We can either bury our heads in the sand, hoping it gets better by itself. Or we can recognize the situation for what it is and, rather than allow political turmoil to hasten our demise, begin a restoration. It’s time to start searching for guideposts to rejuvenate public life. We need a “civic renaissance” for our day and age. That’s how we’ll right the ship. It requires dusting off the lessons of our forebears—updating them for the modern world—and reinvigorating active participation in our civic life.
