If we are to be a shining city upon a hill, it will be because of our ceaseless pursuit of the constitutional ideal of human dignity. For the political and legal ideals that form the foundation of much that is best in American institutions – ideals jealously preserved and guarded throughout our history – still form the vital force in creative political thought and activity within the nation today. As we adapt our institutions to the ever-changing conditions of national and international life, those ideals of human dignity – liberty and justice for all individuals – will continue to inspire and guide us because they are entrenched in our Constitution. The Constitution with its Bill of Rights thus has a bright future, as well as a glorious past, for its spirit is inherent in the aspirations of our people.
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William J. Brennan, Jr. (1906-1997), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.This is the concluding paragraph of article originally delivered as a speech at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. on October 12, 1985.
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