The real revolution is not giving up on democracy — or on each other
As we approach the Semiquincentennial, there are lessons from the founders we can heed going forward right now.
As the nation enters its 250th birthday at a moment when faith in democracy feels fragile, I have been thinking deeply about what it means to be American right now. This is not a season for rose-tinted nostalgia, nor is it a time to ignore the difficulties of the past year. The challenges we have faced have been real and impossible to dismiss.
But cynicism is not a solution, and disengagement is not patriotism.
I keep returning to what feels like a revolutionary idea right now: I am not giving up on democracy, and I am not giving up on my neighbor.
American democracy is a glorious, unfinished experiment. Anchored in the radical idea that government derives its power from, and is created of, by, and for the people, it was new and unproven nearly 250 years ago.
Rejecting rule by kings in favor of the will of the people, it was an idea that endured extraordinary challenges and helped shape one of the most successful societies in human history.
But democracy does not sustain itself. It requires constant care, tension, participation, and belief.
Because of that, I am choosing to engage.
Staying in the game
In everyday life, not giving up on democracy looks like staying in the game. It means talking openly with people in our communities, engaging across differences, and resisting the urge to judge or dismiss ideas before listening for understanding. At its core, it is a recommitment to respecting the human dignity of every person.
I come to this work as the president and CEO of Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, a site founded on a Quaker belief in the “light within” every person, and a deep respect for our shared humanity. Today, Eastern State bears witness to nearly 200 years of evolving ideas about justice, liberty, and freedom in America. Walking its corridors and sitting with its stories reveals a powerful record of trauma and human resilience — and a nation still wrestling with the true meaning of those ideals.
This perspective is also shaped by more than 20 years of studying the Constitution, a document woven with both brilliance and imperfection. At Eastern State, we recognize humans’ capacity for change. Like democracy itself, people are not a finished product. We are living beings who both require and deserve care to grow and evolve.
How we treat one another is inseparable from the health of our democracy.
When democracy is healthy, individuals and groups can express different viewpoints freely, with the goal of shaping public life. But those viewpoints must also be shaped by one another through engagement and dialogue. Civic ideas are meant to strengthen over time, not harden into absolutes. When trust erodes, that essential civic interplay breaks down.
We see this erosion clearly. According to the General Social Survey, the share of Americans who believe “most people can be trusted” fell from 46% in 1972 to just 34% in 2024. Research shows social trust is rooted in personal experience. How we treat one another is inseparable from the health of our democracy.
The American Revolution did not happen in a single summer in Philadelphia. John Adams wrote that the war was just one part of the revolution, stating: “The Revolution was in the Minds and Hearts of the People. ... This radical Change in the Principles, Opinions Sentiments and Affection of the People, was the real American Revolution.”
Likewise, Benjamin Rush, a framer of both the Declaration of Independence and of Eastern State, believed the real revolution was still unfolding, shaped over time by citizens’ morals and manners. He was right then, and he remains right now.
Civic holidays give us a chance to come together, remember, commemorate, and celebrate. As we approach the Semiquincentennial, perhaps it is also time to reconnect and consider how those founding ideals can guide us forward.
The real revolution is not behind us. It is happening now — in how we show up for one another, and in our refusal to give up on each other.
Kerry Sautner is president and CEO of Eastern State Penitentiary.