Civics Class, Always In Session
You know what I call my 30-minute wait to vote this year?
Civics Class, the Life Lab edition.
And I’m not complaining about the wait at all. Far from it, because the half hour I stood in line is part of a national trend of high voter turnout in an event often marked by low civic participation, the midterm elections. In fact, in Michigan where I live, our Secretary of State is saying we experienced the biggest voter turnout in history.
Civics class isn’t just the required course you might recall from high school. Too many of us remember it as academic and hard to relate to everyday life. As it turns out, it’s actually a nonstop learning opportunity and ongoing dialogue that has a major impact on day-to-day life. In fact, I’m leading a “class” right now, and I’ve already learned more about diverse perspectives than I did sitting in high school civics.
Ever debated critical issues with the younger generation? Do it — it’s inspiring.
The class that I helped start was established a couple of years ago. It’s an online group discussion that began with one of my daughters and her roommate. It started when I asked my daughter what they were thinking about regarding the 2020 elections. They weren’t as knowledgeable about the issues as I would have hoped, and I talked to them for a bit about candidates and ballot measures. They were engaged and thankful. To my surprise, they asked if we could chat again. Naturally, I agreed.
Then two of my other adult kids joined the group, and each of them began inviting their friends. We inaugurated “Tony’s Civics Class” early in 2021, and we now have about 20 twenty-somethings who have joined at least once. Now we zoom about every three weeks, and I generally have seven or eight people on a call. Each student is armed with a pocket U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence.
Topics have included:
- First Amendment rights
- Origins of the Second Amendment
- Electoral College
- John Locke’s influence on the Declaration of Independence
- The statement “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” and why the order matters
- James Madison and the framers of the U.S. Constitution
- Social media, cancel culture, censorship
- Tax law
- U.S. debt
- Branches of government
- Robinson-Patman Act and antitrust
- Roe v. Wade
- War in Ukraine
We recently had an in-person dinner for which each participant was assigned a ballot measure to explain. When dinner started, it was clear that as a group we didn’t have detailed knowledge of the various measures. But after discussion and debate, we felt a lot better prepared to cast informed votes.
That dinner was a special in-person occasion, and we have now moved back to online video sessions. Last night we had a lively discussion as we reflected on the results of the election.
I remain categorically all-in on our wonderful Republic, and I appreciate every citizen’s right to make their own decision on who they vote for and why. What I abhor is soundbite culture. It’s a trap that stunts our critical thinking skills, which are vitally important because the decisions we make really do have consequences. As I have written before, we need to ask the second question to get to the fifth.
Turns out, civics class is in session. All the time. Not just when I waited 30 minutes to cast my ballot for a historic midterm election, and not just for concentrated bursts during election cycles. We’re always on duty as citizens in a democratic process that works the best when we’re all working to improve it.
The Civics Class Life Lab is never dismissed, because there’s always something to learn and there’s always someone to teach.