To the Editor,
In a true democratic society, all people would be included in the educational experience (i.e., not just attending class, but sharing their ideas and being confident that their opinions are valued) and critical inquiry would be the center of all lessons. Students would investigate the significant issues in their communities (local, state, national and global) and brainstorm solutions for change. This kind of learning, that is inclusive and based on questioning and challenging the status quo, is unique to a democracy. To that end, our education system is failing. Public universities are exclusive entities that support the status quo and Ohio University is a prime example of this failure.
The purpose of this institution should be research and problem solving. The purpose certainly should not be to make a profit. However, at Ohio University I have consistently seen profit prioritized above research and discussion about how to fix our incredibly torn apart earth. On a national level, the U.S. government spends approximately $665 billion dollars more on defense than on public education. I find this to be a reverse solution. Why are we more concerned with having the power to wipe out entire populations with weaponry than teaching our children how to coexist on a planet that needs cohesion? The priorities of both our nation and university are warped, and I firmly believe that the individuals fighting to restore the true purpose of education (i.e., problem-solving for issues that plague our communities) are on the BARE ticket. As a future educator, I have full faith in the intentions of the BARE ticket. The struggle to make public education affordable, inclusive and purposeful is an act of love for humankind. To BARE, there are more important issues than good relationships with resistant administrators (those who would rather spend our tuition dollars on gated homes than on scholarship). To BARE, the goal is to develop a massive community of students who share controversial opinions, discuss social, environmental and economic injustice, problem-solve solutions and fight for these solutions to become realities on their campus and in their world.
Madeleine Toerne is a junior at Ohio University.
