Last week, the Trump administration announced a new federal budget plan, proposing cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as eliminating the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. While there has been a widespread disregard for the benefits of the arts and humanities in the past, this is the first time that a president has actually called for an end to these programs.

It is disappointing, but not surprising, that these budget cuts are threatening the arts, humanities and public media. We live in a society where science and sports prevail over the arts. It is also something that I’ve never understood. Why are people so opposed to the arts? We consume the arts in our everyday lives, from watching television shows to listening to the radio in the car every morning, yet we look down on the people who aspire to go into these professions?

Did you go watch a movie this weekend? It wouldn’t have been possible without a film and theater major. What’s your favorite book? I bet it would be pretty hard to have one if that author didn’t graduate with an English degree. You call the arts and humanities useless and yet are an avid consumer of its products at the same time. Doesn’t that sound a little bit hypocritical?

I’m a Communication major, so I’m well-versed in the derogatory remarks that can be made towards you based on your area of study. But I can only imagine what is must be like for every art, film, or English major to have their entire academic career be constantly critiqued or made fun of. Isn’t it tiring to constantly be judgmental of someone’s future career? I’m not trying to say that the arts and humanities are somehow more important than sciences, math and athletic careers, but isn’t it time that we stop acting like aspiring towards a profession in the arts is a joke?

Arts programs have been proven to help students with their studies and improve mental and emotional health. Why is nobody talking about that, instead of making fun of the art students who “won’t have a job after college?” Or, why isn’t anybody talking about how Trump’s budget plan is calling for large increases in military, defense and homeland security spending as if these agencies weren’t already the most financed programs in the United States?

The arts programs aren’t the only government agencies being affected by this budget plan. Countless other programs that help those living in poverty, aid in ending climate change and strive to improve the environment are also at stake. While it is important to protect our country, it is hardly necessary to add to our military budget, when we already spend more on defense than any other country in the world—in fact, we spend more than the next seven nations combined.

Trump’s current budget plan is deeply flawed, and it continues to recognize the importance of military spending over financing the programs that have the ability to directly help people. It is time we acknowledge the fact that programs benefitting the lives of people through means other than guns are not unworthy of our attention.