Investing for Future

US congressman Ron Kind from Wisconsin, is a young democrat. He made this statement the other day and I thought it might be fruitful to take a look at it.

“We have an immediate need to reform student loan repayment programs so that students aren't punished for seeking higher education.”

There are some in America who think this is not true. They posit that if a person wishes to better themselves they should strive to do so, earn their own money to do so, or take the plunge of faith and go into debt to do so. Of course those same people probably have plenty of funds to pay for their own kids’ education and wish them to succeed beyond those of lesser means. That’s what’s known these days as independence, competition and small government.

What’s missing from this point of view are two things.  First, charity. We should wish all talented people to have access to whatever education and development needs they require to flourish in our society. It comes from caring. It comes from ethics. It comes from positive mental attitude. And yes it comes from religious training and theology. At least one would think so.

Second, our society will flourish if every person has what they need to prosper intellectually, professionally, career-wise, etc. If we hold people back because they are female, black, immigrant, brown, or in any other way different from ourselves, then we cheat all of us, not just the object of our discrimination.

Think about it. Half the population are women; half men. Yet we shower males with education, scholarships for athletic prowess, and all the rest.  Because?  Does anyone have a good answer to that?

I’m male but I was married, have two kids, one a daughter, have a great daughter in law, have two beautiful granddaughters. I also have a mother, two grandmothers, several aunts, a sister, and so on. Why would I wish them a more difficult time of development just because they are female? Why would anyone?

Same goes for any other ‘minority’ among us. The truth: we are all part of a minority. To allow it to have predominance over another or subservience, is just plain wrong.

Education provides leveling power for differences. Let each person soar to whatever heights they are willing to work for. But first allow them access to those resources. I need them. You need them. They need them. If they succeed, we all succeed. So, we should all pay for it.

Congressman Kind should seek federally funded education at all levels and be done with it. No debt for the student. Or the parent. Equal access to equal educational resources. So that we might all benefit.

Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat from Iowa, gave us this to work with:

“The American dream promises that if you work hard and play by the rules, you’ll be able to save for retirement and enjoy your golden years with your grandchildren. We must ensure that, after a lifetime of hard work, Americans are able to retire with dignity and financial independence.”

All true. But it would be even more true and affordable if free education is made available to all in the first place. Perhaps Rep. Kind and Sen. Harkin should work together.

May 9, 2014