Actor Richard Dreyfuss wants to return America to its founding principles, which he says have been running off course for decades.
Through his nonprofit Dreyfuss Civics Initiative, he aims to “revive the teaching of civics in American public education” so students can rebuild a shaken country by understanding the basics of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. He has made many public appearances to promote these ideals since the initiative was incorporated in 2008.
“I want to save my country,” Dreyfuss told The Sunday Times, per RealClearPolitics.com. “I take it personally, the loss of America.”
He blames “50 years of irresponsibility on the part of parents, politicians, school superintendents and the media” for the breakdown of brilliant and courageous concepts that once made America “a beacon of light finally in the darkness of history.”
The country has become “unbound” during those years. “This is the worst self-inflicted wound,” he said. He is hoping to change that through programs under the initiative that encourage parents and individuals to help “teach our kids how to run our country” with a return to civics classes in school. This will help them understand the values of the founding of the country.
Drefuss voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, but said he regrets it, partly because of her stance as a “cold warrior.” He also described her as a “bought and paid for” politician.
The star of “Jaws,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” and “The Goodbye Girl” (for which he won the Academy Award as Best Actor) has varied political opinions.
“I think I’m turning into a libertarian,” he noted. Although supporting a state-run healthcare system, he has also defended the National Rifle Association and the rights of conservatives to speak on campuses.
“I’m not part of the gaggle of Hollywood liberals,” he said. “I’m libo-conservo-rado-middle-of-the-roado.”
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