| Leading off this past week’s curation at RealClear’s American Civics portal is Wilfred M. McClay’s review of Victor Davis Hanson’s new book, “The Dying Citizen.” As McClay argues, in an age that trends toward a rootless cosmopolitanism, we need to return to the idea of citizenship in which a certain people with a specific set of traditions establishes a home for themselves. “Citizenship animates a free people’s way of life, McClay notes. “It draws upon a sense of membership in a society of civic equals – free and independent citizens, not fearful and dependent subjects, who may be unequal in many ways, but who share a civic equality, in which respect for one another’s equal rights and equal standing under the law is a guiding moral premise.” McClay also opens Law & Liberty’s October forum, exploring the American story, with all of its highs and lows, in light of recent attacks on the country’s principles, history, traditions, and people. In the New York Times, David Goldfield reviews Allen Guelzo’s forthcoming biography of the Confederate General, Robert E. Lee. Goldfield finds that Guelzo avoids both hagiography and utter condemnation: while Guelzo is “critical of Lee, he does not withhold praise when the circumstances justify it. By the end of the book, Guelzo chooses not to pursue the case against Lee for his treasonous choice to make war on the United States.” At Starting Points, Garrett Snedeker of the James Wilson Institute critiques Donald Drakeman’s recent book on originalism, finding it praiseworthy because it restores the classical argument for originalism that goes well beyond the talking points of the current legal establishment. But it also falls short in an important respect. “Drakeman spends precious little time in the book furnishing the reader with those renderings of justice that the Founders thought underlay their entire claim of bringing forth a just system of government,” Snedeker writes. Essential Reading Wilfred M. McClay, New Criterion The title of “citizen” has lost much of the simple grandeur it once had. It deserves far better, and as Victor Davis Hanson shows... In the News Wilfred M. McClay, Law & Liberty Howard Husock, City Journal Auguste Meyrat, The Federalist Harper Neidig, The Hill John Hirschauer, RealClearEducation American Revolution Institute Jay Bergman, Minding the Campus Paul F. Torrisi, Syracuse.com Juan Perez Jr., Politico John O. McGinnis, Law & Liberty Wilfred Codrington, The Atlantic Amy Crawford, Smithsonian Magazine James Varney, Washington Times Gary Saul Morson & Morton Schapiro, Substack David Goldfield, New York Times Robert P. George & Ryan T. Anderson, Ethics and Public Policy Center The Ethics and Public Policy Center and Princeton University’s James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions... Richard Carwardine, Brian Matthew Jordan, Joan Waugh, & David Randall, National Association of Scholars In this webinar, we ask: was the Civil War necessary? How did the "United" States fall into civil war less than a century after... National Constitution Center In this session, students will explore the battle over the ratification of the Constitution—beginning with Convention delegates... Chris Flannery, American Story “Follow the science” and the “experts”—became popular maxims in America in the strange years 2020 & 2021, as government... Bill of Rights Institute What is the proper relationship between church and state? We analyze this question by reviewing the history behind the Establishment... Braver Angels Watch We the People's conversation with Janelle Burke and Chief Dan Templeman on controversial contemporary questions... Michael Warren, Patriot Lessons Learn about the circumstances leading to the drafting and ratification of the Articles of Confederation. You can’t really understand... John Cornyn & David Davenport, Hatch Foundation Sen. John Cornyn and David Davenport discuss the current the current state of K-12 civic education and solutions on turning... Mary Patterson, Bill of Rights Institute How can images help us understand the role of African American women in the abolitionist movement? In this week's episode, Mary... Carl Cannon's Great American Stories Good morning, it's Friday, Oct. 1, 2021, the day of the week I impart quotations intended to be inspirational or ... Fifty years ago today, Major League Baseball abandoned the nation's capital for the second time. The first came in 1960 ... Eight-five years ago this week, Literary Digest magazine was in the field with the most ambitious public opinion poll in ... | 