Dear Editor,
Why can’t people pay off their tuition loans? Answer: Because their college education didn’t prepare them for a meaningful job.
On March 6, 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed executive order 10925, introducing Affirmative Action. It was created to ensure all employees are treated fairly regardless of their race, creed, color, or national origin. In the years following, it was amended to include hiring practices and college admissions.
Employers were required to hire minorities rather than more qualified, non-minorities, in order to achieve a workforce percentage, equal to that of the country’s minority population.
Also, test scores were no longer a priority for acceptance into college. Non-qualified, minority students were accepted over qualified students just because of their color. This didn’t mean that there were no minorities in college, just not enough of them.
Students, that gave up years of their life, studying countless hours to achieve high test scores, couldn’t get in. The colleges also suffered; when a large number of these students didn’t have the qualifications to maintain a passing grade, and dropped out. Empty desks in the classrooms don’t pay the bills. The students, that did continue, took classes which did not require much intellectual effort. Most of them weren’t academically prepared for courses in engineering, medical, legal, or any other professions requiring a higher education. For them, it was an extension of high school. Upon graduation, even with a diploma, they did not learn the necessary skills for a worthy profession. Understandably, as soon as the Minority Admissions part of Affirmative Action, expired, Michigan banned Affirmative Action in its schools.
College is intended for higher education in specific areas, and not for everybody. This country still needs; carpenters, plumbers, auto mechanics, electricians, steel workers, and a long list of service people. Those jobs are not taught in college.
When Biden said he would pay off college loans, they came from all over, not just the minorities, but all those that thought, art, aerobics, and poetry classes would get them prosperous jobs. Not many jobs for artists and poets these days. And aerobics instructors get minimum wage. What happened to common sense? How could so many kids be convinced that just by signing up for college they would become successful? Some classes don’t even require attendance. Definitely not the brightest bulbs in the pack. Meanwhile, those that took meaningful classes or attended trade schools, and became successful, were not included in the tuition reimbursement program.
The Supreme Court shut down Biden’s proposal. The Court said people need to take responsibility for their own debt, and would not pay off the student loans. These students became outraged. After all, it was this country’s leaders that let them believe you just need a college diploma to be successful. Even if you printed your own diploma at home, from an online course.
I just heard that Biden created another tuition forgiveness program. Another scheme to hand out money for stupidity. Isn’t this just another bribe, soliciting votes? Why isn’t that illegal? What about the rest of us that used our education to get successful jobs and pay our bills? Biden now wants us to pay the bills of the lazy.
— Wally Maslowsky
Almont
