On Tuesday, Jan. 11, history teacher Rob Kyff addressed the school with a speech to mark the first anniversary of the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Although Mr. Kyff was asked to speak at this assembly, he was not influenced by anyone on what exactly to discuss in his speech. His thoughts came solely from his own perspectives, and he spoke on behalf of his own opinions.
Mr. Kyff started his speech by referencing a quote from Ben Franklin about a woman who asked if the U.S. was a republic or a monarchy as he was leaving the final session of the Constitutional Convention. Franklin responded, “A republic. If you can keep it.” Mr. Kyff shared what he thought this remark meant.
“[Franklin] meant that the democratic form of government the convention had created would survive only if the citizens of the United States fiercely protected the principles and processes of the Constitution, and only if all citizens were virtuous – honest, fair-minded and unselfish – willing to sacrifice their own personal, political and economic interests for the common good,” he said. Mr. Kyff then shared the impact of this statement and how, considering that it has been a year since the attack on the Capitol, we often overlook the significance of the meaning of Franklin’s words.
Toward the end of his speech, Mr. Kyff shared his confidence that students can make a difference in the world. “During the next few years, all of you will become voters, opinion makers, and leaders, and many of you will hold public office,” Mr. Kyff said, addressing the students in the audience. “So when Benjamin Franklin said, ‘We’ve given you a republic, if you can keep it,’ he meant you.”
Mr. Kyff hopes that through his speech, he was able to inform students about the true, malicious purpose and consequences of the insurrection. “The images of violence and mayhem and shouting are very compelling,” Mr. Kyff said, “and I think that people tend to focus on the more dramatic and external aspects, but it was important to realize what that crowd was really trying to do.” Rather than just focus on the event itself, Mr. Kyff suggested that what the insurrectionists did a year ago is still going on today, but in different ways.
Mr. Kyff wants students to take away the message that our democracy is very fragile. “[Our democracy] depends upon a feeling of goodwill and fairness of all people in the country that even if you don’t agree with certain decisions, you abide by them because they were duly made using democratic processes,” Mr. Kyff said. “If we have people challenging the integrity of the elections, that disrupts the whole democratic process because it makes many people feel that their voices are not being heard, and without an election, how can you have a democracy?”
With his speech, Mr. Kyff looked to encourage students to see their responsibility not just in the immediate moment, but in their lives as a whole, and to always be aware of the importance of respect, sacrifice, and compromise so that the democratic process can survive through the 21st century.
Mr. Kyff encourages people to always look beyond the superficial aspects of events and think about the deeper motives and reasons behind events such as the Capitol insurrection. He hopes his speech encourages people to be vigilant in their lives in seeking out the truth and being aware of the threats that exist in a democracy. “I hope that in their lives, students are aware of threats to democracy and they do everything they can to preserve it,” Mr. Kyff said.
Based on the message conveyed in Mr. Kyff’s speech, he hopes that students can foster change in the world by always being honest with and respecting everyone – even those with whom you disagree – and engaging with these people in a civil, mindful way. He urges all students who are of age to participate in elections so that everyone’s voice can be heard and progress can be made.
