Stephanie

“Washington's Farewell Address consists of a series of warnings about the danger of disunion. The North and the South, the East and the West, ought not to consider their interests separate or competing, Washington urged, "your union ought to be considered as a main prop of your liberty."

Parties, he warned, were the "worst enemy" of every government, agitating "the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms," kindling "the animosity of one part against another," and even fomenting "riot and insurrection".

As to the size of the Republic, "Is there a doubt whether a common government can embrace so large a sphere? Let experience solve it." The American experiment must go on. But it could only thrive if the citizens were supported by religion and morality, and if they were well educated.

"Promote, then, as an object of primary importance, institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge," he urged. "In proportion as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that the public opinion should be enlightened.”
― Jill Lepore, These Truths: A History of the United States

“A hundred years ago, we didn't have cars and airplanes and computers and vaccines. It was a whole different world. But to the Earth, 100 years is nothing. A million years is nothing. This planet lives and breathes on a much vaster scale. We can't imagine its slow and powerful rhythms and we haven't got the humility to try. We have been residents here for a blink of an eye. If we are gone tomorrow, the Earth will not miss us.

"So what are you saying? We shouldn't care about the environment?"

"No, of course not."

"Then what?"

Malcom coughed and stared into the distance. "Let's be clear, the planet is not in jeopardy, we are in jeopardy. We haven't got the power to destroy the planet, or to save it. But we might have the power to save ourselves.”
― Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park

“And if you would know God, be not therefore a solver of riddles.
Rather look about you and you shall see Him playing with your children.
And look into space; you shall see Him walking in the cloud, outstretching His arms in the lightning and descending in rain.
You shall see Him smiling in flowers, then rising and waving His hands in trees.”
― Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

“It is the strategy of truth, the simple and clarifying truths by which a nation such as ours must guide itself. The strategy of truth is not because it deals in truth devoid of strategy, it is not enough in this war of hoaxes and delusions and perpetuated lies to be merely honest. It is necessary also, to be wise. - A quote by Archibald MacLeish included in Chapter 6: Berlin Calling”
― Jill Lepore, Who Killed Truth?: A History of Evidence