"Laws for the liberal education of the youth, especially of the lower class of the people, are so extremely wise and useful, that, to a humane and generous mind, no expense for this purpose would be thought extravagant."
by:
John Adams
(1735-1826) Founding Father, 2nd US President
Source:
John Adams, Thoughts on Government, 1776
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Here is where he is wrong. Our public education system is riddled full of politics and ruin. It serves to only be politically correct rather than teach anything. We spend more money on it than any nation on earth to get so little in return.
 -- cal, lewisville, tx     
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    Yes, Cal is so right. John Adams never conceived that 200 years later the socialists would have so permeated and dominated our educational system from Kindergarten - College that our populace has been perverted from self preservation and patriotic pride into self loathing for our nation and obsession with the personal self - what can they squeeze from their neighbor under the guise of benevolent socialism?
    The current residents of the White House are perfect examples of this - no expense was spared to educate the foreigner who impregnated his mother and to what purpose did he put that education? He abandoned his responsibilities here (wife, child) and went back to Kenya to accomplish - what ? Sire more children with other women? No education is required for that. No expense was spared as near as we can tell since we don't have all Obama's scholastic records, but he is an America-hater at the least and the Manchurian candidate - uh president - at the worst. Michelle also is educated to the hilt. Do either of them practice law? What have they produced ? Who have they employed? I mean, who have they employed that they were providing the paycheck? Other than producing 2 lovely daughters, they have produced nothing good. They are destroyers - destroyers of hope, wealth, spirit, international good will - just about everything they touch. I am always relieved when they depart for vacation because they do dedicate themselves to their own pleasure and less destruction occurs when they are absent from Washington.

    Any way, Abraham Lincoln was educated in a one room log cabin and he was wise as well as witty. His moral compass never failed him.

    Formal education, other than in the sciences, is vastly overrated. In China, prior to the communist era, the Confucians lauded and honored education - farmers and merchants (producers) were considered socially the bottom of the barrel and every family tried to get at least one son educated enough to work in government, which became the highest social class...any of this sound familiar?
     -- H Rearden, Burr Ridge IL     
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     -- Mike, Norwalk      
    The uneducated masses speak - still.
     -- anonymous     
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    Volumes could be here written about the anti-natural law / injustice done by compelled compliance, inclusive of the tyrannous slippery slope there related. There has never been an ignorant people that enjoyed liberty. Further, man's carnal concept that he is THEE god with ability to make laws has always ultimately lead to ignorant slaves.
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    It's a conundrum to be sure. After the Civil War, the now 'nationalist' federal government changed the perspective and tone of the Constitution from one of a rule book for the government to a rule book for the people.

    Getting a 'real' education will always be the responsibility of a free person -- that is where the family comes in. IMHO, a freeman will always be a skeptic and ever watchful for the cunning lies of government 'authorities.' We learn much more from our 'culture' than school -- when our culture returns to one of independence, innovation, and essentially the pursuit of happiness, the people will enjoy liberty again.

    The best education you can get today is OUT of the public school. @H Rearden, right on!!
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    President Adams does interject a condition to be met in compliance. A moral condition " to a humane and generous mind ". As with most of the prophetic statements made by our founding fathers. Within the self one must Reckon it to be so. Generous with the knowledge of our liberty and freedom, not to hide it. That is why the CPAs and businesses stay out of that loop.
     -- Ronw13, Yachats Or     
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