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After President Obama's trip to UNC on Tuesday, I have two beefs. First, the president talked about student loans and how the interest rates on these loans will double if Congress doesn't act by July 1st. As a college student with loans myself, I know exactly how this increase will affect me. Quite frankly, it pisses me off that some old fogies in Washington can't simply pass legislation to help college students! What do they say instead? That we (college students) should "make the rate increases work." One of North Carolina's very own members of Congress, Virginia Foxx, said she had "no tolerance" for students who come out of college with a lot of debt because "it shouldn't happen." She went on to say that this is a country of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and we shouldn't "sit on our butts and have things handed to us."
Well, let me tell you lady, there may be a select number of students who do that but I know neither I (nor any of my friends) fall into that category. As far as I know, my friends and I either work (or have worked) some type of job, are involved in multiple extracurricular activities, and are still able to maintain a 3.7+ GPA. I was offended by that comment because I work my tail off everyday in school. Just because we're college students doesn't automatically mean we waste that loan money out partying and doing other things.
Foxx's statements were apparently based on the fact that it took her seven years to finish her college education and how she didn't borrow any money during that time. Here's a newsflash: this is not the 1960s when you were college, Mrs. Foxx! You guys want to know how much Mrs. Foxx paid to go to UNC in 1961? Well, according to The Quick And The Ed, Foxx paid $87.50 per semester. If you adjust for inflation, the actual dollar amount today is a whopping $671.30! I wish I only had to pay that much a semester! Instead, in-state students at UNC are paying three times that amount now! The bottom line is this: nowadays, some people simply have no choice but to take out student loans. It's not because we're lazy and just want things handed to us it's, unfortunately, a fact of life!
Look, this is not a Democrat/Republican issue, this is an American issue! I'm sick and tired of people treating this as a political issue and doing zilch to change it! If you're a college student and you don't want to see your rates double on your loans this summer, do something about it! Write, call, email, or tweet your Congressional representatives to stop this outrage!!!!
Okay, next, I want to address all the negative commentary on President Obama's visit to "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon." What's wrong with him being on the show? Haven't presidents, vice presidents, first ladies, and candidates been doing this kind of thing for years? I've been hearing over and over about how this was a political ploy for the president. Uh, duh! It is election season after all! That's just as obvious a statement as saying "Late Night" did this show for a ratings boost. It's common sense people! I think some people honestly hate to see a president who's down to earth and willing to have some good, clean fun rather than being a stick in the mud like some previous presidents.
Enough is enough! I've never seen so much disrespect in my life! Like I've said over and over again, I may not have liked or agreed with President Bush but I, at the very least, respected him because he was the leader of our country. It's negative commentary like this that is splitting the country further and further apart and I'm SICK OF IT!!!! Why don't you guys just shut your mouths and help our country get back on its feet instead of criticizing every move our president makes? Show some freaking respect!
