Political Quotes

“I would say the same Founding Fathers, although they did not have or sponsor a National Endowment for the Humanities, would support the notion of a modest endowment that truly recognized the importance of the humanities to national life. James Madison says that he sees the vision of the future as that of learning and liberty leaning on each other. Learned institutions are the favorite objects of free people, says Madison. That is the justification I want to go back to: An endowment that really does help its citizenry appreciate the intellectual roots of this country, that fosters creativity, imagination, critical thinking about issues that matter, that brings them to an appreciation of art, literature, philosophy. That does have a place in Federal Government and a modest role. It has to do its job. It can't be sloppy. But if it takes its responsibilities seriously, it is well worth supporting, because that is one of the sources of our strength as a Nation, and a Nation, and a source of great pride.”