I don't think that our Founders would believe that America could long prosper if the people were not readers.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of reading for the prosperity of a nation.
Ben Sasse suggests that the Founding Fathers of America recognized a direct correlation between the education of its citizens and the nation's success. He implies that a populace that engages with literature and reading is better equipped to make informed decisions, contribute to democracy, and foster a culture of innovation and growth.
In practice
In a speech about educational reform, one might use this quote to advocate for increased literacy programs.
Among the responsibilities of each citizen in a participatory democracy is keeping ourselves sufficiently informed so that we can participate effectively, argue our positions honorably, and hopefully, forge sufficient consensus to understand each other and then to govern.
Becoming a reader grows our horizons, our appetite for the good, the true and the beautiful, and our empathy.
The health of our republic depends on shared principles like the First Amendment, but it is also built on the Teddy Roosevelt-like vigor of its citizens and local self-reliance.
Being stuck in adolescence - that's a hell. 'Peter Pan' is a dystopia, and we forget that. Neverland is a bad place to be.
Rising political tribalism, shamelessly exaggerating our opponents' claims or behavior, is leaving us vulnerable: No one loves America's internal fighting - and our increasingly siloed news consumption - more than Vladimir Putin.
Good history is good story-telling. And good story-telling demands empathy; it requires understanding different actors, differing motivations, competing goals.
In an era ruled by materialism and unstable geopolitics, art must be restored to the center of public education.
Racial discrimination in public education is unconstitutional.....All provisions of federal, state or local law requiring or permitting such discrimination must yield to this principle.
I dream for a world which is free of child labour, a world in which every child goes to school. A world in which every child gets his rights.
The books that help you most are those which make you think that most. The hardest way of learning is that of easy reading; but a great book that comes from a great thinker is a ship of thought, deep freighted with truth and beauty.
"Self-taught, are you?" Julian Castle asked Newt. "Isn't everybody?" Newt inquired. "Very good answer." Castle was respectful.
I was read to as a small child, I read on my own as soon as I could, and I recall being more or less overwhelmed again and again - if not by what the books actually said, by what they suggested, what they helped me to imagine.
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