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April 16, 2012

Republicans Against Subsidizing College Aid & Loans. (RASCAL)

Photo: Wikimedia

Okay. I made that up. I like acronyms.

But Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC) is “tired of hearing about people’s education costs.” America is the land of opportunity! Work it out—no one should help you pay for it:

 

Hmph. I had dinner last night with some friends, one of whom mentioned that he despises all the Americana “Land of Opportunity” rhetoric. I get that. Many people are disenchanted with the way things are in our country. People in the legislature like Virginia Foxx don’t help matters.

It’s great that she worked her way through college back when college costs were…oh…at least $30,000 a year less than they are now. College costs are astronomical. When I was there in the 90s, University of Hartford was around 25K a year before you added in room and board. I received some scholarships (read: worked my ass off), my parents helped—and I still had to take student loans. Today, the average cost of attending the University of Hartford is $42,000 before room and board. My children are only five and seven. It’s a pretty safe bet that by the time they attend college, they will need at least some student loans or scholarships.

So let me just say this to you Virginia Foxx, you rascal, you:

Yes Virginia, America is the land of opportunity.

America is somewhere I’m proud to live.

I’m not proud of how we’ve done everything, but I believe in the American spirit of ingenuity.

I believe in hard work.

I believe that education is one of the greatest weapons our nation has to fight both poverty and violence.

I also believe that any politician that does not recognize the importance of investing our nation’s resources in our future does not represent my America, or my values and would never get my vote.

Kudos to you on paying your own way through school, but some food for thought that unfortunately seemed to have missed:

 

“Upon the subject of education, not presuming to dictate any plan or system respecting it, I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in. That every man may receive at least, a moderate education, and thereby be enabled to read the histories of his own and other countries, by which he may duly appreciate the value of our free institutions, appears to be an object of vital importance, even on this account alone, to say nothing of the advantages and satisfaction to be derived from all being able to read the scriptures and other works, both of a religious and moral nature, for themselves. For my part, I desire to see the time when education, and by its means, morality, sobriety, enterprise and industry, shall become much more general than at present, and should be gratified to have it in my power to contribute something to the advancement of any measure which might have a tendency to accelerate the happy period.”

~ Abraham Lincoln.

P.S. If it was good enough for that old rascal Abe, it should be good enough for the GOP today.

~

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