College Education for everyone, including Big Bird

[Cleatus Ledbetter]

Oberleutnant: You may very well be right. It just appears to me that there are many more people pouring over our borders than any other country. (This is not based on a scientic study)

We are a very spoiled generation.(Gen X and younger) We have never had to fight for our freedom. I was involved in Desert Storm. I lost one of my room mates (Jeff Bonoski 1965-1991) in Kuwaite. I do speak with authority when I say we are a spoiled generation.

Hawk: This does not apply to you and your generation. You all have had to pay the ultimate price for our country. I had many NCO's who were Vietnam Vets. I salute you.

As for those of us, myself included, who have had a cakewalk through life, It would be a good FTX (field training exercise) to live in a third world nation for about a year or two. I believe we would have a whole new respect for the U.S.A. and the U.S. military regardless of race or political persuasion.

(Former)SGT Ledbetter


[Edited by Cleatus Ledbetter on 10-05-2000 at 09:50 PM]

[Chopstix]

actually, its funny you mentioned about the gang thing, because i was watching a special on a&e one time, and they were talking about how the standards to get into the military was getting really low. they mentioned how gang members are going into the service and intimidating and doing other "gang" stuff when there in the service. IT was mentioned how they get training on how to use weapons properly and they steal weapons... but i would take this with a grain of salt, as i know these shows and specials have a habit of making things see so dramatic, with the " if we dont sove this problem no, our world will come to an end", pitch.
oh, and ps. the country that im living in right now, Canada, has been voted the best country to live in by the U.N seven years in a row..
oh, and plz dont take this as a "lets flame on canada" starter.. or one of those canada sux, and were better and stuff.. im not saying were any better or any worse, just thought it would be good to clear up some things about who was voted what.. not that it matters..

[fascistfury]

cleatus - what aout those of us who are taking on 3 jobs and still can't afford college?

[Cleatus Ledbetter]

Fascistfury:

Good point. My hat's off to you. I cheer you on.
It may take a few extra semesters for you to finish. You may have to take a few less classes per semester. I don't know your personal situation. For each of us the challange is different. My challange was my intelligence. I just studied harder and longer. I tried to focus on what was working as apposed to what was not.

When a college degree becomes a "must" for someone instead of a "should", they will do whatever it takes(legally of course)to achieve the goal. That is the difference. To most people a college education is a "should". To quote Tony Robbins you can sit around an "should" all over yourself but you still won't achieve the goal. When you make whatever your goal is a"MUST" you don't give up after the first failure, you keep trying until you succeed.


Bottom Line: People are not inherently lazy. However, most people have impotent goals(if they have any goals at all) that do not motivate them. Get a big enough goal that motivates and empowers you, you will achieve anything you want.

A study was done on the Graduating class of Harvard University sometime around 1950. The study indicated that 20% had goals, and only 5% had WRITTEN goals with a PLAN to achieve the goals.

Twenty years later, around 1970, These people were revisited. The 20% with goals had achieved a higher level of financial and personal success than the 80% without goals.

The 5% with written goals and a plan to acheive them were worth more in financial terms than the remaining 95% of the class combined. They also had a higher level personal fullfillment.

I'm not saying money is everything. It is not. However financial success sure does eliminate a lot of problems.

Good Luck
Cleat





[Edited by Cleatus Ledbetter on 10-06-2000 at 03:28 PM]

[fascistfury]

making your priority a must is exactly right! i failed my goals in life until i did that. also, i am not taking fewer hours in school: i am taking 18hrs, and have had straight A's for 3 yrs. the point is that no one should have to endure this hardhip, and in addition, no one should have to endure serving in a militay that fights wars based solely on ideology, as opposed to political interests of the nation. education should equally be available to all! later!

[John Bennett]

You miss the point Johnny. College degrees are like BJJ black belts, if they were easy to get, everone would have one and they would be worthless.

People mistakenly assume that employers want people with college degrees because those people are smarter than average. You and I know that's not true.

A degree proves to an employer that you have the ability to:

- put up with outrageous demands from pompous assholes (professors)

- jump through inane, pointless bureacratic hoops (the college)

- suffer fools (the rich brat freshmen)

- plus see long-term and self-motivate.

... all characterists of a good employee.


Everyone doesn't deserve a degree. If money is your hurdle, then by God overcome it. Don't expect the goverment to give it to you anymore than you'd expect Rickson to give you a black belt just because "you'd really, really like one".

[John Bennett]

The purpose of government is to provide it's citizens a safe environment to do what they will. Get rich, become a junkie, surf all day, screw farm animals, build racecars, worship Yaweh, ...it's your choice. Go for it so long as it doesn't hurt anyone else.

When people start expecting government to be their parent & provider is when things start going very, very wrong (see: Cambodia, South Africa, China, Somalia, USSR, et al.)

[Water Dragon]

No, everyone does not deserve a degree. However, I feel that everyone does deserve the chance to work hard and achieve one.

Economically speaking, a college educated individual earns an average of $ 500,000 more than a high school graduate. This means that he will give more back to the gov't than he ever took for his education in taxation. He will be more likely to donate both time and money to various causes. He will be MUCH more likely to save for his children's education and stress the value of said eduaction. He will be much less likely to end up in prison and EXTREMELY less likely to take money from the gov't in the form of welfare.

The majority of his aid will also come in the form of loans which will be eventually paid back. In this instance, the gov't has served it's purpose which is to maximaize the good of the SOCIETY. It simply does this by helping an individual. The benefits of a college education do not stop with the individual. These benefits should also not be held out of reach to all but the wealthy.

[fascistfury]

john - i don't miss the point. the fact is that we disagree on the primary functions of gov't. i don't expect you to conform to my beliefs on the issue, and i won't conform to yours...but just because we disagree doesn't mean that i have "missed the point", in essence implying that i have not comprehended...i have intentionally overstepped the point because i disagree w/ the foundation of your beliefs. later!