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Unphased by this spring’s campus protests, I grew more hopeful about America’s future after attending one commencement ceremony that wasn’t canceled — our granddaughter’s graduation from preschool. Hearing “Eve of Destruction” on the car ride home didn’t dampen my optimism. There are understandable concerns about the nation’s direction, but as bad as things seem today, Barry McGuire’s No. 1 hit from 1965 reminded me we have gotten through worse.

Instead, I was inspired by patriotic toddlers waving flags, singing and sharing their American dreams. Eighteen rising kindergartners, hands over hearts, recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Then, they belted out every lyric of “This Land is Your Land,” Woody Guthrie’s World War II-era anthem adopted by my generation’s antiwar, civil rights activists.

They were like the Lady Liberty inscription dressed in miniature caps and gowns. Sure, not “your tired, your poor, your huddled masses” (a private preschool in one of the nation’s wealthiest counties), but a small world melting pot — not a Mary or John in the bunch. Adhavan, Aditya, Atticus, Blakely, Charvita, Christian, Claire, Colin, Everett, Fiona, Louie, Mars, Nishka, Noah, Samara, Arzoi, Shikhar, Viaansh. Newly potty-trained, fully diversity trained.

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But then, Loudoun County was ground zero for petty squabbles about children’s books and bathrooms, hardly the oppressions that tossed millions of immigrants to America’s shores.

Most heartening was hearing “A Student Commentary on the Future,” each 4-year-old declaring what they want to be when they grow up. A builder, a zookeeper, two scientists. Several more called into public service: police officer, firefighter, astronaut. Six doctors. One “baby.” A “hospital,” and a financially savvy “plastic surgeon.” Three youngsters surprisingly embraced rewarding, albeit boring, careers as dentists. Another: life in the wild as a tiger. Our granddaughter dreamed big. A natural-born schmoozer, she wisely opted not to follow grandpa’s steps into lobbying. When I questioned why she chose a profession some might consider a stretch, she unhesitatingly, without explanation, doubled down on “unicorn.”

Some answers sounded rehearsed, not unexpected in a region where high achieving parents stay up all night on elementary school science projects. As teens, these grads might eventually aspire to become the next LeBron James or Taylor Swift. Our resilient democracy can survive a few additional celebrity heroes (please, no more social media influencers).

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America might not be on the eve of destruction, but public opinion polls support Merle Haggard’s view that the “good times” are “really over for good.” I’m betting the other way, on these budding citizens and their worthy dream jobs within reach in what remains the land of opportunity. If we can only keep the grown-ups out of the way.

Roger Cohen, Vienna

Just as it’s been said, “Dance as if no one is watching,” celebrate the Fourth of July as if it’s the last for the United States. There will be no guard rails, no one to say, “Sir, you can’t do this.” Armored vehicles will tear up Pennsylvania Avenue. Donald Trump’s generals will bow and kiss his ring. There will be no reason to celebrate democracy, since it will no longer exist. So Americans of all beliefs, religious or secular, patriots or MAGAs, “Embrace your independence” because, come November, our democratic republic will be a MAGA autocracy, and all celebrations will be homage to the king. Unless …

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Gail Karp, Silver Spring

Building a ‘more perfect union’

The Post’s June 30 front-page article “As isolation and pessimism mount, teacher tries to get teens to the polls,” about Shannon Salter’s civics class in Allentown, Pa., paints a powerful portrait. It highlights the challenges that our democracy faces, as well as the challenges that educators face in a society where trust has waned and where the effects of the pandemic linger on schooling. Since the article’s publication, civics educators have told us they feel heard and seen.

The skeptical youth of Allentown, along with the millions who report feeling alienated from institutions, deserve urgent attention. We might well be losing a generation’s desire to help build a “more perfect union.” Young people are withdrawing. They voice disappointment in the future of our country’s prospects in classrooms such as Ms. Salter’s every day. In the post-pandemic environment, our youths need immediate, exciting ways to participate. A solid civic education cultivates a series of habits of citizenship — listening to others, knowing how to disagree productively, discerning truth and, of course, voting. These skills, combined with knowledge and perspective, build agency and hope. Beyond that, we need to give young people opportunities to get involved in our constitutional democracy and show them that it can work. The future of our nation is on the line.

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Louise Dubè, Cambridge, Mass.

The writer is chief executive of iCivics.

The Post’s excellent article missed a crucial point. Shannon Salter’s students and other nonvoters have seen so many troubles persist for so long that they don’t believe voting can make a difference. However, recent events (especially the Supreme Court’s decisions over the past several years and rising wealth inequality over decades) should make very clear that failing to vote invites backsliding. It needs to be remembered that, when things are bad, they can still get worse. Only after guarding against backsliding can we aspire again to make matters better.

Judith Herzfeld, Newton, Mass.

Democracy v. the Supreme Court

During last year’s Fourth of July celebration, my 18-year-old daughter said to me, “Why are we celebrating July Fourth? Our country is so messed up.” I was very annoyed with her for not being patriotic. The Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity, however, has caused me to agree with her.

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The decision, disguised in legal scholarship, demonstrates the court’s partisan ideology. Justice Neil M. Gorsuch said this will be a decision for the ages, but it’s clear that this decision is for the benefit of one person: Donald Trump. The court said a president deserves the presumption of innocence for official acts, regardless of the intent or benefit from that act. In practical terms, this could mean a president appoints a foreign ambassador, an official act, on a bribe. It could mean Mr. Trump’s actions — telling the Justice Department to conduct investigations into bogus claims of election fraud or telling states to submit fake electors — are considered official acts.

To quote Justice Sonia Sotomayor in her dissenting opinion: “This new official-acts immunity now ‘lies about like a loaded weapon,’ for any President that wishes to place his own interests, his own political survival, or his own financial gain, above the interests of the Nation.” The irony here is that the Supreme Court decision seems to be saying that a president’s actions must be protected from a vindictive successor — yet, this rule could protect Mr. Trump, who publicly vowed to prosecute his successor, if he becomes a vindictive successor.

The court has violated a cornerstone of democracy, that no one is above the law. It is a devastating blow to our form of government. The days of holding a president accountable, as we did with Richard M. Nixon, are gone. The imperial presidency is now officially here.

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Salvatore Misuraca, Washington

Americans must immediately move to protect our democracy and the rule of law. Two constitutional amendments are desperately needed. The first would reverse the Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity and clarify that presidents and all public officials are equal before the law, not immune from prosecution and conviction. The second would clarify the right of all Americans to vote in free and fair elections that are not dominated by the power of money.

This will require both great leadership and vigorous grass-roots organizing. Legal and political leaders — such as Judge J. Michael Luttig, retired justice Stephen G. Breyer, former representative Liz Cheney and former Georgia representative Stacey Abrams — should quickly draft bipartisan constitutional amendments along these lines. This must be linked to a broad-based campaign involving millions of Americans in joining to protect our rights by using the democratic procedures for amending the Constitution that our Founding Fathers provided to protect the soul of America.

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Andrew Mott, Chevy Chase

Lights in the dark

Regarding the June 24 article “A twinkling spectacle draws gasps nightly in a dark Utah farm field”:

You don’t have to travel to Utah to see spectacular firefly displays. You can come to Laytonsville, Md. We have the privilege of viewing what are known as synchronous fireflies, one of only a few species of fireflies that are known to synchronize their flashing light patterns. They shine together right in our backyard, even though the internet suggests that this species only is in Pennsylvania and North and South Carolina.

Since solstice, every night we have been mesmerized by thousands of lights in our tree canopy, from the ground to 50 feet in the air. They flash in unison, an amazing display of coordinated crescendos until a spectacular frenzied finale low to the ground as they begin to descend to mate with their counterparts in our grass — like ocean waves of light illuminating the forest floor beyond our fence in an almost musical dance of light.

Ray Schoenke, Laytonsville, Md.

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