Fitting and proper that we should do this perhaps no justice in the history of the Supreme Court has been more associated with the word liberty than Justice Kennedy. Called thet it is tie goes to freedom, Justice Kennedy on liberty. In 554 Supreme Court countless speeches, he thelessly returns to importance of Civic Education for equal liberty for all. The importance of individual liberty and speech and preserving civil dialogue and debate, and the importance of equal dignity and freedom. s first theme is Civic Education for all because he is always and everywhere, a teacher. It aims with Reese Witherspoons commencement address and legally blind. I watched it on youtube and it is a fine speech. Reese witherspoon concludes that with no offense to aristotle, passion is a key ingredient for law and life. Extraordinary experience. We had a tour of the civil war gallery. When he came to the declaration of independence, he emphasized that jefferson saw Civic Education a moral duty. The pursuit oft happiness jefferson was not thinking about happiness in the modern sense of enjoying a meal. Was thateant instead happiness comes from fulfilling ones duty to advance the public good. Justice kennedy was correct. A new book in the founding area era confirms that following that only byd mastering our passions and cultivating our faculties of lastingan we achieve wellbeing that comes from governing ourselves and serving others. That is why jefferson insisted that we need Civic Education. Here at the National Constitution center, we have accepted Justice Kennedys challenge to inspire students to learn about the constitution, so they can learn the habits of civil discourse. That is why we are so excited to and expandedw interactive constitution with the support of many in this room. Thank you to all of you for making this extraordinary learning platform possible. Essays byrm includes americas leading constitutional scholars, educational videos, lesson plans, and most excitingly, it includes online exchanges from classrooms across america to connect for our discussions about the constitution, moderated by master teachers. These exchanges have the potential to connect millions of students in every state of the union to engage in discourse about the cause tuition that Justice Kennedy has championed. His second theme is the importance of freedom of speech and conscience, in promoting civil debate. More than 30 years on the Supreme Court, Justice Kennedy was the most profreespeech justice. The governmentt in nearly three quarters of the freespeech. His commitment to free speech and his concurring opinion in the flagburning case. Vote, they a 54 struck down texas law that prohibited protesters from burning the american flag. Fundamental it is that the flag protects those who hold it in content. Why did Justice Kennedy believe that majestic flag flying over us now protects those who hold it in content . Because of his freedom of conscience, respect for the individual and tolerance of diverse viewpoints. That leads to his third significant contribution. His insistence on equal liberty and dignity for all individuals. Although Justice Kennedy believes that cultivating faculties of reason is a moral duty, he also believes that the equal liberty protected by the constitution means that moral prejudicel, based on has no place in the law. He has written, moral disapproval of a group, like a bear desire to harm a group is an interest that is insufficient to satisfy. That is lawrence versus texas. Justice kennedy declared that liberty means the right to search for dignity and in the landmark case, the case that recognized marriage equality, he aske, these men and women for equal dignity in the eyes of the law, the constitution grants them that right. Role ins pivotal american law for three decades, jurisprudenceys did not please all the people all the time, but even when citizens disagreed with particular opinions by Justice Kennedy, they had to respect the fact that the justices always guided, not by political views but by his sincere conception of liberty promised by the constitution. He did something that we tried to teach all citizens to do. To separate your political from your constitutional views, asking not what the government should do but what the constitution allows or forbids us to do. Is that sometimes, we must make decisions that we do not like. We make them because they are right. Right in the sense that the law and the constitution as we see them compel the result. Kennedy always put liberty first. Justice kennedy believes that liberty will only come first if we learn about it and defend it. We must develop a dialogue, a consensus, a civility and a kinship, a bond of freedom that will enable you to control the destiny of your country. So providing a shining example of civic dialogue and education, please join me in thanking Justice Anthony kennedy. [applause] the National Constitution matters more common now than ever. All of us have heard the statistics. A third of americans cannot name a Single Branch of government. Only a third can name all three. People who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power of knowledge. Mission is to inspire americans of all perspectives to learn about the constitution, so we can govern ourselves on the basis of reason, rather than passion, devoted not to self interest but for the public good. Created a unique educational platform to inspire all americans to learn about the constitution. It is called the interactive constitution and it brings together the leading constitutional scholars of diverse perspectives to explore areas of agreement and the beat about every clause of the constitution. This Program Brings classrooms together from across the country for constitutional civil dialogue. Dialogue using the constitution. The constitutional masters Program Brings students to the center for an immersive. Xperience here, they get to partake in interactive exhibits. And documents. Exploring the ideas with other students and engaging in dialogue that will help mbd ambassadors around our city and country. Public. Ing it out in we are both grabbing straws in a sense. Have for some reason lost the ability to engage in civic dialogue. That can learn how to do around pieces of text that are part of the constitution, then we will all in effect. It is so important to bring kids here, so that they can experience this building right across from independence hall. Fascinated with this building. You are surrounded by the constitution. Is one of thenedy most passionate advocates. He is a master teacher. As a professorrs of constitutional law and urged audiences young and old to educate themselves about the constitution, reminding us of the stakes. Is not in democracy your dna. Freedom is taught and teaching. The verdict is still out. Half the world is the jury and they are out. They are looking to you to see if freedom works. To conduct a decent, rational, respectful, probing civic discourse. As a representative of the court and emissary of the rule of law, they made an indelible mark outside the court as well. Whether he was speaking to groups of Elementary School to children or when he headed to china as the first sitting justice to visit a country, to speak about civil liberties. The justice was committed to promoting respect for the rule of law through education. Engaged ample of citizenry. To carry that Civic Education forward and ensure that the independence of our courts, the rights and responsibilities are understood, honored and protected for and by the next generation. George washington urged congress to create a National University that would instruct students in the science of government, so they could learn the foundation of their liberties. Congress finally answered washingtons call. We honor Justice Kennedy. We celebrate Civic Education and reunite around our shared commitment to the greatest u. S. Ent of freedom, the constitution. [applause] the National Constitution center has been honored by a group of chairs. In his introduction, we lost two of them this year. They were followed by president bill clinton, governor jeb bush and Vice President joe biden and we are so grateful that neil gorsuch has agreed to serve as our new honorary chair. [applause] Justice Gorsuch was the first to serve on the bench with his former boss and on constitution day, i was privileged to watch as he interacted with students , answering their questions and sharing his love for the constitution. I also interviewed him about his superb new book. In the book he explains why he has chosen to make the promotion of civics and civility the focus of his public outreach. We are so honored to have him. Please join me in welcoming our new honorary chair, justice neil gorsuch. [applause] the work that you and your team does could not be more vital than it is today. Everyone in this room knows the challenges that we face, like the fact that only about 30 of young people think it is important to live in a democracy, or the fact that so many people today dismiss it as foolish, virtues like civility, equality and usual respect. Virtues that are nothing more and nothing less than evidence of our commitment to human equality and keystones of democratic selfgovernment. The mandate to teach the young and old about the constitution and about the values and virtues that undergird it has never been more important. Thank you for the work that you do. Jeff has asked me to share a few words about my mentor and my colleague, my friend. As a starting point, i can think lower more appropriate to the man, then liberty metal. Much of his career are about reminding us that the blessings of liberty promised in our foundational charges belong not just to the rich or the popular but each and every one of us. , more than 40case years as a federal judge, Justice Kennedy has proven himself the greatest friend of liberty in our age. Thate that is not all history has to record about Justice Kennedy. The man has touched the lives of those around him, in ways that hold rich lessons all their own. While i know that each of you came here with a deep admiration for Justice Kennedy, i would like to share a few more personal word about tony kennedy. I first knew the man as i served as his step clerk. Had hired mewhite when he primarily worked on the u. S. Court of appeals. Arrived, Justice Kennedy quickly adopted me. He treated me every bit a member of his own law clerk family. It began when the justice asked us to come out to his home to discuss the first set of cases. His only instruction was to bring the whiteboard, so we checked out in a clunker of a car with a whiteboard in the trunk and we spent the whole day debating cases and covering the board with arguments in the justices basement. From that moment to the end of the year, i witnessed a gentle ,an, who never raised his voice who treated every lawyer before him in the courtroom and every person he encountered in the hall as he would wish to be treated. He afforded each case the most care as the most important. Career, Justice Kennedy encountered many of the issues clerks faced for the first time. Even in the easiest cases, he would follow the judicial process from start to finish. He treated every case the same. He read all of the mountain of briefs, which he liked to tease me about, now having to read myself. He would listen to the parties with incredible care. He would talk the issues over with his law clerks and colleagues, and only then would he decide the case. His enthusiasm, attention to detail, his interest in entertaining views other than his own. When were infectious and at last he reached a final judgment, he found himself at odds with a colleague or clerk . He would not hesitate to disagree, but he never did so disagreeable he. Never in person, never in print. On thebecame a judge 10th circuit, i asked the judge to come out to colorado to swim in. I took the chance to seek his advice. His reply . Listen. Listen to your colleagues. Listen to the parties. Listen to the scholars in the field. There is a reason why federal courts of appeals sit in collegiate panels. Engage in a the process before making judgments. Appreciate always that those involved in the case before you, it might be the most important lives. N their remember the judges job is a hard one. Someone must win and someone must lose. Each time, you are likely to be criticized somebody and criticized by someone else. Daily and theyft mean little. Remember instead that you are part of something much greater than any of that. The promise of the rule of law and equal justice in our own time. The independent courts made up may not be perfect, but their aim of supplying equal justice under law, for all persons represents one of the noblest human aspirations and any place or any age. Justice kennedy could say things like that because he lived those truths. About 2. 5rd again years ago, Justice Kennedy swore me in for a second time. This time on the Supreme Court. It was the first time in history that a justice and his former law clerk were able to serve together. No surprise by now that the justice and his wife offered louise and i into the court and it could not have been more gracious. As everybody who knows them knows, mary kennedy is every bit as special as her husband. [applause] the canadians were among the first to invite us to dinner, introduce us to their friends they even helped us with our house hunt. When i circulated a draft of my first opinion for the court, it was a pretty easy case. That is what they give the junior justice. It was sure to be unanimous. Justice kennedy wanted to beat the rest of his colleagues to the punch. The foibles of technology thwarted him. I circulated a draft late in the day after he had gone home, so he asked one of his law firms to fax the opinion to him. For some reason, the machine would not cooperate. Riskce kennedy would not getting a copy until the next morning because someone else might join first, so what did he do . He asked someone to drive the opinion out to his home that night. The morning, i my his hand signed memo in mailbox. I keep that in the top drawer of my desk and i will always treasure it. As great as his judicial legacy is, i cannot help but wonder if may have as much to teach us today. I have only offered a few of the examples of the man i know, but everyone who knows tony and mary kennedy is blessed with an abundance of memories like mine. What they have witnessed perhaps boils down to this. The rules tony kennedy has chosen to follow in his life, he has chosen very carefully. He has worked hard to abide. They are timeless, tested and true. They represent what is best. They are truths like these. Treat others as you would have them treat you. Remember that those that you disagree with love this country every bit as much as you do. Humility in decisionmaking, knowing that everyone has something to offer and teach. Criticism,se and realizing that lifes true joy lies not in serving yourself but something greater. Nationsell on this many imperfections that you overlook its aspirations. , tohe rule of law protecting the unalienable rights of the poor and unpopular, as well as the mighty and rich. Remember that these are among the most noble aspirations and all of human history. Along the way, be kind. For whatever regrets you may have in life, you will never regret being kind. No one is perfect. We all stumble and struggle. Along the way, learned to pick yourself back up. Dust yourself off and aim at getting it right. These are the simple but enduring virtues tony kennedy has fought for and honored in his life. I cannot help but wonder that in this time and place, they hold important lessons. For what people can rule themselves, in peace and with respect to the rights of others, that they are never taught or inspired these same truths. The professional contributions of those like Justice Kennedy, but also personal virtues like those of tony kennedy. It is a model for those who follow. Please join me in congratulating the entire Kennedy Family and honoring Justice Anthony kennedy, as he comes to receive the liberty metal. [applause] we will now present the metal. Justice kennedy, you have worked tirelessly on the Supreme Court, to put liberty first. That speechisted and conscience are hallmarks of a free society. You have recognized that must tolerate diverse views. You have defended equal liberty for all. An inspiring advocate for civil dialogue, using yourself as a model for kindness and stability, and you have challenged all citizens to take up the mantle of educating ourselves about liberty so that we people can act and defend. For your service to the cause of Civic Education and law, it is a great honor for the Constitution Center toward you the 2019 liberty metal. [applause] please be seated. Only the trial lawyers need remain standing. Rosen, my dear friend and esteemed colleague. Neil gorsuch. Those of you who are here, all of you, to show your admiration, your respect, your reverence for the constitution and for the liberty it secures. Years,red that over the my family and colleagues on the Supreme Court shared with me the have in receiving this metal. The pride that we have in constitutionthe center, each year, it has ideaed to preserving the and the reality of the rule of law, and again of the freedom that it secures. You have our profound and lasting thanks. Please be assured that this metal, at this event, in this , it willis evening give us new dedication and inrgy as we move forward this magnificent world that so needs the constitution and the values that it embodies. We were fascinated a few years hall, be at independence to walk up to the Constitution Center. We later found out that it is about 1100 feet, just shy of 400 yards. It is important for us to move forward. We not only go forward, but we look upwards at this beautiful building. If you think in terms of a timeline, you leave independence walkand as he began to those 400 yards, you think of it as a timeline. Quickly are at 1776. 1787, when the constitution was drafted, 1789 when it was ratified. Paris when then Constitutional Convention met. Adams was in london. E were talking earlier jefferson was very interested, so we emailed him a copy of the constitution. He said, where is the bill of rights . How can you have a constitution without a bill of rights . That if thestood constitution were ratified, the bill of rights would be added, and they kept their word. You walk up and you think about the timeline, you get more excited and you walk faster. If you are here with a group, you might hear somebody say, please, not so fast. Chains on the for a great part of this journey. Please, please wait for me. Realize that as magnificent as our constitution is, it has tragic flaws. It is still a brilliant document. Gladstone once made the statement that the british born and thewas american constitution was made, so if you wonder, if you look at the british constitution was grown. Constitutionritish is the single most subtle aver to emerge from complex history, so is the american constitution the single most brilliant document for the purpose of man. Constitution of 1789 as a word with a capital c, and we should think of it that way. It is a legal document, but it binds us. We are a nation of many creeds and ethnicities, many religions and backgrounds, but we are bound together by this constitution, one of the oldest in the world, and we must never forget that. Know, many of you have studied in this school. It can be a lifetime study. Article one, the legislative branch. Executive power. Article three, judicial power. It is very specific about what the congress can do. Then you look at article two on the executive and it looks like it was written by different people. The sentences are longer and it is puzzling what executives can do. From the middle of a sentence. Explanation likely is that the framers were not executivest the looked like, but they knew that washington would be the first president , and this was an age of trust. They trusted batman. He became the first president of the united states. That man. He became the first president of the united states. What did he do . The british start talking. Of course, they say he was the general. So he won the revolutionary war. He then showed that the presidency could work. In between, he was president of the Constitutional Convention. Delegates say the differences between us are greater than the differences in russia and turkey, but they did not leave the convention. Because he did not walk out on the general. That was one of his great contributions. We had this magnificent contribution. Constitution. The First Amendment protects free speech, but we should remember that it does not incorporate the philosophy of relativism. If you read the Supreme Court bookon on fees each, every is protected, every move is protected. Does it make it sound like they do not have any judgment . That is the philosophy. No. All the court is saying is that the government does not make those decisions. You do. In a responsible society, the citizens decide that a book or a movie is priceless. It is wonderful and inspiring. You see anme interview on television of a book or a film and everybody is denouncing it i know that. Is as the government, it their duty to let the citizens make these judgments. That is the constitution with a big c. And there is constitution with a small c. Harrington, jack merten and aristotle talked about the constitution of a people. By that, they meant the sum total of their traditions, their aspirations,r their heritage. What is it that defines people . We had a constitution with a small c. It is what the rest of the world looks at most of the time. The rest of the world does not look at the constitution with a big need. They look at it with a small c and they judge us by what our civic discourse is. However respect for each other is expressed. That is the constitution that they see. Defines usution that and the rest of the world is watching. Duty to show, by our civic discourse, that we can be a rational, thoughtful, tolerant , decent and kind people. We mentioned aristotle several times. , as some of you may remember, he gave a list of the different forms of government and both of them listed different forms of government, aristocracy, monarchy and democracy. They gave democracy the lowest grade. Aristotle has always been one of my great heroes. Why did he give my form of government a low grade . Project to read aristotle and my conclusion was that he thought democracy did not have the capacity to mature. It is our destiny to prove him wrong. Presumesitution itself that there will be respectful, productive dialogue. We talked about separation of powers. The court has cases. These are powers that they have. There are checks and balances. These branches must work together. We send members of our court to the congress to say that we need resources. This is checks and balances. It is a thoughtful progression. You must remember this because how we behave as a government in the formal sense should set an example for how our citizen should be. We had the language of the law. It has an elegance, a dimension, a boundary, a tradition, and aesthetic grammar. It is different from the political branches. Not bad, but different. We do have this language, which sets an example. In these times, i know Justice Gorsuch agrees that it is more important than ever for judges. O show that they are committed. O the difficult issues aristotle used a word that would mean that means respect. If they are going to have a discussion, they have to begin with respect for each other as a precondition, and we must understand this in our civic lives today. Reflections onme the meaning of our constitution, the constitution with a big c and a little see. Award, for this event, for this evening, you have my profound thanks. And his countrymen were sons of the enlightenment and we sometimes think of the enlightenment as going from didpe to the u. S. , which it the great hero of the enlightenment was sir isaac newton. Idea that the human mind, of its own power can find a law that explains why apple can drop from the tree. This was revolutionary. Mind can explore the reason. With logic and for over 200 years, at the end of his life and after he died, isaac knew was the hero of enlightenment. He was succeeded in that position by george washington, an american. The enlightenment worked both ways. Franklin wrote probably 15,000 letters in his lifetime. Probably 12,000. Preamble. Go home and read the constitution. It is brilliant. These were sons of the enlightenment washington. Let me close with what he told his troops before the battle of new york. He combined the terms free and liberty. The words are not always synonymous. He used them both. Struggling ton, procure liberty for ourselves. Was his message to us. Was in thes it revolutionary war. Thank you for your commitment to yourcenter, which embodies fascination, your admiration, your support, your adherence to that idea of the constitution and the liberty that a procure is. Thank you. [applause] thank you for attending the National Constitution center 2019 Liberty Medal ceremony. [inaudible] the house will be in order. Cspan has been providing america unfiltered coverage of congress, the white house, the Supreme Court, and Public Policy events from washington dc and around the country. So you can make up your own mind. Created by cable in 1979, cspans brought to you by your local cable or satellite provider. Cspan, youre unfiltered view of government. Tonight on cspan, a conversation with elena kagan followed by bill clinton and jeb bush discussing what they remember from the 1989 education summit, hosted by george h. W. Bush in charlottesville. Another chance to see former Supreme CourtJustice Anthony kennedy being honored with a Liberty Medal at the National Constitution center in philadelphia. Supreme Court Justice elena kagan talked about the inner workings of the court and how it is viewed in todays political climate. Her remarks were part of the annual John Paul Stevens center lecture. I cant see anything. It looks like there are a lot of you here. Im very honored. Its great to be here. Over 2000, i think. Thats great demand for you to be here. It is such an honor. Thank you so much for being here. We are thrilled that youre