Staff Reports
Imagine this: You’ve just finished a long day welding pipes or building homes, and as you sit down to unwind, you hear the latest buzz about student loan forgiveness. But this isn’t just any student loan forgiveness. It's for someone who spent four years—and maybe a bit more—getting a degree in gender studies or some other “critical” social science. You, on the other hand, chose a practical trade, learned on the job, and now you’re being asked to help pay off someone else’s bad decision. It’s beyond absurd, it’s downright offensive.
Carpenters, welders, plumbers, and other tradesmen are the backbone of this country. They don’t need a fancy piece of paper to prove their worth. They’ve built their careers through sweat, skill, and hard work. Now, they’re being told they should dig into their own pockets to cover the debts of people who spent years in lecture halls discussing abstract theories that have little to no bearing on the real world. Why should a welder who spent years mastering his craft be financially responsible for someone who chose to study feminist theory or post-colonial literature?
What’s worse, the very people who are benefiting from these forgiveness programs often look down on those who work with their hands. The elitist attitude that pervades much of academia dismisses trades as somehow lesser or unimportant. But when the plumbing breaks or the roof leaks, who do they call? Certainly not the professor who lectured them on the patriarchy. Yet, the irony seems to be lost on those who think a gender studies degree is somehow more valuable than the skills of a carpenter or an electrician.
This isn’t just a matter of fairness; it’s a matter of priorities. The government should be encouraging young Americans to pursue careers that actually contribute to society, not handing out free passes for bad decisions. Skilled trades are in high demand, and those who pursue them often find stable, well-paying jobs without the burden of crippling student debt. Meanwhile, too many graduates with niche degrees are left floundering in a tough job market, yet they’re the ones getting bailed out?
Let’s also talk about accountability. We live in a society that increasingly shirks personal responsibility. If someone chooses to take on tens of thousands of dollars in student loans to study a subject with limited job prospects, that’s their choice. They should live with the consequences of that decision, not shift the burden onto others who made more practical choices. It’s time for those with degrees in underwater basket weaving to face reality instead of demanding a free ride.
