Hang Your Hat: April 18, 2024

Kerth wants us to consider the cost of ignorance. That’s what I do with a lot of what I read. He just can’t get enough of creating expectations via lowered requirements and standards, and fearfully justifying it as saving children from the experiencing Great Depression hardships. He mentions that the skillset bar requirement is increased relative to previous educational levels as if children today don’t grow up in a higher day to day technical skill set environment. (Heard any good get my grandkids to program the remote jokes lately?) Oh, and I love his comparing setting debtors free to releasing prisoners for time served. Almost sounds like Trump calling January 6 rioters in prison hostages.

His article ends with a list of what his critics will write to the editor so he can preemptively say, “See, I told you they would say that.” Pretty non-ignorant of him, so I’ll just thank him for including the obvious rebuttals for all to see. If I were to mention the debt consequences of bad decisions, and the oft ignored trade school option, the rebuttal list would only grow. So, let’s just say that this is another debt consequence that he says it’s time for us to dig into our pockets to pay as if we are not already paying for the list of debts his articles regularly espouse.

But I won’t’ say anything about any of that. What Kerth fails to acknowledge is the value personal investment cost provides. Personal investment develops a different skillset that an unmerited award does not. Personal investment also instills self-appreciation of one’s abilities. Kerth identified the struggles he had paying his debts. Good for him, me and millions of others who are better for the experience. Struggle accompanies personal investment. Kirth’s plan substitutes struggle with expectation which has no contributing value.

Education through high school guides people into adulthood in a (an overly?) protective environment. If from the view of many who responsibly over time paid their debts, the young people today are less prepared for adulthood than generations of yore, it’s not biological or economical. It’s “Kerthical.”

Doug Jenks
Sun City resident

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