“Anyone who desires to be ignorant and free, desires what never was and never will be.” –Thomas Jefferson
Let me quote Thomas Jefferson again,
“Anyone who desires to be ignorant and free, desires what never was and never will be.”
When Jefferson, the principle author of the American Declaration of Independence, wrote these words, he was expressing a truth that relatively few Americans appreciate today.
You see, an elected – or appointed official at the local, state or national level, is required to take an oath to defend the Constitution of both his state and the United States. His job then, is to follow his oath. Fair enough…but what if he doesn’t know what the Constitution says? How can he do his job?
What about the rest of us?
What is our job?
As citizens of our State or of these united States, our job is to hold him accountable to his oath of office. We are supposed to watch and see if the office holder follows his oath.
But how can we do this if we don’t know what the Constitution says or what it means? If we don’t know the rules, then how can we tell if they are being followed?
If we don’t know these essential elements of citizenship – what used to be called “civics” – then it’s kind of difficult to object to things like unconstitutional wars, or unconstitutional bailouts, or the ratification of treaties or trade agreements that rob us not only of American jobs, but also of American sovereignty itself. It’s kind of hard to raise an intelligent argument against unconstitutional sobriety checks or even torture tactics if we don’t know the rules and the principles on which they are based.
In short, if we are ignorant, it’s not long before we won’t be free.
