From: utzoo!decvax!microsof!uw-beave!furuta
Newsgroups: net.followup
Title: Re: How can they do this
Article-I.D.: uw-beave.144
Posted: Tue Oct 26 22:31:07 1982
Received: Thu Oct 28 02:03:03 1982

Kurt's message contains several statements which I think should be
discussed.  The first is his assertion that "Education is *not* a right.
Neither the poor nor the wealthy are entitled to an advanced degree by any
law, natural, traditional, or statutory."  The first question that comes to
my mind is to ask what an "advanced degree" is, anyway.  Is it a B.S. or
B.A.?  What kind of a job can you, Mr. Average High School Graduate, expect
to get?  You pretty much seem to need the Bachelor's degree to get a basic
job these days, so perhaps the B.A. is a basic degree.

In any case, the assertion in Kurt's article is seemingly "if you can't pay
for it, you shouldn't have an education."  I don't agree with this.  I'm
sure many of you can state more compelling arguments than can I on this
issue (and I hope you will).  In my mind, the most important reason for
providing access to education for all, regardless of ability to pay, is a
social one.  Education is probably the most powerful means available for
raising a person's economic and social position.  It holds far more
potential for reducing this country's social problems than do public
assistance, food stamps, or other solutions to the immediate problems.

I believe I'll leave my statement at that for the moment.

			--Rick

(It's probably just as well that these messages delete themselves after two
weeks.)