“Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” Thomas Jefferson
“One by one, U.S. civil rights agency dismantles tools to fight discrimination. The EEOC is seeking to overturn rules created decades ago to tackle discrimination in employment. The Trump administration says those rules have led to more discrimination—against white people.”
Headlines like this drive much of today’s political debate. Depending on which news source people follow, they may be told that constitutional rights are under attack or that equal treatment under the law is finally being restored. Before believing either claim, Americans should ask a simple question: What does the Constitution actually say?
The Constitution does not mention DEI, affirmative action, diversity, equity, or inclusion. The constitutional principle at the center of today’s debate comes from the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees equal protection of the laws to “any person.”
Those words matter. The Constitution does not say Black people, White people, minorities, or majorities. It says “any person.” The language is universal and applies equally to everyone.
The larger problem may be that too few Americans know what the Constitution actually says. If constitutional principles are being taught in our schools, the results suggest they are not being learned well enough. Millions of graduates cannot explain their constitutional rights, identify the branches of government, or describe how laws are made.
California spends billions of dollars on public education, yet many students struggle with reading, writing, mathematics, and basic civics. If students graduate without understanding the Constitution, how can they evaluate political claims about their rights? How can they know when politicians, activists, or the media are presenting facts versus opinions?
The Constitution is not just a historical document. It affects Americans every day. It protects freedom of speech, religious liberty, due process, property rights, and equal protection under the law. Citizens who do not understand these principles become dependent on others to explain their rights for them.
A constitutional republic depends on informed citizens. Education should not simply produce graduates; it should produce people who can read, think critically, and understand the principles that govern their lives. The most important lesson schools can teach is not what to think, but how to think.
When citizens do not understand the Constitution, they are more likely to accept political narratives without questioning them. They become vulnerable to media headlines, activist movements, and government officials who claim to speak on their behalf. A free people should never have to rely solely on others to tell them what their rights are. They should know those rights for themselves.
The solution to misinformation is not trusting one political party, one media outlet, or one ideology. The solution is an educated citizenry that knows the Constitution well enough to judge claims for itself. A people who understand their rights are far less likely to surrender them, and far less likely to be misled by those who claim to speak on their behalf.
The strength of America has never been found in politicians, political parties, or government agencies. It has always rested in an informed and engaged citizenry. The Constitution was written for the people, not for legal scholars or elected officials alone. If we truly want to preserve our freedoms, we must ensure that future generations can read it, understand it, and apply its principles to their everyday lives.