Political Quotes

“from time to time here on the Senate floor, I have decried declining standards of education in our society, sliding levels of literacy among increasing numbers of our citizens, and a disturbing spread of inaccurate and undisciplined scholarship, even at some of the higher echelons of American education. Unfortunately, the First Law of the decay of civilizations seems to be that, paralleling monetary experience, "Bad culture drives out good culture." Thus, bad music overwhelms good music. Bad taste destroys good taste. Bad literature drives out good literature. And, I might add, apparently, ignorance often displaces fact. Shakespeare said: . . . Ignorance is the curse of God, knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven. As a case in point, I cite the February 7, 1994, issue of People magazine. People has never purported to be a scholarly publication. However, as a premier offering of Time-Life, Inc., People has proved to be a cut far above the prolific tabloids found prominently near the checkout stands of most supermarkets. However, on page 93 of the February 7, 1994, issue of People, one finds this assertion, "Jubilee, for example, comes from the Bantu word juba, a popular plantation dance dating back to the 18th century." Madam President, "jubilee" does no such thing!”