Friday Civics Microdose No. 9
Signed book giveaway is back!!!
WELCOME to everyone that’s new here!!
Civic EQ’s community grew this week in a huge way thanks to Sarah and Beth at
. Thank you for being here, thank you for caring about raising the next generation of emotionally intelligent, curious and engaged citizens, and for being part of our community of parents rethinking civics in a big big way.On Wednesdays, I post personal anecdotes, civic inspiration and different perspectives to make civics a living and breathing thing. And on Fridays, we microdose civic knowledge.
What is Civic EQ?
My mission is to empower parents to be confident in our own civic journey. I started this Substack almost a year ago, and in that time I’ve collaborated with Sesame Workshop, PBS Kids, Melissa & Doug Toys, civic-minded celebrities and more to amplify the message that civics is so much bigger than politics. I didn’t fully feel this until I became a mom, but parenthood being the insane catalyst that it is for self-growth (coupled with some setbacks, progress isn’t always linear!), I feel it more and more every day. Especially in these wildly divisive times where most of us feel drained by the idea of politics. But I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it’s not always going to be this way. If you read
, you know it’s been bad before but there’s reason to hope. I don’t think that humans are gluttons for punishment. I think that we’re wired for optimism and a rooted belief that the world can be better with each new generation. And as I wrote in my first freelance piece (coming out Sunday!!), millennial parents were built for civic parenting. We know we can be better, we know how to figure out how we can be better, and we’re not throwing in the towel.Microdosing civics together + Friday signed book giveaway
Fridays are my version of a crisis management plan. Civics needs a facelift, a PR strategy, a new narrative in bite-sized pieces. So each Friday, using Lindsey Cormack’s parenting playbook How to Raise A Citizen (and why it’s up to you to do it), we’re microdosing civic knowledge written specifically with parents in mind.
Lindsey is talking to us, she sees us, she’s one of us — except she’s an expert on civics and government and we’re works in progress.
I’m also giving away a signed copy of Lindsey’s book to the first person to message me that they followed me on Instagram (@civiceq).
Let’s get into it.
Our last microdose was on the Second Amendment, so today is about the Third Amendment.
No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
The Third Amendment isn’t nearly as talked about today as the First, Second or Fourth Amendments, which seems like the whole point of an amendment disallowing the government from allowing soldiers to take over homes when we’re not at war. We don’t have to think about it because it’s just not a thing. But it was!
Historically (particularly during the Revolutionary War and other military conflicts), Americans were forced to house soldiers preparing for war, and it was probably scary and disruptive and not-so-distant reminder of the shitty things King George used to do back in England.
Technically, the Third Amendment also says citizens can’t be forced to take in soldiers during wartime too, but there’s a caveat that allows Congress to do it if it has to (just something to be aware of as an informed citizen).
That’s all I’ve got for today but the Fourth Amendment promises to be more relevant, juicier and memorable, so stay tuned.
More soon,
Sarah