Need dose of reality

I am speaking out today against the proposals floating around our government in Washington, D.C., about giving every college or university student a tidy sum of $50,000 so the fledgling college students should not have to be burdened down with student loan debt. After all, they encumbered themselves when they took out those loans and, as I recall, they signed many documents stating they were contractually obligated to repay those stated loans at very low interest rates after graduating.

I am wholly against this entire proposal. I say, if they made those loans in good faith, then in good faith they should repay every dime of that contractually obligated loan. What in the world is wrong with the idea of relieving these students and graduates? Votes? Votes, you say, in some election in the future? Not being a mind reader myself, I will not impute their motives.

I will tell you that I began working on my grandfather’s dairy farm at age 12 and worked ever since in some manner. When I was the first person in my entire family to attend and then graduate from college, I took out college loans. I also worked two jobs while attending college. I worked seven days a week as a produce clerk at Dycus Thriftywise grocery and in the summers at Holmes Tree service specializing at spraying evergreen trees. I worked every day and went to college at the same time. I graduated with a bachelor of business administration and a master of public administration.

Every month for 12 years I repaid Citizens National Bank and Trust for the privilege of having it secure the college loans I had accumulated. And this built integrity, honesty, work ethic and, most importantly, a strong character. These young people, students and graduates perhaps need a strong dose of reality so they too can begin a life building their character. Thank you for this opportunity to share my thoughts. God bless!

LOUIS BURNETT

Little Rock