Anthony
M.
Kennedy
(Image
via
Getty)
Ed.
note:
Welcome
to
our
daily
feature,
Quote
of
the
Day.
We
should
be
concerned
in
this
country
about
the
tone
of
our
political
discourse
[and]
identity
politics
that
are
used
so
that
a
person
is
characterized
by
his
or
her
partisan
affiliation.
That’s
not
what
democracy
and
civil
discourse
is
about.
What
democracy
and
civil
discourse
are
about
are
taking
issues
and
discussing
them.
And
this
is
what
judges
do,
and
this
is
why
judges
are
of
central
importance.
Many
in
the
world
look
to
the
United
States
to
see
what
democracy
is,
to
see
what
democracy
ought
to
be.
If
they
see
a
hostile,
fractious
discourse,
if
they
see
a
discourse
that
uses
identity
politics,
rather
than
to
talk
about
issues,
democracy
is
at
risk.
Freedom
is
at
risk.
—
Retired
Supreme
Court
Justice
Anthony
Kennedy,
in
comments
given
during
a
virtual
forum
held
by
Speak
Up
for
Justice
and
noted
by
Law.com,
where
he
spoke
on
the
importance
of
civic
education,
calling
for
political
rhetoric
in
the
U.S.
to
be
toned
down
for
the
sake
of
our
democracy
and
the
safety
of
our
judges.
Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
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