There are often platform issues that become associated with the two major political parties in our democracy. To a degree, these platform issues shape what individuals become associated with that political party, but as a collective, people have a great deal of influence on what kind of issues become important to elected officials. For instance, some of the Democratic Party’s platform issues are climate change, free health care for all and raising the minimum wage to $15.
One issue that has become popular among young voters is student loan forgiveness. While it’s unsurprising that there is substantial debate on this, I find that not many people understand how paramount an issue this is.
For the graduating class of 2019, 69% of students took out student loans to help pay for school, and the average it amounted to was $29,900. In total, the U.S. student loan debt is $1.71 trillion, placing a burden on individuals who decided to go to college. Student loan debt has a debilitating effect on individuals in terms of what they are able to do after graduation, such as what career they can pursue, where they can live and what lengths they will have to take to pay this money back.
What makes student loan forgiveness a political conversation, and therefore a platform issue, is that it is largely associated with the Democratic Party, which often aims to address ways in which the government can help the people. Unsurprisingly, one of the biggest ways to help individuals in the United States is in the form of financial assistance. The only reason so many students feel obligated to go to college is because it is seen as the standard requirement to go into the workforce, so you will get paid a living wage. This being said, a college education is incredibly expensive, even if you are going to a state university, whether or not you come from a line of college-educated individuals or are a first generation student.
As students and citizens, our best bet in getting some form of substantial student debt forgiveness is by calling our representatives. Some of the biggest advocates for debt forgiveness from public servants are Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, none of whom represent North Carolina but have strong footholds within the Democratic Party and often have opinions that resonate with younger age cohorts of voters.
President Biden recently said in a CNN town hall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that he will not back the cancellation of $50,000 in student loan debt, saying, “I’m prepared to write off the $10,000 debt, but not $50,000. I don’t think I have the authority to do it by the sign of a pen.” U.S. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez criticized the president, saying his argument for student debt cancellation is looking shaky in terms of what he is against, and she isn’t wrong. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been pushing for $50,000 cancellation with the help of Sen. Warren, and it seems that it is only President Biden who is holding back.
We should address student loan debt as what it really is: A business that preys on those who went to college to meet the standard expectation. When people say that anyone who took out student loans should pay it back, they aren’t necessarily wrong. When they say that student debt forgiveness should be out of the question, they are out of touch with the reality of the American dream that says going to college is the minimum if you want a respectable, well-paying job. In the midst of a pandemic, and perhaps for a long time after, paying back these loans will be harder than ever.
If you are in the opposition of student loan forgiveness, I encourage you to reflect on the basis of this reasoning. With this cancellation of debt, the burden of paying back an expensive but obligatory education will be lifted, which is seemingly never-ending due to interest rates, and people can finally consider what it is they want in life. They won’t be stuck at a job they don’t like, and they won’t put off buying a house or having children. In fact, they won’t put off their entire lives, which is what many do, solely so they can live day to day to pay off a degree that they were encouraged to get by the society around them.
It must be recognized that your voice, the things that you want and the rest of your life should matter, not only to you but also to the individuals you elected into office. For now, this possible legislation is on shaky ground, but with continued support, it won’t always be. Until then, keep discussing and advocating for these platform issues that will shape the future, hopefully for better and not for worse.
Editor’s Note: Update byline with author’s correct position at Technician.
