The Des Moines Register – Stefanie Wager
“At the close of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Benjamin Franklin was asked “Well, doctor, what have we got — a Republic or a Monarchy?” His response: “A republic, if you can keep it.” Franklin seems to have understood the fragility of a republic and his “if you can keep it” statement sounds like a challenge — a challenge we must embrace as we think about civic life in the 21st century. We’ve all seen the television segments, where the interviewer finds a “man on street” and asks questions about our country’s history or government. Frequently, we chuckle and think how could anyone not know that? However, recent reports seem to point to the fact that this lack of knowledge is not an anomaly, but becoming a societal norm.”(more)