Education is the cornerstone of our communities and our country.

The words of Bill Frist, a man of both science and statesmanship, resound with a truth as enduring as the foundations of civilization itself: “Education is the cornerstone of our communities and our country.” In this saying lies not merely a political creed, but an ancient principle—the recognition that every enduring nation, every flourishing people, rests upon the wisdom of its citizens. The cornerstone, in the architecture of the ancients, was the first stone laid, the one upon which all others depended for balance and strength. So too is education to the human soul and the body of society: without it, all else crumbles.

From the earliest dawn of humanity, tribes and kingdoms rose or fell by the light of their understanding. The Egyptians, who built monuments to eternity, carved their hieroglyphs not only upon stone but upon the hearts of their youth, teaching them the laws of the cosmos and the order of the Nile. The Greeks, too, knew that to educate a man was to forge a guardian of the state. Plato’s Academy was not a mere school—it was a forge where the iron of thought was shaped into the weapons of wisdom. Thus, across the ages, nations have stood firm when education was honored, and have withered when ignorance took its throne.

Consider the story of Horace Mann, the great American reformer of the 19th century. Born to hardship, he believed that the strength of the Republic did not lie in wealth or arms, but in the mind and character of its people. “Education,” he said, “is the great equalizer of the conditions of men.” Through his tireless labor, public schooling became not the privilege of the few, but the birthright of all. And from those humble classrooms arose inventors, poets, and leaders who would shape the destiny of the United States. Mann’s work gave flesh to Frist’s words: that a country without education is like a body without breath, a people without purpose.

Yet education is not merely the memorization of facts, nor the passing of examinations. It is the cultivation of the human spirit, the awakening of the moral sense, the sharpening of the mind so that it may see truth clearly and act upon it. When Frist calls it the cornerstone of our communities, he speaks of that invisible mortar that binds one heart to another—the understanding that allows neighbors to live in harmony, to build together, to care for one another. For ignorance breeds fear, and fear breeds division. But learning—true learning—teaches empathy, reason, and the sacred art of cooperation.

History shows us what happens when education is neglected. The fall of Rome did not come only from the sword of the barbarian, but from the decay of intellect and virtue within. When citizens cease to learn, they cease to think; and when they cease to think, they become prey to tyranny and chaos. A nation ignorant of its past and indifferent to knowledge walks blindfolded into the future. But a people who prize learning, who teach their children not merely to make a living but to live nobly—such a people cannot be conquered.

Therefore, let us understand that every school built, every teacher supported, every child given the light of literacy, is an act of nation-building more enduring than any monument of stone. To strengthen education is to lay a deeper cornerstone for generations yet unborn. And the responsibility does not rest on governments alone—it rests upon every parent who nurtures curiosity, every mentor who inspires, every citizen who values truth over comfort.

The lesson is this: Honor education as the foundation of freedom and unity. Do not neglect your own growth, nor that of others. Read widely, think deeply, and share generously what you have learned. Support your schools, respect your teachers, and kindle in your children the sacred flame of curiosity. For when learning thrives, communities prosper; and when communities prosper, the nation stands unshaken.

So remember, as the ancients built their temples upon strong stone, so must we build our world upon strong minds. The walls of empire may crumble, but a well-educated heart endures beyond time. Let education be your cornerstone—and you will build not only a better country, but a better soul.