Rod Lurie Quotes

Let's summon the courage to insist on a minimal level of civic knowledge for the citizens empowered to decide our fate.

I'm moved to think about the political state of our country right now. Most people who go out and vote have a very clear sense of what's right and wrong. And a lot of those people who don't aren't sure, so they don't go out and vote.

Since an early age I was taught to be very politically aware and knew from childhood that the process was something I wanted to contribute towards if I could.

I don't think there was really a time when I have not been politically aware.

I had become increasingly concerned in recent years about the lack of civics education in our nation's schools. In recent years, the schools have stopped teaching it. And it's unfortunate.

I begin to feel like I was in the last generation of Americans who took a civics class.

If they had taught a class on how to be the kind of citizen Dick Cheney worries about, I would have finished high school.

Students now arrive at the university ignorant and cynical about our political heritage, lacking the wherewithal to be either inspired by it or seriously critical of it.

Democracy is something that you must learn each generation. It has to be taught.

Half the states have stopped making civics and government a requirement for high school. Half.

We do not say that a man who takes no interest in politics is a man who minds his own business; we say that he has no business here at all.

In our age there is no such thing as 'keeping out of politics.' All issues are political issues ….

I think public life for me has a slightly didactic role, OK.

I've always sort of thought that politics was a high and noble calling and a good thing to do.

I've spoken about politics a lot over the years and my main issue that I championed was just general engagement in politics.

I think it's very important of course that you're politically aware of what you do.

Honestly, I'm not a big activism or politic guy. I wouldn't say I'm super educated in that stuff, and I feel like I shouldn't speak on things that I don't understand too much.

It's fun to play a part in the process of helping to inform readers about their political leaders.

Cultivating a thoughtful citizenry is a project for educators, parents, and religious and community leaders as much as tech leaders.

Even civics classes have almost disappeared from the schools. So things have not gotten any better.

Politics is about the participation and engagement of the wider citizenry - to miss that point would doom us to irrelevance.

Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.

No matter where you stand politically - even if you're unsure of what your political ideology is - it is important to take part in the process of shaping our government.

If we give up on politics, we're done for. Powerlessness is a self-fulfilling prophesy.

When you Google me, you'll find a lot of people don't like Richard Dreyfuss. Because I'm cocky and I present a cocky attitude. But no one has ever disagreed with the notion I represent, that we need more civic education. So far there's 100 percent support for that.