My conversation with a Nashville OWS protestor

I recently found myself in Nashville Tennessee due to taking my father to the V.A. Hospital on the Vanderbilt University Campus. While I was milling about waiting for the physicians to finish my father's workup I decided to wonder around the campus and take in some of the local scenery while I did so.

As I was walking around I passed a small group of college students (5) carrying the signs typically associated with OWS. I politely stopped this group and asked if I could talk with them for a few moments about their views in relation to OWS. The group was very eager to speak with me so we found a nice bench and sat down for a conversation.

What I found interesting right away was that of the 5 students only one of them would speak to me. The others in the group had apparently appointed this student to be their liaison when talking to the public. Our conversation went as follows: (this is of course after the small talk and so forth)

me: I'm really curious what issues, as college students, you find yourself in the most agreement with OWS about.

OWS: One of our biggest complaints are student loans. We feel that the banks are raping people with interest rates for college tuition loans. It's not like kids have a choice about going to college, we pretty much have to go. If we have to go why should they be allowed to rape us with interest?

me: But kids do have a choice about going to college. No one says college education is a requirement. Also, if you do choose to go to college you don't have to get student loans to pay for all of it. There are work programs at schools, part time jobs, and grants/scholarships you can apply for as well.

OWS: Its not a choice about college. If we don't go to college we will have menial jobs that do not pay enough to live the way we want to live. As for work programs and such how am I supposed to carry a full time course load and work too? I've applied for a few grants and scholarships but the process takes forever and there is no guarantee we will get any help from them.

me: So let's clarify here. The banks are greedy for charging you interest on student loans correct? And this being greedy is a bad thing and they should not be motivated by greed?

OWS: Exactly! You are starting to understand!

me: I am starting to understand but not what I think you believe me to be realizing. You do realize that is greed which motivates you to go to college right? You said yourself if you did not go to college that you would not make a lot of money and have to live in a way you feel isn't good enough correct? So you went to college to make more money. Why is your greed ok but the bank's greed bad? As far as working and going to school I attended school full time and worked a forty hour a week job to pay for it. I graduated with no student loan debt whatsoever thanks to working and applying for a good deal of scholarships and grants so that I could get one or two of them. So tell me why is it that you are greedy and lazy and my tax dollars should somehow go to fund your lifestyle?

OWS: Well I can see there's just no talking to a brainwashed slave like you.

At that point the group of five got up and walked away from me. I'd like to get some input for ATS regarding my conversation with these students.

Thanks for posting: expect the "flaming" to begin 3-2-1

reply to post by Dilligaf28
What you'll get in response is, "these kids don't represent OWS, etc. . . "

Typical, is my response. But I'll be honest with you, this is probably going to be one of the last OWS threads I participate in. I keep repeating myself so much that my keyboard has a sore throat.

Myopic. Self-centered. These kids, along with so many participating, just don't have a clue.

I wouldn't necessarily call what they are doing as greed. The cause for higher tuition rates is inflation, which in turn is caused by the printing of more fiat currency by the FED. I've been through these types of conversations a million times and the only conclusion I have ever come to is that the root of the problem is caused by the debt instilled onto the citizens by the centralized banking cartel. 'They' are the main reason for our outstanding costs of pretty much everything as you may have seen with groceries, fuel and simply the cost of living. I don't blame people for being upset about this, however I disagree with the "give me give me" attitude that some of the OWS does represent. And, I'm sure that you are wondering and yes, I am a hardcore Ron Paul supporter. The FED needs to be obliterated along with the IRS. They are both uncostitutional and they both rape the very morals and values for which this country was founded upon.

I worked fulltime at a regular job and went to school as a fulltime student with an overload (21 credit hours per semester).

Other semersters I worked fulltime in a work/study program and carried the same amount of overload.

I think you made a clever and logical argument and they left because they had been "had" (pwowned).

I was a single-parent at that time as well. I slept 2 hours a day.

I don't expect the kids to meet my standards; but, if they are single kids living on campus then they have PLENTY of spare time for a fulltime job.

Problem is, most places quit hiring here when Obamacare started. Even PhD graduates were on the unemployed list and unable to get jobs flipping burgers.

Originally posted by Trexter Ziam
I worked fulltime at a regular job and went to school as a fulltime student with an overload (21 credit hours per semester).

Other semersters I worked fulltime in a work/study program and carried the same amount of overload.

I think you made a clever and logical argument and they left because they had been "had" (pwowned).

I was a single-parent at that time as well. I slept 2 hours a day.

I don't expect the kids to meet my standards; but, if they are single kids living on campus then they have PLENTY of spare time for a fulltime job.

Problem is, most places quit hiring here when Obamacare started. Even PhD graduates were on the unemployed list and unable to get jobs flipping burgers.

First off, applause for your work ethic and dedication.

Second point; brilliant connection between Obamacare and unemployment.

Once that travesty passed, companies started holding onto their capital in order to prepare to pay big on Obama's healthcare plans.
And of course, the minute they started holding onto their capital, they were called. . . . . greedy.

Just watch the video. You'll see why students are so upset.


Besides, with everything going on right now, college students don't really have any gripes right now regarding taxes and other things that older adults are dealing with, but they feel the need to participate in some way and protesting their tuition enslavement gives them the "in" they need.

reply to post by Afterthought


When I have a spare hour I will view that video in its entirety. Could you by chance offer some of the major points of that video for discussion in the interim?

reply to post by Puppet27Master


Look at the context of the conversation. The kid told me its wrong for banks to be greedy but not wrong for him to be. Doesn't that seem a little....hypocritical to you?

reply to post by Trexter Ziam


You did what you had to do to better your life and I congratulate/applaud you for doing so! Can you believe that the majority of these students feel that they should not have to do any of what you did but somehow have more to show for life than you do?

reply to post by beezzer


I wish I could give you more stars than one.

2nd line

reply to post by Dilligaf28


I'm happy to hear that you're going to take the time to watch it. You'll be pleasantly surprised by how informitive it actually is.

Here are some of the main points:
- Texts are only used once so used books are no longer an option to buy.
- Once you graduate, you are given a fee schedule to follow that shows you how much you're going to have to pay towards your loans as the years go by. This is really crooked especially for those who have obtained higher degrees. For example, a dentist is making $80,000/yr, but her fee schedule says that she should be making $149,000 (if I remember right) per year. Who sets these numbers? So, this woman is paying way more than she can actually afford.
- The career counselors are trained to sell sand to Arabs, which steers many young, naive adults into fields that won't be around to for them to even occupy when they graduate.

I hope this peaks your interest and you can see that much of what college has become is a scam run enterprise.

reply to post by Dilligaf28


Sorry you had to run into those idiots. Too many over educated idiots spoiling the fun down there now thats why i left. That and my language didnt really agree with metro`s finest pigs
Many down there thought it was to hangout with there friends and they really think they are accomplishing something
Armed revolution is the only thing TPTB are afraid of and thats what is going to take.

I used to be a student as well but its when i was made to take classes that had nothing to do with my area of study just to make me pay for it, i said the hell with this. Now i paid what i owed the school but i will NOT pay interest, they wont get another dime from me.

The kids overlooked something. They were right about the banks though they are raping people on interest but they overlooked how much the college itself is charging. Some people go into debt 10 or 15 years to pay for college this is ridiculous it should cost no more than your average private school because they are doing nothing more than your average private school. I think the problem is the salaries they are paying people who really have nothing to do with teaching your average student anything. For example coaches at a university in my state the football coach makes 1.4 million a year this is BS. They pay this man so much money to teach a sport to a limited number of students for a short time out of the year. People always say sports bring in a lot of money well if it brings in so much money then why does it cost so much to got to college So if they are protesting the banks then they should protest the college as well.

reply to post by buster2010


You're certainly right, but I feel that the people who are going to college just to become a pro sports figure are the ones who will be able to pay off their loans in the shortest amount of time, yet they're the ones who get to attend for free. This isn't right.

reply to post by buster2010


Exactly
Our country needs us to be educated to perform our jobs instead of them sending all overseas but we dont sh!t gold bricks. How are the ones that dont have rich parents suppose to pay? Unless thats the whole idea.

Originally posted by Afterthought
reply to post by buster2010

 

You're certainly right, but I feel that the people who are going to college just to become a pro sports figure are the ones who will be able to pay off their loans in the shortest amount of time, yet they're the ones who get to attend for free. This isn't right.

Your right and look at how few actually get into pro sports. So here all these other players are getting a free ride.

reply to post by buster2010


So, how can this be remedied?
One thing that comes to mind is that there should be schools dedicated to sports that only have the most necessary academic courses.
To help clarify this, think about the person who wants to be an electrician, they can go to a tech school and only have to take a few writing and business courses in the event that their career doesn't work out or they end up in management or owning their own business.

Originally posted by StratosFear
reply to post by buster2010

 

Exactly

Our country needs us to be educated to perform our jobs instead of them sending all overseas but we dont sh!t gold bricks. How are the ones that dont have rich parents suppose to pay? Unless thats the whole idea.

That's one of the conspiracies At the rate it is going in 15 years the average middle class family will not be able to afford to send their child to college. The only way a middle class student could go to college is if his parents saved his whole life and also took out loans while he was in college and the student himself would have to pay on them after he got out of school. So you can look at it this way the banks and the colleges gets two slaves for the price of one. Isn't the profit motive a great thing.

Typical of the attitude of some of present day youth.

They want more for less. Always more for less.

It's got worse throughout the last century. They just do not see the hypocrisy of it.

They think that they are just entitled to whatever they want.

They need to just get over it, understand what the real world is about and grow up.