College debt

Editor:

College graduates are reeling in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision casting shade on Mr. Biden’s debt forgiveness plan. No sympathy here… Colleges have become sanctuaries from the real world, where students can major in beer pong, frat parties, pricey concerts and NCAA sports, all the while sheltering in safe spaces away from political discourse at odds with prevailing collegiate dogma.

Missed your classes on 20th century history? FOCUS: 

During World War II, high school seniors were drafted right out of their classrooms. No diplomas, no walk across the stage. Just a bus ticket to boot camp. In November 1943, 1,100 Marines died over a 76-hour period wresting Betio Island from the Japanese. The island is half the size of New York City’s Central Park.

In October 1944, 1,100 gallant sailors perished in three hours at Leyte Gulf.  In February and March 1945, 7,000 Marines bled out on the sands of Iwo Jima. In Europe, the 8th Air Force lost 26,000 airmen in action against Hitler’s Wehrmacht.

So at war’s end, a grateful nation offered “free” college tuition to returning veterans.  Since 1973, ours has been an all-volunteer military. That offer still stands. But during the Vietnam War, potential draftees got a free pass if they were enrolled in college. Young men dodged military service by sheltering in the bosom of higher education.  

So precisely how does your contribution measure up? You’ve enjoyed grades on a curve, social promotion, participation awards, the end of class rankings, and courses tailored to your appetite for not-so-hard work. And when graduation collided with a soft economy, you sequestered on campus for another year or two, certain that the elusive six-figure job offer was just one more semester away. 

Free college? Tell THAT to the Marines. 

G.A. Messier, Major (ret.) USMC,
 Wallingford