Freedom and ignorance are incompatible. A society that values true freedom must also value knowledge, critical thinking, and education. To believe that a population can remain free while remaining ignorant is to believe in a fantasy, something that has never existed and never will.

Freedom demands responsibility. It requires citizens who understand the laws that govern them, the forces that shape their lives, and the rights that protect them. Without knowledge, people become easy to deceive, easy to manipulate, and easy to control. Ignorance does not preserve freedom; it erodes it from within.

History provides countless examples. When people are uninformed, they are more likely to surrender their rights for promises of security or comfort. They are less able to recognize injustice, less willing to challenge authority, and less equipped to hold leaders accountable. Ignorance blinds, and in blindness, freedom is easily lost.

Education is the foundation of a healthy society. It is not simply about the accumulation of facts, but about cultivating the ability to reason, to question, and to discern truth from falsehood. A free society depends on individuals who can think independently and who are willing to engage with complexity rather than retreat into simplicity.

No society can thrive if it neglects the mind. Prosperity, innovation, justice, and peace all rely on the informed participation of its people. To hope otherwise is to chase an illusion that has never succeeded and never can.

Freedom is not a birthright that sustains itself. It is a living system that requires constant tending through learning, questioning, and growth. Without knowledge, freedom becomes hollow, and eventually, it disappears altogether.

A society that truly values freedom must commit itself equally to the pursuit of wisdom. Anything less is a betrayal of what freedom truly means.