Missouri Constitution: Knowledge and Intelligence Essential to Rights and Liberty

Everyone knows at least some of the United States Constitution, especially the sentence or two they are most passionate about, but few know much about Missouri's Constitution.

Article IX, Section 1(a) is my favorite part of our State's Constitution and I believe it is also the most insightful:

“A general diffusion of knowledge and intelligence being essential to the preservation of the rights and liberties of the people, the general assembly shall establish and maintain free public schools for the gratuitous instruction of all persons in this state within ages not in excess of twenty-one years as prescribed by law.”

In Mehlville's case, the costs for the Mehlville School District over the last 30 years have doubled, yet not a single tax increase for operations has been approved by our community in about that same amount of time.

I think we can all agree that the world has changed since the 1980s. After all, you are likely reading this on a liquid crystal or light-emitting diode screen that was foreign to all of us in that decade so long ago.

If knowledge and intelligence (critical thinking skills) are essential to the preservation of the rights and liberties of the people, then what exactly is it that the Mehlville community is trying to accomplish for its children?  I would certainly argue that knowledge and intelligence are , after all, as far as I know, Benjamin Franklin never fired a single shot in America's Revolution. Knowledge and intelligence are more important than ever.

Given all that is written above, my answer is that the Mehlville community as a whole is allowing a great disservice to be perpetrated on the future of our State and our Country. The free-riding on the backs of last generation’s taxpayers is beginning to take its toll.