On, around, and about John Adams - entry 2

The preservation of liberty depends upon the intellectual and moral character of the people.  As long as knowledge and virtue are diffused generally among the body of a nation, it is impossible they should be enslaved

In this quotation, John Adams gives two requirements for a people to remain free: knowledge and virtue.  I agree.  It follows, then, that we will lose our freedom to the extent that we lose our "intellectual and moral character".

John Adams and his contemporaries read a lot of books.   He was always reading, and his reading included the great works of his day spanning back to Roman times.  He read in various languages, not just English.  He encouraged his son, John Quincy Adams, to read Thucydides's history of the Peloponesian War when his son was but 10 years old (McCullough, John Adams, pg 171)!  Consider his thoughts on acquiring knowledge:

But all provisions that He has [made] for the gratification of our senses. . .are much inferior to the provision, the wonderful provision that He has made for the gratification of our nobler powers of intelligence and reason.  He has given us reason to find out the truth, and the real design and true end of our existence.  

I consider my own education, my own reading.  Wow.  Pathetic.  I can certainly read a lot more and use more of my free time in the pursuit of knowledge.

I submit that the current decline that we are experiencing in America is a direct result of our stupidity.  We don't read, we don't seek knowledge.  We watch TV much.  We facebook and tweet too much.  We get emotionally carried away with politics, sports, current events, and American Idol (A different post can be dedicated to education and the "knowledge" our children are asked to pursue in school).  We excessively concern ourselves with petty things.  Instead of feasting on knowledge and indulging in the occasional diverting treat, we engorge ourselves with entertainment most of the time, and only occasionally do we unwillingly (and sometimes unwittingly) force ourselves to swallow a spoonful of something really good for us.  And that piece of broccoli that our mom wanted us to eat was ever so small!  

And the moral character of our nation?  Our virtue?  It's sufficient to say that it is too easy to find (or inadvertently bump into) obscenities of all kinds.   We have embraced too much that is wicked.  The fact that people make millions of dollars producing filth, because millions consume it, is very sad.

What can I do?  I can read more.  Watch less TV.  Encourage and join my children in reading and other pursuits of knowledge and wisdom.  And I can live according to the statutes of my religion.  I can also stop patronizing companies that produce filth.  At least that's where I can start.

Note: This is entry #2 based on my highlighted portions of John Adams, by David McCullough.  America would not exist were it not for John Adams.  Thank you, David McCullough, for introducing me to this great man.