sikkenga, American Idea In this episode of The American Idea, Jeff welcomes back Dr. Jason Stevens, Professor of Political Science at Ashland University and... Hannah McCarthy & Nick Capodice, Civics 101 The federal judiciary system has three steps: district court, circuit court, and the Supreme Court, and despite what you see on... Carl Cannon's Great American Stories It's Friday, May 20, 2022, the day of the week when I pass along a quotation intended to be uplifting ... Good morning, it's Friday, May 6, 2022, the day of the week when I pass along a quotation intended to ... In case you slept late the big story of the day was a scoop by Politico that the Supreme Court is ... | 