The Study of War
25 March 2003
I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain - Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 1780
Tell me of Alexander's solution to the Gordon knot.
Tell me how Alexandria burned, and the Library with it, and the knowledge of ages was lost. And still the River flows on.
Tell me again when Columbia fell. Tell me how she fell, burning - a pool of air and warmth flashing into a crucible, far hotter than the forges for smelting gold. Tell me how the crew fell, and the little spiders and pots of Damask'd roses fell as well, burning.
Tell me what the world will remember when they think of this spring, years and years from now. Tell me again that the might of my nation lies not in her armies, not in her government, not in the laws written down by the lawgivers - but that the core of my country, the heart of her is the quest - acceptance of risk, the journey to the horizon, the exploration mapping new lands, new knowledge, new dreams.
Tell me again, that there will come a time, someday, when it is safe to study the application of ink to parchment, the wearing away of stone to find the figure within, the rise and fall of voices lifted in chant. Tell me there will be a time when I may scribble my lines with a clear conscience - that no where in the world there is a person not free to do likewise. That I shall be able to call down scorn, contempt and utter disregard for my nation's leaders - and not feel that I wallow in a luxury others die without tasting. When I can gaze at the monument erected for my nation's first president and not think of how that much stone could shield ten families from a madman's bombs. That I can stand for hours before the senseless scrawl of modern art, and not decry the waste of canvas that could have sheltered a refuge from the wind and rain.
Tell me that one day we all shall be free at last.
He shall judge between the nations, and shall rebuke many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. - The Book of the Prophet Isaiah 2:4
I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain - Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 1780
Tell me of Alexander's solution to the Gordon knot.
Tell me how Alexandria burned, and the Library with it, and the knowledge of ages was lost. And still the River flows on.
Tell me again when Columbia fell. Tell me how she fell, burning - a pool of air and warmth flashing into a crucible, far hotter than the forges for smelting gold. Tell me how the crew fell, and the little spiders and pots of Damask'd roses fell as well, burning.
Tell me what the world will remember when they think of this spring, years and years from now. Tell me again that the might of my nation lies not in her armies, not in her government, not in the laws written down by the lawgivers - but that the core of my country, the heart of her is the quest - acceptance of risk, the journey to the horizon, the exploration mapping new lands, new knowledge, new dreams.
Tell me again, that there will come a time, someday, when it is safe to study the application of ink to parchment, the wearing away of stone to find the figure within, the rise and fall of voices lifted in chant. Tell me there will be a time when I may scribble my lines with a clear conscience - that no where in the world there is a person not free to do likewise. That I shall be able to call down scorn, contempt and utter disregard for my nation's leaders - and not feel that I wallow in a luxury others die without tasting. When I can gaze at the monument erected for my nation's first president and not think of how that much stone could shield ten families from a madman's bombs. That I can stand for hours before the senseless scrawl of modern art, and not decry the waste of canvas that could have sheltered a refuge from the wind and rain.
Tell me that one day we all shall be free at last.
He shall judge between the nations, and shall rebuke many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. - The Book of the Prophet Isaiah 2:4