---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you wage war on the public schools…"
description: "\"When you wage war on the public schools, you're attacking the mortar that holds the community together. You're not a conservative, you're a vandal.\" — ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e66/garrison-keillor-1037_attacking_when-you-wage-war-on-the-public-schools_2509812.jpg"
---

#  When you wage war on the public schools, you're attacking…

![“When you wage war on the public schools, you're attacking the mortar that holds the community together. You're not a conservative, you're a vandal.” quote by Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e66/garrison-keillor-1037_attacking_when-you-wage-war-on-the-public-schools_2509812.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e66/garrison-keillor-1037_attacking_when-you-wage-war-on-the-public-schools_2509812.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e66/garrison-keillor-1037_attacking_when-you-wage-war-on-the-public-schools_2509812.jpg)

> “When you wage war on the public schools, you're attacking the mortar that holds the community together. You're not a conservative, you're a vandal.”

[Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Attacking public schools harms community cohesion; it’s destructive, not conservative.

**In simple terms:** Attacking schools damages community unity.

Key Takeaway

Protect schools to preserve community.

Themes

education community politics conservatism

Mood

concerned defensive

Type

political social commentary

When to use this quote

- school board meetings
- parent teacher associations
- local elections
- community activism

Key Concepts

social cohesion public policy civic responsibility

Questions to Reflect On

- What does community mean to you?
- How can schools be improved without harming cohesion?

A Different Perspective

Some view school reform as necessary change, not vandalism.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Attacking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attacking/) [Attacking Mortar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attacking-mortar-1144909/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Community Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community-conservative-1144910/) [Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) [Conservative Vandal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative-vandal-1144908/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Mortar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortar/) [Public school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-school/) [Public schools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-schools/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Schools Attacking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/schools-attacking-1144907/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-public-546806/)

## Related quotes

> [Private schools have been attacking public schools and really I was just a pawn in their game. I speak at schools of all ages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gorilla-zoe/private-schools-have-been-attacking-public-schools-and-really-i-was/)

[Gorilla Zoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gorilla-zoe/)

> [“try to be an advocate for the gay community in the more conservative churches.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-cunningham/try-to-be-an-advocate-for-the-gay-community-in-the-more-conservative/)

[Sara Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-cunningham/)

> [I consider the war of America against Britain as the country's war, the public's war, or the war of the people in their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/i-consider-the-war-of-america-against-britain-as-the-country-s-war/)

[Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/)

> [Yes and no. Because America has only about 1 percent of the population serving in the military, it is hard for many civilians to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-stivers/yes-and-no-because-america-has-only-about-1-percent-of-the-population/)

[Steve Stivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-stivers/)

> [“Something new had happened. The United States had gone to war, not under enemy attack, nor to protect the lives or property of American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-fehrenbach-2/something-new-had-happened-the-united-states-had-gone-to-war-not/)

[T.R. Fehrenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-fehrenbach-2/)

> [That's one of the major lessons: no president should ever take this nation to war without full public debate in the Congress and/or in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mcnamara/that-s-one-of-the-major-lessons-no-president-should-ever-take-this/)

[Robert McNamara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mcnamara/)

> [“The combat during the war was only a part of the horror. When soldiers came home, they were faced with new challenges, new fights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-picca/the-combat-during-the-war-was-only-a-part-of-the-horror-when-soldiers/)

[Helen Picca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-picca/)

> [“On the brutality of the Nazis after the war, "The public reeled at the very evilness of evil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-metaxas/on-the-brutality-of-the-nazis-after-the-war-the-public-reeled-at-the/)

[Eric Metaxas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-metaxas/)

> [“The goal is all-out war on the public sphere and the public interest, whether in the form of antipollution regulations or programs for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/the-goal-is-all-out-war-on-the-public-sphere-and-the-public-interest/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [“So, if people don't want a war - are opposed to a war - how do you get away with it? You change public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sibel-hodge/so-if-people-don-t-want-a-war-are-opposed-to-a-war-how-do-you-get/)

[Sibel Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sibel-hodge/)

> [Burn shavings and splinters of pitch pine, and when they turn to charcoal, put them out, and pound them into mortar with size. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/burn-shavings-and-splinters-of-pitch-pine-and-when-they-turn-to/)

[Marcus Vitruvius Pollio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-vitruvius-pollio/)

> [Writing is eternal, For therein the dead heart liveth, the clay-cold tongue is eloquent, And the quick eye of the reader is cleared by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/writing-is-eternal-for-therein-the-dead-heart-liveth-the-clay-cold/)

[F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/)

> [Thou whoreson zed! Thou unnecessary letter! My lord, if you will give me leave, I will tread this unbolted villain into mortar, and daub…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/thou-whoreson-zed-thou-unnecessary-letter-my-lord-if-you-will-give-me/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [American soldiers had to guard prisoners on the inside while receiving mortar and weapons fire from the outside. Guantanamo is distant from any battlefield,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yoo/american-soldiers-had-to-guard-prisoners-on-the-inside-while/)

[John Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yoo/)

> [We didn't see what happen when Marines fired M-16s... We didn't see what happened after mortars landed, only the puff of smoke. There were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-banfield/we-didn-t-see-what-happen-when-marines-fired-m-16s-we-didn-t-see-what/)

[Ashleigh Banfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-banfield/)

## More by Garrison Keillor

> [God writes a lot of comedy... the trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/god-writes-a-lot-of-comedy-the-trouble-is-he-s-stuck-with-so-many-bad/)

[Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

> [The socially redeeming aspect of golf lies in the vast number of lawyers and bankers and managers who play it, and when you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/the-socially-redeeming-aspect-of-golf-lies-in-the-vast-number-of/)

[Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

> [God plays a lot of jokes on us to get our attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/god-plays-a-lot-of-jokes-on-us-to-get-our-attention/)

[Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

> [Ha! Easy for nuns to talk about giving up things. That's what they do for a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/ha-easy-for-nuns-to-talk-about-giving-up-things-that-s-what-they-do/)

[Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

> [This is the big reason most humorists fail. Drunks don't read books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/this-is-the-big-reason-most-humorists-fail-drunks-don-t-read-books/)

[Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

> [Before the world was made, when it was only darkness and mist and waters, God was well aware of Lake Wobegon, my family, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/before-the-world-was-made-when-it-was-only-darkness-and-mist-and/)

[Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

> [On investments, 1998: Where I'm from we don't trust paper. Wealth is what's here on the premises. If I open a cupboard and see,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/on-investments-1998-where-i-m-from-we-don-t-trust-paper-wealth-is/)

[Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

> [“The rich can afford to be progressive. Poor people have reason to be afraid of the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/the-rich-can-afford-to-be-progressive-poor-people-have-reason-to-be/)

[Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

> [English is the perfect language for preachers because it allows you to talk until you think of what to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/english-is-the-perfect-language-for-preachers-because-it-allows-you/)

[Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

> [“If you can't read a simple goddam sign and follow one simple goddam instruction then get your fat butt the hell out of here.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/if-you-can-t-read-a-simple-goddam-sign-and-follow-one-simple-goddam/)

[Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

> [“The Gospel is meant to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/the-gospel-is-meant-to-comfort-the-afflicted-and-afflict-the/)

[Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

> [I don't want them to be told to remember me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/i-don-t-want-them-to-be-told-to-remember-me/)

[Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

> [Childhood is the small town everyone came from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/childhood-is-the-small-town-everyone-came-from/)

[Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

> [I have taken so many wrong turns and been so careless with precious things and managed to lose, or break, or leave out in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/i-have-taken-so-many-wrong-turns-and-been-so-careless-with-precious/)

[Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

> [Where I'm from we don't trust paper. Wealth is what's here on the premises. If I open a cupboard and see, say, thirty cans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/where-i-m-from-we-don-t-trust-paper-wealth-is-what-s-here-on-the/)

[Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

[Explore all 304 Garrison Keillor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

## More Attacking quotes

> [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/attack-the-evil-that-is-within-yourself-rather-than-attacking-the/)

[Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/)

> [Wine is the first weapon that devils use in attacking the young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/wine-is-the-first-weapon-that-devils-use-in-attacking-the-young/)

[St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/)

> [Let a man who has to make his fortune in life remember this maxim: Attacking is the only secret. Dare and the world yields,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/let-a-man-who-has-to-make-his-fortune-in-life-remember-this-maxim/)

[William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/)

> [I've gotten better at calling out coverages, communication, and being vertical when they're attacking me in the paint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivica-zubac/i-ve-gotten-better-at-calling-out-coverages-communication-and-being/)

[Ivica Zubac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivica-zubac/)

> [Before I signed for Liverpool, I was playing for Newcastle as a No. 10 - basically, I was always attacking. I didn't have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georginio-wijnaldum/before-i-signed-for-liverpool-i-was-playing-for-newcastle-as-a-no-10/)

[Georginio Wijnaldum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georginio-wijnaldum/)

> [It's a big part of my game, attacking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-walker/it-s-a-big-part-of-my-game-attacking/)

[Kyle Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-walker/)

> [When I was elected governor of my state, I had a legislature 87 percent Democrat. It was not lost on me that to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/when-i-was-elected-governor-of-my-state-i-had-a-legislature-87/)

[Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/)

> [Positive thinking is so firmly enshrined in our culture that knocking it is a little like attacking motherhood or apple pie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/srikumar-rao/positive-thinking-is-so-firmly-enshrined-in-our-culture-that-knocking/)

[Srikumar Rao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/srikumar-rao/)

> [This is really good,” Donovan Caine said, attacking his third strawberry pancake. “You sound surprised,” I said. He shrugged. “I just didn’t think an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-estep/this-is-really-good-donovan-caine-said-attacking-his-third-strawberry/)

[Jennifer Estep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-estep/)

> [Dravid Could play attacking cricket like me but i could never play like him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-gayle/dravid-could-play-attacking-cricket-like-me-but-i-could-never-play/)

[Chris Gayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-gayle/)

> [Islamic fundamentalism is attacking us at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/islamic-fundamentalism-is-attacking-us-at-home/)

[Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/)

> [“California cat that chased off attacking”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/california-cat-that-chased-off-attacking/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [When I listen to candidates spend all their time attacking Barack Obama, I'm glad they're not driving this bus because they'd be looking through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/when-i-listen-to-candidates-spend-all-their-time-attacking-barack/)

[John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/)

> [For many years the stakes were clear. There were the Arabs attacking us and us defending ourselves, so basically there were no real problems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/for-many-years-the-stakes-were-clear-there-were-the-arabs-attacking/)

[Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/)

[Browse all 580 Attacking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attacking/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When you wage war on the public schools, you're attacking the mortar that holds the community together. You're not a conservative, you're a vandal.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Garrison Keillor"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/when-you-wage-war-on-the-public-schools-you-re-attacking-the-mortar/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Attacking"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/when-you-wage-war-on-the-public-schools-you-re-attacking-the-mortar/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e66/garrison-keillor-1037_attacking_when-you-wage-war-on-the-public-schools_2509812.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e66/garrison-keillor-1037_attacking_when-you-wage-war-on-the-public-schools_2509812.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e66/garrison-keillor-1037_attacking_when-you-wage-war-on-the-public-schools_2509812.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When you wage war on the public schools, you're attacking the mortar that holds the community together…” — Garrison Keillor",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Garrison Keillor",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When you wage war on the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/when-you-wage-war-on-the-public-schools-you-re-attacking-the-mortar/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/when-you-wage-war-on-the-public-schools-you-re-attacking-the-mortar/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
