The authors of the U.S. Constitution intentionally made it open to interpretation so that it could be adapted to meet changing societal issues, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy said Thursday in Norman.
"I think (they) sensed that they were on the edge of world history, but they were cautious and they knew it was difficult to rise above injustices and inequalities of their own time," said Kennedy, who is often viewed as the swing vote on the Supreme Court.
Kennedy addressed about 1,500 University of Oklahoma College of Law alumni and students at the centennial celebration for the college at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center.
Kennedy was the keynote speaker at the event. He participated in a fireside chat with OU President David Boren, who praised Kennedy as he introduced him.
"He's one of the most important persons on the court laying out the importance of individual liberties," Boren said.
Boren asked Kennedy what he thought of the state of civic education in the U.S.
Kennedy said that Thomas Jefferson said democracy requires "virtuous, enlightened people." It's evident, he said, that young people in the U.S. are not being educated about the history of this country or the freedoms they possess.
"You don't take a DNA test to see if you believe in freedom, it's taught," Kennedy said.
Kennedy said more emphasis needs to be placed on educating American citizens.
"You cannot defend what you do not know, and we are in crisis," he said.
Earlier Thursday, Kennedy taught a Constitutional Law class to first year law students at the College of Law.
Student Megan Dearth said he was an excellent teacher and asked students questions. He asked one woman about the Constitution and when she didn't know the answer, he gave her his copy.
"He carries a Constitution," Dearth said. "Pulls it out and hands it to her so she could read it."
Dearth said she was honored to hear the justice and be taught by him in class.
"Any attorney I talked to said that's a once in a lifetime opportunity," she said.
Julianna Parker Jones 366-3541 jparker@normantranscript.com
Local news
Kennedy: Constitution open to interpretation
- Local news
-
-
Woman in critical condition
A hospital official said a Norman woman remains in critical condition after emergency responders reportedly extricated her from her vehicle....
-
Western Avenue to close for expansion to four-lane highway
On Monday, residents in northwest Norman will be a little closer to having a four-lane highway with paved shoulders as construction begins on 60th Avenue Northwest, also known as Western Avenue. When completed, the rural four-lane will ...
-
School districts ready to go mobile
In October, Norman Public Schools introduced an innovative communications tool with School Connect, a mobile app for Android and Apple phones, which enabled users to access virtually any school-related information with a tap on their touch ...
-
Eye for beauty
Beauty may be hard to measure, but it carries a price tag. For Norman City Council members, developers and the University North Park Architectural Review Board, balancing aesthetics with the cost of doing business has become an ongoing ...
-
Norman Youth Council accepting applications
The deadline to apply for Norman Youth Council is March 30. Interested high school students are encouraged to apply. Youth council is comprised of sophomore, junior and senior high school students who reside within Norman....
-
Dispatcher reports need for extraction after wreck
A Wednesday night car crash in northwest Norman placed one driver in the hospital....
-
Tiger followed his gut on making college decision
In the end, Donovan Roberts went with his gut. It was his gut that the Norman High senior relied on when he originally committed to Arkansas, and it’s what led him to sign with the Razorbacks on Wednesday, despite a late push from the ...
-
Man is still in critical condition
A 61-year-old Patriot Guard Rider from Norman remains in critical condition after being involved in a two-vehicle crash Friday morning. His wife, Cindy Ayers, is maintaining her bedside vigil....
-
Lexington manager remains on leave
Lexington City Manager Jason Orr remains on administrative leave with pay, though the city will have to take action in less than a week. Jason Orr’s first court appearance is set for Feb. 15....
-
Cushing residents closely watching pipeline’s fate
CUSHING — While the Keystone XL pipeline has been grabbing national headlines, Cushing residents and businesses have watched the fate of the line with personal interest....
- More Local news Headlines
-
Woman in critical condition
