The Citizen's Compass
Navigate Your Freedom with Confidence
Imagine setting sail without knowing how to read the stars, navigate by compass, or understand the maps that chart your course. You'd be adrift—vulnerable to every storm and current, with no clear path to your destination.
This is where many Americans find themselves today: citizens of the freest nation in history, yet unable to navigate the principles and systems that sustain that freedom.
The Crisis of Civic Illiteracy
We face an unprecedented civic literacy crisis that threatens the very foundation of our republic. The numbers tell a sobering story:
of Americans cannot name all three branches of government
— Annenberg Public Policy Center
of Americans cannot name a single right protected by the First Amendment
— Freedom Forum Institute
of U.S. citizens would fail the citizenship test that immigrants must pass
— Woodrow Wilson Foundation
How can we expect citizens to preserve what they don't understand? How can we maintain a system of self-governance when the governed don't comprehend the principles that make it work?
A Different Approach to Civic Education
This book isn't another dry textbook or partisan manifesto. It's a personal guide to understanding and exercising your role as a citizen.
"The difference between a textbook and this book is like the difference between reading a manual on how to sail and actually learning to navigate by the stars."
A Personal Story
Follow my journey from standing at attention before the flag, to swearing an oath to the Constitution, to discovering what that oath truly meant. This isn't abstract theory—it's the lived experience of one citizen's quest to understand his own country.
The Founding Framework
Understand the timeless principles that made America possible: natural rights, limited government, separation of powers, and the rule of law. Learn not just what these mean, but why they matter for your daily life.
Practical Activities
Each chapter ends with concrete actions you can take—from reading primary sources to engaging with your local government. Build the habits of active citizenship one step at a time.
Whether you're a veteran seeking to deepen your understanding of what you defended, a parent wanting to pass on America's story, or simply a citizen who knows something is missing—this book is your compass.
What's Inside
A personal journey through service, sacrifice, and the principles that bind us as Americans
Chapters
- •Introduction: When the Compass Spins
- •Chapter 1: Zen and the Art of Citizenship
- •Chapter 2: The Call to Serve Begins at Home
- •Chapter 3: Foundations of Family, Unity, and Principles
- •Chapter 4: The Roots Go Down, The Plant Goes Up
- •Chapter 5: Finding Leadership and Advocacy
- •Chapter 6: Why Government Must Be Limited
- •Chapter 7: Standing for Fairness
- •Chapter 8: Seeds of Enlistment
- •Chapter 9: Swearing the Oath and Leaving Home
- •Chapter 10: Deployment and Facing War
- •Chapter 11: The Ground War Begins
- •Chapter 12: The Summer After the Storm
- •Chapter 13: The Search for Meaning
- •Chapter 14: Lessons in Justice
- •Chapter 15: Shattered Expectations
- •Chapter 16: Return to the City That Never Sleeps (But Sometimes Weeps)
- •Chapter 17: Love in the Time of PTSD
- •Chapter 18: Grace in the Lowest Places
- •Chapter 19: The Boat Years Begin
- •Chapter 20: Dinners in Destin
- •Chapter 21: The Music We Never Heard Together
- •Chapter 22: The Boat of Serendipity
Additional Resources
- •From Personal Journey to Timeless Principles (Principles 1-28)
- •Primary Sources Bibliography
- •Appendix A: Resources for Families in Crisis
- •Appendix B: Resources for Veterans
- •Appendix C: Constitutional Education Resources
- •Appendix D: Family Activities for Exploring Constitutional Principles
- •Acknowledgments
- •About the Author
About the Author
Christopher J. Bradley
Christopher J. Bradley is a veteran, father, and lawyer who has spent his life navigating systems, legal, military, and personal, in search of truth, purpose, and justice. From the fields of rural Pennsylvania to the sands of the Gulf War, from courtrooms to classrooms, he has lived the questions that now shape this book: What does it mean to be a citizen? A parent? A protector of freedom?
After enduring personal loss and the long road of rediscovery, he turned his experience into a mission: to help families reconnect with the founding principles that once united a nation. The Citizen's Compass - A Parent's Guide to Raising Principled Kids for a More Perfect America is both a memoir and a manual, a meaningful guide for parents everywhere who aspire to raise principled children in an age of confusion.
Christopher earned a joint J.D. and Master of Intellectual Property Law from Franklin Pierce Law Center (now the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law) in 2001. He is also the creator of the Liberty's Principles Pals children's book series, teaching foundational civic values to the next generation in fun, age-appropriate ways.
He currently lives aboard a sailboat in Florida, chasing sunsets, purpose, and a freer future for all.
Veteran
U.S. Army
Attorney
Legal Scholar
Author
Civic Educator
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