Once upon a time regimes told us how to worship God, or what enemy deserved to be killed. Today we are bombarded with messages seeking to convince us which possessions best define success, which politicians really care about people like us, and which lifestyles deserve our condemnation. Education enables us to weed through the garbage, and to decide for ourselves what really matters. Education enables us to read the message behind the message, to question the validity of the argument, and to distinguish between facts and images. Education is a prerequisite to effective change, for we must understand fully how the world works before we can change it.
Education is also a potential weapon, which like any weapon can be used for good or ill.
Allow me to refer once more to my Graterford experience. One of my students had gotten in a fight and had been forced to miss class. I often wonder whether my classes on Mexican history are increasing international understanding or are better enabling students to exploit that poor country more effectively. Education does not guarantee virtue even while it enables us to make more ethical choices. If I am adept or clever with language I am just as able to hurt and exploit as I am to comfort and enrich.