With political propaganda and influence filling our schools, our classrooms, our colleges, and our students’ minds in recent days, we must take a moment to reflect on the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the subject of education:
- “Education must enable a man to become more efficient, to achieve with increasing facility the legitimate goals of his life.”
- “To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education.”
- “A great majority of the so-called educated people do not think logically and scientifically. Even the press, the classroom, the platform, and the pulpit in many instances do not give us objective and unbiased truths.”
- “Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction.”
- “The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.”
- “The complete education gives one not only power of concentration, but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate.”
- “Education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason, but with no morals.”
- “Intelligence plus character–that is the goal of true education.”
Remember, anyone can give you their opinion, influence you into thinking a particular way, or incite an emotional response from you, but not everyone has your best interests in mind. It’s up to you to discern when someone is just using your response to their influence to accomplish their own agenda. Everyone is after your mind. It’s up to you who you give it to.
Let us heed the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and educate ourselves.
And have a Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!
