We live in an age of rapid social change and unprecedented increase of new knowledge and scientific invention. In such an age we must do all in our power to strengthen our great system of formal education. But we must not stop there. We must also recognize that a free society today demands that we keep on learning or face the threat of national deterioration. We must educate people today for a future in which the choices to be faced cannot be anticipated by even the wisest now among us. We are on the frontier of an era which holds the possibilities of a new Golden Age in which the inroads of poverty, hunger, and disease will be lessened, in which through the extension of educational opportunities, men and women everywhere will have it within their power to develop their potential capacities to the maximum.
The agenda before the American people is great. The problems are complex. I believe that an America that understands the importance of “lifelong learning” will be able to deal with those problems more wisely and more vigorously.
I am, therefore, pleased to express my support of those who are working to strengthen the adult education programs of our universities and colleges, our schools, our libraries, and our voluntary citizen organizations. Your efforts are helping America to move forward toward greater strength and cultural vitality which can make our nation once again a beacon light among freedom-loving people everywhere.
John F. Kennedy
elpasospeak 
And since the time of JFK, there is the Internet, which, if a person WANTS to further educate themselves, it’s right HERE !
If the Internet never happened, then, you’d REALLY see a decline in learning and the updating of knowledge.
(Knowledge and Information: It changes faster than books can be published.)
The smart ones are still learning and discovering new principals every day.
No library could hold that much information and certainly not the stuff that keeps changing. Ideas. . . built . . upon other’s ideas, in just hours, instead of years.
Technology and other human understanding will grow faster than . . . well, . . . “pretty fast !”.
What you see tech wise, during the past 100 years, is now being condensed into . . A DAY.
Millions of scientists working on the the same or similar problems, instead of 4 in a college lab somewhere, waiting for additional funding.
Zooooom !
Just the other day, I discovered several computer/ tech/ programmers, now living in Seattle, and working for Microsoft, . . now get this. . . FROM EL PASO !
TaDa !
El Pasoan’s are changing the world !
Congratulations Guys & Gals from El Paso !
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Yep some from El Paso are doing things to change the world but first they had to leave El Paso.
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Yep, had to go where the work is.
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The Oracle
Because El Paso couldn’t give them the job opportunities they needed and once they left El Paso they got a taste of the world beyond El Paso most never come back.
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In that spirit, I propose gutting public education funding to make room for private companies to run schools — Pretty much the strategy of Betsy deVoss current Sec’t of Education.
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I see where it got him.
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