Maximillien Robespierre was a major figure of the French Revolution, probably best known for his role in the reign of terror. I only bring him up because of this fascinating quote:
“The secret of freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant.”
In that same vein, Thomas Jefferson noted:
“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” But what is education? What is ignorance? What do those words mean? Today, only a clear and free mind — not one that has been pre-programmed — can begin to approach the true answers to those questions. And that's because our language has been so throughly corrupted by radical education reforms that have replaced content knowledge with politically correct scripts in our schools. In his novel, 1984, George Orwell showed how the corruption of language leads to a dystopia whose people will accept as true such slogans as "Ignorance is Strength" and "Freedom is Slavery." So we need to demand the teaching of real knowledge. Our schools should encourage natural curiosity instead of enforcing politically correct scripts that squash that curiosity. They should allow for real tolerance instead using a PC label of tolerance that's only meant to empower the power mongers, and to smear anybody with whom they disagree. If we don't do these things, we have essentially given in to the building of a cult mindset. Instead, let's encourage the building of axemaker's minds that will promote innovation, self-reliance, true community building, and real knowledge. And let's fight the mind arson that's been committed for too long by radical education "reformers." By doing all of these things, we can begin to spark the productive fire of imagination, not the ignorance that causes people to mindlessly throw Molotov cocktails. In this way, we can promote domestic tranquility, real friendship, and the possibility of real love among us.
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