We pay a price when we deprive children of the exposure to the values, principles, and education they need to make them good citizens.

The remark frames civic education as a public good with long-term consequences: when society withholds from children the moral and intellectual formation needed for democratic participation, the costs are borne collectively. “Values, principles, and education” suggests more than job training—an initiation into constitutional norms, mutual responsibility, and habits of informed judgment. The emphasis on “good citizens” aligns with O’Connor’s frequent public concern that democracy depends on an educated electorate capable of sustaining the rule of law. The quote functions as a warning that neglecting civic learning erodes social cohesion and weakens democratic institutions over time.