The Next 20 Years.

"It's not just about abortion, it's about the next 20 years. In the '20s and '30s it was the role of government. '50s and '60s it was civil rights. The next two decades are going to be privacy. I'm talking about the Internet. I'm talking about cell phones. I'm talking about health records and who's gay and who's not. And moreover, in a country born on the will to be free, what could be more fundamental than this?"

I was reminded of this quote by Sam Seaborn played by Rob Lowe today about of the observance of the March on Washington fifty years ago. When I first started watching the West Wing last year, I was captured by the insight that the show presented to the viewer even though the series began in 1999. It shows changes take time especially those that really matter. And Sam was absolutely about what is in store for us, protecting our privacy rights.

While President Bartlet (played by Martin Sheen) is often the preachy passionate character in the show that gives the dynamic and mighty speeches, it is his staff that makes the more realistic viewpoints of issues. Sam Seaborn was frequently used for this and was definitely one of my favorite characters.

And oh yeah, he said this:

"Mallory, education is the silver bullet. Education is everything. We don't need little changes, we need gigantic, monumental changes. Schools should be palaces. The competition for the best teachers should be fierce. They should be making six-figure salaries. Schools should be incredibly expensive for government and absolutely free of charge to its citizens, just like national defense. That's my position. I just haven't figured out how to do it yet."