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.
Schools are designed on the assumption that there is a secret to everything in life; that the quality of life depends upon knowing that secret; that secrets can only be known in orderly successions; and that only teachers can properly reveal these secrets. An individual with a schooled mind conceives of the world as a pyramid of classified packages accessible only to those who carry the proper tags.
It is the nurse that the child first hears, and her words that he will first attempt to imitate.
You can present the material, but you can't make me care.
If you teach a boy, you educate an individual; but if you teach a girl, you educate a community.
In the end we retain from our studies only that which we practically apply.
There is little doubt that our society is changing rapidly, but one thing will never change as long as we remain a democracy: the need for voters to know the essentials of our history and government.
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