FFQF: "... in every house... "

Founding Fathers Quote Friday

A lot of things can be said - and have been said - about Benjamin Franklin. Being a man of keen insight is one of those things.

He stated in a letter dated March 1778 to the Minister of France:

"A Bible and a newspaper in every house, a good school in every district - all studied and appreciated as they merit - are the principle support of virtue, morality, and civil liberty."

I wonder if - as we see the statistics of declining Christianity, the failing of print newspapers, the attacks on the educational system, the decline in virtue and morality in public and private circles, and the erosion of (and understanding of) the concept of civil liberty - there is a connection...

Essential question: How could students be engaged in a conversation enhancing their understanding of the concept of civil liberties as understood by the Founding Fathers and practiced and advocated today?

Photo Resource:

National Portrait Gallery, London. Painted by Joseph Siffred Duplessis.

Founding Fathers Quote Friday is hosted at Meet the Founders blog