Article archive / November 1, 2010
Originally published: . Volume 2, No. 3. Source pages: 2.
Section II of Chapter 5 of the Massachusetts’ constitution was written by John Adams and goes like this:
“Wisdom and knowledge, as well as virtue, diffused generally among the body of the people being necessary for the preservation of their rights and liberties; and as these depend on spreading the opportunities and advantages of education in various parts of the country, and among the different orders of the people, it shall be the duty of legislators and magistrates in all future periods of this commonwealth to cherish the interests of literature and the sciences…” “…the promotion of agriculture, arts, sciences, commerce, trades, manufactures, and a natural history of the country; to countenance and inculcate the principles of humanity and general benevolence, public and private charity, industry and frugality, honesty and punctuality in their dealings, sincerity, good humor, and all social affections, and generous sentiments among the people.”
Historian David McCullough wrote in his Pulitzer winning book John Adams, “It was, in all, a declaration of Adams’ faith in education as the bulwark of the good society…” And, “As time would prove, he had written one of the greatest, enduring documents of the American Revolution.” The Massachusetts’ constitution is the oldest functioning written constitution in the world.
Education is the bulwark of our society. A thirty percent reduction to Louisiana’s colleges and universities is too much. Ask your legislator for more creative solutions.
This article is part of a historical newspaper archive. Read the original issue for its original layout, photographs and graphics.