Knowledge is power

I am an educator. Therefore, it is inherent that I believe knowledge is power, because I've seen it and experienced and nurtured it. While wasting my knowledge points on my FB feed, I came across the following three posts. They all rang that deep internal teacher gong:

"Yes, books not bombs please," says the reasonable adult. 

I finished reading Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas by Tom Robbins yesterday, which coincidentally waxes poetic about the mysterious knowledges of Timbuktu. Then, after reading this article the sensitive librarian in me sputtered with dignified outrage and then, immediately, drink a bottle of wine. 

"New fears for the city's historical treasures emerged Monday as Malian soldiers reentered Timbuktu. The mayor told the Associated Press that as extremists fled, they torched the main library stocked with ancient manuscripts, sending “the history of Timbuktu” up in flames."

http://www.latimes.com/news/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-timbuktu-destruction-manuscripts-20130128,0,2853548.story

And, this:

Thank you children.