I don’t hate the misinformed. I hate the ignorant and the arrogant. People are often lied to and fed news that isn't correct, and for that it's hard to blame them. They were acting and thinking under the assumption of truth. I make the separation for ignorance when people disregard facts and clutch onto their ideas for dear life when someone tries to challenge them.
Recently, an article against free college tuition has been receiving a lot of traction. Honestly, it’s disgusting. Just by looking over her article, I was slamming my fist on the table. I can't recall in recent memory when I’ve read something so ignorant. I'm going to break down the article bit by bit and explain to you exactly why that author is wrong.
1.“I worked hard throughout high school to get good grades, to get into college, and to get my tuition paid for. That discipline was my first experience of the "real world." At some point in your life, everything stops getting handed to you”
Let's just look at that last line. This line might speak to some of you because of how truly ignorant it is. At some point maybe kids will stop being born into poverty, having absent parents, being raised in bad neighborhoods and having to deal with awful public schools. Those are the types of kids who get stuff handed to them? The only thing handed to them was a crappy start at life. Did the author forgot to remember that not everyone lives comfortably in the suburbs where there aren't many financial woes?
2. “College is a privilege.” (This was a stand alone line in bold -- she was stressing this thought.)
People sort of refer to the poor as the “underprivileged.” College is no longer for poor people? That’s what it sounds and looks like. Who do you extend this privilege to? Is it a case by case basis? Or is it more like an umbrella where the kids with money and those who are born into great lives are shielded from the cold rain, while the poor and disadvantaged surround you and admire how you’ve accomplished such a feat that you were pretty much set up to achieve? You didn't break any expectations. You met them. College was once for the wealthy, and to have that same sort of smug and eliteness is disgusting.
3. “College is a transition and preparation for a career and life itself. How can you be expected to work hard in your career if you can't work hard for everything leading up to that career?”
That doesn't even make any sense or have to do with what you’re arguing about. You can work hard and still not have the money to attend college. You can work hard and still not get a full scholarship. Why not help out those who need some extra resources to succeed? What editor proof read this and let it through? Also, somehow our past is a perfect indicator of who we will soon become? Because someone wasn't 100% motivated in high school they don't deserve a chance at a better life?
“Oh, you had a B in Chemistry? Here is your mop and bucket. Good luck.”
4. “It is stressful to know that if I fail a test and don't meet my GPA requirements, that I will ultimately lose my scholarships. However, that stress motivates me to work hard. I'm constantly studying so that I can achieve my career goals. I'm working hard for what I want. “
Do you want to know what’s even more stressful? Food insecurity- not knowing when or what their next meal will be. Not as in “burger or pizza?” but as in, there is no food at home and someone doesn't know if they have enough money to buy more to eat. About 21% of kids live in food insecure homes. Its hard to stress over GPA and getting a 100 on a test when you go to bed hungry every night and don't know when or where your next meal will come from. So yeah, the primary goals for a disgustingly high number of children are not to get straight A’s--their goals are to feed themselves. Yes, this is in America.
5. “Of course I would in a sense love for my tuition to be paid for, but I don't view it as a burden. I view it as taking initiative to achieve my goals. Nothing is free and college happens to be something that isn't.”
Oh it’s not a burden? Tell that to 22 percent of children under the age of 18 in the U.S who live in poverty.
Again, holding onto dumb ideas for dear life because someone just can't let go. Did she write this article just because she doesn't want people to get free access to things that greatly benefit them and others?
6. “I never asked my parents to pay for me to go to college. I made sure that I would study hard to get good enough grades to receive enough scholarships. I decided not to attend the most expensive school in the state, and with working as hard as I did in high school, I should receive a degree in four years, debt free.”
Wow, debt free? Clap it up. You’re smart and that’s awesome. But, tell it to scientific study after scientific study. The data has been in for a while. Kids who grow up in poverty have measurable impairments in brain development, poor cognitive, social, and emotional control. How are they supposed to compete when they start off with that disadvantage while you jump on your damn high horse? Congrats on college. You know who can't ask their parents to help pay for college? The 22% of kids who live in poverty and the 10% who live in extreme poverty (living on income that is at half of the poverty level or below). Yes, that's 10%, one in ten. I wonder what it’s like for those kids, I know the author didn't ponder the same. Again, those poor children live right here, in the United States.
7.”Recently Fox News Reporter, Neil Cavuto, interviewed a young woman, Keely Mullen, who was a Million Student March organizer. Keely discussed her demands for free college tuition and an increase in minimum wage. When approached with the question on how nationwide college tuition should be paid for, Keely proposed that those with the most wealth in the country should pay higher taxes. She describes the 1 percent of the United States, that is the overall wealthiest, as hoarders.”
She is right. Not the author, but the woman mentioned in the quote--Keely Mullen. Studies show that between 21 and 32 trillion dollars are hidden in offshore accounts. Thats a lot of taxable money.
8. "If you’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you live. It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white, or Hispanic or Asian, or Native American, or young or old, or rich or poor, able, disabled, gay or straight. You can make it here in America if you’re willing to try.” -- President Obama
Yes, that should be how the world is in every instance; but sadly the world isn't that wonderful. In Florida it's still legal to fire employees just for being gay. Florida and 30 other states actually. So that alone kind of invalidates the quote. By “make it” does he mean just make an income? A lot of people do have an income, but if he is referring to “make it” as being wealthy, well that's...not even how the economy works? I don't really know what to say here beyond the fact that President Obama's statement is inspirational, yet false, and quoting it doesn't make it any more true.
9. "A college degree is earned, not handed to you."
Did she forget exactly what her article was about? This was her closing line, assuming she put some thought into it, I can safely say she confused herself.Your article is about free tuition but your closing line is about earning a degree? Who said anything about giving degrees out for free? People will still be working hard for a degree but they won't be forced to pay outrageous fees to receive an education, that in turn benefits the economy. Does attending college for free somehow negate the validity of the degree?
Now if what she meant was everything leading up to college, we are talking about all of middle school, which leads to all of high school, then into college, then her idea is equally as stupid. So many districts have poor education systems, and at that point, your birth determines where you'll end up. How are you going to get into a good middle school if you came from a bad elementary school? How are you going to get into a good high school if you came from a bad middle school? How would you end up in a good college on a scholarship if all your life you got the short stick?
10. "You have to work for the things you want. Either paying out of pocket for your college education or having it paid for by the scholarships you've received, you appreciate college and value your time and money."
She still hasn't said anything substantial to back her argument up besides “nothing in life is free and neither is college,” and “ I did it so why can't everyone else?” Do you have anything else? Did it occur to anyone while they were reading this article that there is really no basis for her arguments besides her own ignorance and dislike of people having it easier than herself?
Again I'll bring up child poverty. Good luck to the poor kids I guess.
Screw you and what you consider to be fair; get a moral compass and do what's right.