A 10-year-old kid asked 'what makes a good American citizen.' The 'Peanuts' creator gave a priceless response

Young minds are naturally curious and eager to learn, often turning to adults with unexpected questions that deserve thoughtful answers. In 1970, a group of fifth-grade students from Beverly Hills were asked to write to someone they admired, and 10-year-old Joel Lipton chose "Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz. The question posed was, “What makes a good citizen?” Lipton, with innocent admiration, directed this question to Schulz, who responded with a heartfelt and thoughtful answer, according to Letters of Note.

On a letterhead bearing Schulz’s name and address, he penned a touching response. Addressing Joel directly, he wrote, “Dear Joel, I think it is more difficult these days to define what makes a good citizen than it has ever been before.” Sharing his perspective, the creator explained that we’re called only to do our best and hope for the best to follow. “Certainly all any of us can do is follow our conscience and retain our faith in democracy,” he wrote. Schulz added a personal comment and followed it up with what he believed to be the solution and ultimately the answer to what “makes a good citizen.” 

He added, “Sometimes it is the very people who cry out the loudest in favor of getting back to what they call ‘American Virtues’ who lack this faith in our country. I believe that our greatest strength lies always in the protection of our smallest minorities.” The letter was signed by Schulz and ended with an illustration of Charlie Brown and Snoopy from the iconic cartoon. The remarkable letter written in 1970 was discovered 50 years later, per KQED. Lipton, now an adult, found the letter while digging through his box and was delighted. 

“I’m sure it went way over my head as a kid, what he said in the letter,” Lipton said. “But I think now, in the time we’re living politically, in this country, what he said about the people who hide behind American virtues, and about protecting our smallest minorities, I knew that could speak to a lot of people. To see that this came from this man, 50 years ago, and how important those words are today,” he added. Lipton donated the letter to the Charles Schulz Museum where it is stored pricelessly.

The letter was also shared on X, where people pointed out how wholesome it was that Schulz took the time and heart to reply to the young boy. Others even noted how, decades later, his answer is still very relevant. @mattborchert wrote, “A thoughtful reminder of how history repeats, and how the lessons of the past still apply today.” @SweetAmy614 added, “I wholeheartedly concur with what Charles Schulz said!” @janetw58 mentioned, “Thank you for doing my heart good and uplifting my spirit by sharing this.” @ren_tik added, “How Timeless!! Can perfectly relate to the world at the moment.” @RealJag exclaimed, “Glad to see one of my childhood favorites was a real one.”