Not to talk politics on any form of social media.......but this morning I was pushed over the edge. I'm not writing this because I enjoy debate-I don't. Healthy debates or otherwise-my personality just doesn't happily go there. I just want to share this story and perspective with my children.
I maintain contact with many of my former students on Facebook. I love to see them grow, but through this time leading up to the election I have really seen the growing sense of entitlement among young Americans. I saw a post on Facebook from a young man supporting Obama because of his policies on student aid and loans for college students. Being pushed over the edge had nothing to do with which candidate he supports-simply his sense of entitlement.
From reading the previous posts I knew he was referencing the fact that he was having trouble paying back his student loans and wanted to maintain a reduced rate on them. Having a little background knowledge, I know he probably could have avoided taking out so much in loans had he been willing to make a few sacrifices. He wrote, "It's actually one of our fundamental rights, the pursuit of happiness. Those rights don't apply to the poor? So many great Americans have made vast contributions to this country because they had the ability to go to college, despite the fact that their parents couldn't afford it. So....do you think the poor or even middle class Americans that can't afford to pay for their children's college education shouldn't have something available to them to pursue their right to the American dream?"
Poor and middle class Americans DO have the opportunity to pursue a college education-and that will be available no matter who is elected-it just may not be free. My family fell into the category he writes of-middle class but couldn't afford to pay for my college education. I did not qualify for financial aid. I worked hard in high school to be involved in activities and sports while maintaining the status of honor roll so I could earn scholarships. I worked 15-20 hours per week during high school and saved every dollar I could. Because I had to pay for college myself, I attended the nearest community college and lived with my parents. I followed that up by attending my local university so I could continue to live at home. Throughout college I worked a FULL TIME job while being a FULL TIME student. I made those choices so that I could finish school without student loans. I DID pursue the American dream-by my own sacrifices. The fact that I wasn't eligible for financial aid didn't keep me from pursuing that dream.
No one OWED me a free education, or a reduced cost for my education, or student loans at a minimal interest rate. My education was something I had to earn by making sacrifices along the way. It wasn't my dream experience-I don't look back at those years and think about how much fun I had in college. But no one owed me a good time either-and I can proudly say that I am a college graduate; I pursued and fulfilled my dream of being a teacher by my own hard work. Too many young Americans feel entitled to go to college wherever their heart desires......to live on their own.......to "focus on school" by not working or working minimal hours while in college, and just take out student loans to make it happen. Then, like the guy who wrote the above post, complain about the difficulty of having to pay those loans back.
The sense of entitlement among young Americans is disgusting. The American dream has never been to get something for nothing......or take the easy way.......
No comments:
Post a Comment