[iWrite]

Read here.

Good or bad?

[RooneyX]

I won't even bother reading it. Organise a rally.

[philzilla]

Jason Mattera, 20, who is president of the College Republicans, said the group is parodying minority scholarships

are you aware of what parody is?

[vmarks]

Actually, you should read it- you'd find out that the person in charge of it is (A) Hispanic, and (B) doing it specifically to point out his belief that scholarships based on anything other than need and merit are wrong.

[RooneyX]

Originally posted by vmarks:
Actually, you should read it- you'd find out that the person in charge of it is (A) Hispanic, and (B) doing it specifically to point out his belief that scholarships based on anything other than need and merit are wrong.

This alone...

'The application for the $250 award requires an essay on "why you are proud of your white heritage" and a recent picture to "confirm whiteness."

...is so bizarre it is stupid. What constitutes being white? Light skin? Then it should include people from across Asia, North Africa, the Far East, etc. Or is it relegated only to Europeans with a pinkish tone? What about tanned Italians? What about George Hamilton or Sean Connery? They aren't that white, are they? What about people of mixed cultural parentage, or are they going to hang a sign saying 'WASPs only'?

Dumb.

[iWrite]

I did read it.

I'm not so sure a "parody" matters or not. Regardless of why it is being offered it is being offered to "white" students who write an "essay" on their "white heritage."

There is a deeper issue here: Affirmative action.

Let's make it more simple: Is affirmative action good or bad?

[rezonate]

Originally posted by iWrite:

Let's make it more simple: Is affirmative action good or bad?

Do we owe something to a people after we have cr@pped on them for generations? I think so.

[vmarks]

and the opposite:

If we intend to create a color-blind society where people are judged by the content of their character instead of the color of their skin, scholarships based on the color of skin are flat-out wrong.

[nonhuman]

So long as the scholarship is provided by a private entity and not by the government, who the hell gives a **** if it's discriminatory or not?

[Kilbey]

Originally posted by rezonate:
Do we owe something to a people after we have cr@pped on them for generations? I think so.

Who is this "we"?

I haven't crapped on anyone. Let alone an entire race of people.

I don't owe anyone anything.

Well, 'cept the bank for the mortgage, but that will be over soon too.

[11011001]

And for those of you who are as stupid as I am and have never even heard of affirmative action is, here is the definition:

affirmative action
n.
A policy or a program that seeks to redress past discrimination through active measures to ensure equal opportunity, as in education and employment.

[wataru]

They so stole that idea from Boston Public.

[finboy]

Originally posted by rezonate:
Do we owe something to a people after we have cr@pped on them for generations? I think so.

I haven't even been alive for generations, so your "we" there is circumspect. I owe nothing to no one.

[finboy]

Originally posted by vmarks:
and the opposite:

If we intend to create a color-blind society where people are judged by the content of their character instead of the color of their skin, scholarships based on the color of skin are flat-out wrong.

Golf claps.

[Scientist]

I think it's a good idea. But doesn't the fact that the leader applied for and received a minority scholarship make him a bit of a hypocrite?

[brapper]

Originally posted by RooneyX:
This alone...

'The application for the $250 award requires an essay on "why you are proud of your white heritage" and a recent picture to "confirm whiteness."

...is so bizarre it is stupid. What constitutes being white? Light skin? Then it should include people from across Asia, North Africa, the Far East, etc. Or is it relegated only to Europeans with a pinkish tone? What about tanned Italians? What about George Hamilton or Sean Connery? They aren't that white, are they? What about people of mixed cultural parentage, or are they going to hang a sign saying 'WASPs only'?

Dumb.

oh man...you need to relax, look up parody, find your inner sense of humour, or, at the very least learn to think about what people are really saying when they speak.

[nonhuman]

Originally posted by Scientist:
I think it's a good idea. But doesn't the fact that the leader applied for and received a minority scholarship make him a bit of a hypocrite?

Does it matter if he is? His point is valid regardless.

[Fyre4ce]

Originally posted by 11011001:
And for those of you who are as stupid as I am and have never even heard of affirmative action is, here is the definition:

affirmative action
n.
A policy or a program that seeks to redress past discrimination through active measures to ensure equal opportunity, as in education and employment.

That's not really what affirmative action is. Affirmative action actually gives minorities an advantage, so that a less-qualified minority applicant could get chosen for a job over a better-qualified white applicant.

I do believe in equal opportunity. I do not believe in affirmative action. Who do you want designing the wings of an airplane you are going to fly in? The best engineer possible, of coruse, whether he/she is white, black, oriental, native american, whatever. But do you want a less-capable engineer building you an airplane just because of the color of his/her skin?

[Scientist]

Originally posted by nonhuman:
Does it matter if he is? His point is valid regardless.

His hypocrisy doesn't invalidate his argument at all. I was just making an observation. Of course, people change. Maybe he realized the error of his ways and felt he needed to do something to correct for them.

[DeathToWindows]

ok... I had the fun of college applications recently, so I read up on this

the following is, of course, IMHO

Affirmative Action - a way of "equalizing" the college admissions / scholarships / job process

the question then becomes does it create equality where it is applied? I would say that it only does to a point. Admitting students based on color/race/ethincity/religion is a nice idea but when there is an automatic boost (see last summer's University of Michigan case) the practice becomes more questionable. I support Affirmative Action for admissions - but I do not support the idea of a scholarship for a race. Attempting to redress past greviances via this practice is ok by me, but locking out all other races is a little too much.

Admissions : maintain an equal system; i.e. if applicant 23763847 has a GPA of 3.5 SATs of 1400 and is white, do not deny them a place in favor of applicant 7856877 with a GPA of 2.9, SATs of 1050 who is an Affirmative action candidate. However, if said two students are decently close [i.e. 1400 v 1300 3.5 v 3.1 White v Black] let the latter in, but do this in such a way that there is a diverse student population.

Scholarships: awarded based on need, merit or a combination of the above. There should not be a race-based subset. On a related topic, atheltic scholarships really gall me - the universe does not need subsudized dumb jocks - if they are academically and athletically skilled - sure. But don't admit/scholarship them just because they have big muscles and can grunt on command.

I hope this does not come across as being disgruntled. It's not intended to be.

[m_young]

Originally posted by Scientist:
His hypocrisy doesn't invalidate his argument at all. I was just making an observation. Of course, people change. Maybe he realized the error of his ways and felt he needed to do something to correct for them.

Or maybe he's a college student looking for money, and even though he was opposed to the premise, it was still available to him. I'm all for the "white person" scholarship though. I did nothing, and it is ridiculous to hold me accountable for the actions of my ancestors, especially when what they did was to the people who bitch and moan about it's ancestors. I'm white, so what? How does that make me in less need then your generic hispanic or african? So stupid. Affirmative action is racism.

[iWrite]

m_young said
Affirmative action is racism.

That is true. Somehow it is suppposedly deemed "okay" because it is the government applying it.

[Link]

I think they're making fun of black heritage.

[iWrite]

Really, Link?

Kwanza and that sort of thing too?

[m_young]

Kwanzaa isn't a part of African Heritage. It was created sometime in the 90's IIRC. It celebrates heritage, sure. But it's just another made up holiday. Which reminds me... Anybody know when White History Month is? Or Hispanic History Month?

[FeLiZeCaT]

A few years ago, I was living with the Inuit.

Once an Inuk called me a ****in' white. The White people called me a "Racist Positive" because I was promoting jobs and affirmation for Inuit.

My first name is from the German. My last name is French and means "Who looks like a Moor".

On my mother's side I am partly Irish Catholic, British Protestant.

On my Father's side I am Partly French, partly First Nation, partly African.

"White Man" in my case means absolutely nothing.

I suspect I am not alone in this case...

[Eug Wanker]

Originally posted by vmarks:
Actually, you should read it- you'd find out that the person in charge of it is (A) Hispanic, and (B) doing it specifically to point out his belief that scholarships based on anything other than need and merit are wrong.

LOL

[Scientist]

Originally posted by m_young:
Or maybe he's a college student looking for money, and even though he was opposed to the premise, it was still available to him. I'm all for the "white person" scholarship though. I did nothing, and it is ridiculous to hold me accountable for the actions of my ancestors, especially when what they did was to the people who bitch and moan about it's ancestors. I'm white, so what? How does that make me in less need then your generic hispanic or african? So stupid. Affirmative action is racism.

Righto, I agree

[iWrite]

Well, the term "white" is subjective, isn't it?

Michael Jackson, for all intents and purposes, would qualify at this point.

Affirmative action is basically admitting defeat in solving the real problem. If there is a disproportionately higher number of whites receiving scholarships, then to solve the problem, you should find out why. Are the judges awarding them to white people, or are the white people who applied more deserving? If the latter, then why? Are other races offered the same level of education? Are they simply not applying? etc. etc.

Unfortunately, it's easier just to say "you have to give scholarshops out to more non-white people" than to actually solve the problem.

[DeathToWindows]

what hayesk said.

but it's better than nothing.

[Ghoser777]

My problem with AA is it's applied at the wrong level. The most appropriate level is when students are very young, not when they are entering college. If a student is going to succeed in college, they need a good base first. The whole argument for AA is that minority groups, because they were put down for so long, are disadvantaged and young people who are minorities aren't going to have to the same opportunities to succeed as young people in majority groups. My solution: increase their opportunities when they're young. If a student is struggling by the time they've made it to 18, then allowing them to enter a college that they are not qualified to enter is probably not the answer.

AA is messy at best, balancing competition with fairness. Glad I don't have to make those decisions - I just teach whoever sits in my classroom (albeit high school)

Matt Fahrenbacher

[Webscreamer]

I ALWAYS check the *other* box when filling out applications/forms.... Or I don't even mark it. They don't need to know....

Either do you ...brotha

[awaspaas]

A scholarship for whites only? My day has come!!

[fizzlemynizzle]

If it's proper for there to be scholarships dedicated to specific races and or genders, then there's nothing wrong with a scholarship dedicated to white non-hispanics. People get angry over these parodies (and the affirmative action bake sales) because they can't face the truth of it: if you want equality, then you have to leave behind special treatment as well as discrimination.

[torsoboy]

Originally posted by DeathToWindows:
what hayesk said.

but it's better than nothing.

I disagree. Nothing, is better than promoting/elongating racism. If the applicant is not equally qualified, don't give him them job/scholarships etc.. Also, if two equally qualified indiviuals apply, don't just give the spot to the minority, that's unfair to both sides; give it to the person you like more or that strikes your fancy (if they really are equally qualified).

And I also agree that if one type/race/color of people are allowed to get special treatment, everyone should be allowed to get special treatment. A big pet peeve of mine is the "Miss Black America" contest.... I want to see a "Miss White America" contest! Equality dang it! Is that so hard?

[iWrite]

I kind of agree. I don't want a neurosurgeon cutting open my skull simply because the color of his skin -- not his own brains -- got him his position and career.

[The Godfather]

Originally posted by Scientist:
I think it's a good idea. But doesn't the fact that the leader applied for and received a minority scholarship make him a bit of a hypocrite?

Perhaps he has good grades and decided that he deserved a scholarship for himself. Besides, he must be a poor student like you and I.

[nforcer]

Originally posted by m_young:
Or maybe he's a college student looking for money, and even though he was opposed to the premise, it was still available to him. I'm all for the "white person" scholarship though. I did nothing, and it is ridiculous to hold me accountable for the actions of my ancestors, especially when what they did was to the people who bitch and moan about it's ancestors. I'm white, so what? How does that make me in less need then your generic hispanic or african? So stupid. Affirmative action is racism.

[Nebagakid]

there are numerous scholarships I cannot get because I am a White Boy. But, I mean, come on, this is not that big of a deal. There are bigger things to deal with. Last week, a gun almost got into my school. The week before, a kid got shot at another school in my system. The week before, a kid got shot on the weekend (thank god he is okay, somehow, miraculously). The week before, a kid another kid was killed.

It seems that it is a violence thing a week here in good old DCPS. And do not get me started about under representation for DC citizens.

[hyteckit]

Well, I'm not White, nor am I Black. I'm Asian.

Guess what? I had the hardest time getting any scholarship so I know what you White guys are talking about. I feel bad for those poor White Kids.

Asian are a minority, but obviously not a minority in colleges. I was in the worst situation getting any form of scholarship because I only qualify for 1 out of the 50 scholarship the school had available. I wasn't born in the US and I came from a poor family. I am an Chinese male applying to engineering school.

It's been a while since I applied for a scholarship, but here is a list of what I remembered with the number of scholarship programs and requirements.

1 Parents must be a Veteran
8 Must be Hispanic
8 Must be Black
2 Female applying to Engineering school
3 Must be Female applying to a particular field
1 Must be Philipino or Pacific Islander
1 Must be Indian
1 Single parent family
1 Must be Disable

I was qualify for one that is available to all Asian and the amount was $250 and $500 I think. Great, few million Asians competing for 2 scholars of $500 or less. Oh well, at least in California, I qualified for CalGrant because I'm poor and my University paid part of my tuition, so it's cool.

Oh, I didn't get any scholarships by the way.

[rezonate]

Originally posted by Kilbey:
Who is this "we"?

I haven't crapped on anyone. Let alone an entire race of people.

I don't owe anyone anything.

Well, 'cept the bank for the mortgage, but that will be over soon too.

I'm sorry that you couldn't see how I used the word, 'We'. Obviously it doesn't imply every single person living today, but rather society, Government, etc. It was our dominant White society that reinforced racism in the past, our very same Idealogical Government that exists today; if that's still too abstract fpor you, then it is the vey same people who stood up for segregation are the ones that are still very much alive, even in positions of power, even Goverrment. It was people who are alive today that backed segregation, racism, some of those are our fathers who passed that down to their children.

So what are you implying? That we pretend that the actions of our forefathers has nothing to do with society as a whole? Do you really think that works, that if we pretend that a whole race of people who were marginalsied for so long hasn't had an effect on the people living today? that their condition is exactly equal to ours? Do you think our society will truly move forward like that? That we are not doomed to repeat the erroprs of our fathers?


It's funny to hear Christians talk of absolving themselves of blame, and yet have faith in the original sin nonsense in which sin is carried downwards to this very day. Strange how we;d rather accept the sin of a mythological 'Adam', but point blank refuse to acceot the very real sin of our society, fathers before.

Seems like some Christians are a very picky bunch.

[cal4ever]

Originally posted by hyteckit:
Well, I'm not White, nor am I Black. I'm Asian.

Guess what? I had the hardest time getting any scholarship so I know what you White guys are talking about. I feel bad for those poor White Kids.

Asian are a minority, but obviously not a minority in colleges. I was in the worst situation getting any form of scholarship because I only qualify for 1 out of the 50 scholarship the school had available. I wasn't born in the US and I came from a poor family. I am an Chinese male applying to engineering school.

It's been a while since I applied for a scholarship, but here is a list of what I remembered with the number of scholarship programs and requirements.

1 Parents must be a Veteran
8 Must be Hispanic
8 Must be Black
2 Female applying to Engineering school
3 Must be Female applying to a particular field
1 Must be Philipino or Pacific Islander
1 Must be Indian
1 Single parent family
1 Must be Disable

I was qualify for one that is available to all Asian and the amount was $250 and $500 I think. Great, few million Asians competing for 2 scholars of $500 or less. Oh well, at least in California, I qualified for CalGrant because I'm poor and my University paid part of my tuition, so it's cool.

Oh, I didn't get any scholarships by the way.

I feel your pain. I'm Asian American too. Actually, I'm Filipino and a female, but it didn't make my search for a scholarship any easier. Sure, there were probably one or two more scholarships that I could have applied for (compared to you), but that's about it. I didn't get any scholarships either :-/ But I sure am thankful for CalGrant!!

I think the problem with today's form of Affirmative Action (and I'm not saying that AA is good or bad) is that it looks at the minority issues in America as a Black or White thing. More recently, it seems to have become a White, Black and Hispanic thing. While it is true that many top colleges in the U.S. (i.e. UC Berkeley, UCLA, Stanford, Yale...etc.) are made up of at least 20% Asians, it doesn't mean that ALL Asians fit in the Model Minority Model. If Affirmative Action is to work, it needs to look pass one's color. Instead, AA policies need to look at a person's full package (grades, standardized test scores, personal stories, hardships in life and so on). I think the writers of AA policies forget that minorities (in the U.S. or in colleges) are not the only ones who face discrimination and hardships in life.

[iWrite]

I didn't qualify for grants in college, or scholarships, I PAID my way through.

That's right, what a concept! I PAID for my education. I worked two and three jobs and if I didn't quite have enough for a particular semester I didn't take the classes.

For some reason people in this country feel entitled to an education and I think it's BS. It's that "government pays for public school and should help pay for college too" mentality.

Well, the cold hard truth is that the government shouldn't be expected to put every single person through school through grants, scholarships, and work aid programs. People are always expecting a handout or a freebie. When I couldn't afford to do something I just didn't do it. Or, I put my signature on a loan and got the money through a loan.

Affirmative action is just not good, I don't care what the excuse is. What is interesting is that by all statistical models, "white" Americans will be a minority by 2040 in this country because so many other cultures are moving in and because African Americans have 2 children for every one child that a white couple has.

Once that happens I wonder how affirmative action will work THEN?

[cal4ever]

Originally posted by iWrite:
I didn't qualify for grants in college, or scholarships, I PAID my way through.

That's right, what a concept! I PAID for my education. I worked two and three jobs and if I didn't quite have enough for a particular semester I didn't take the classes.

For some reason people in this country feel entitled to an education and I think it's BS. It's that "government pays for public school and should help pay for college too" mentality.

Well, the cold hard truth is that the government shouldn't be expected to put every single person through school through grants, scholarships, and work aid programs. People are always expecting a handout or a freebie. When I couldn't afford to do something I just didn't do it. Or, I put my signature on a loan and got the money through a loan.

Affirmative action is just not good, I don't care what the excuse is. What is interesting is that by all statistical models, "white" Americans will be a minority by 2040 in this country because so many other cultures are moving in and because African Americans have 2 children for every one child that a white couple has.

Once that happens I wonder how affirmative action will work THEN?

I hope you aren't implying that I am not worthy of my education because I had some financial HELP from the government. Well, let me tell you, I PAID my way as well. I have no shame in saying that a few grants helped, but I have loans up the butt. And I'll be well over $100k in debt once I finish law school. Some people don't have the money to readily pay for higher education. Just because of this, people should not be turned away from an education. And the government doesn't pay every single person through school or grants. There are many restrictions that prevents this. The grants, however, are readily available for those who need it most.

Also, what are you implying about "so many other cultures are moving in and because African American have 2 children for every one child a white couple has." I don't agree with Affirmative Action either, but just because there are going to be less "white" people in the U.S. by the year 2040, doesn't mean that the racism and discrimination faced by non-white minorities over the years will be erased.

And, guess what, just because there are less "white" people in the country by 2040, doesn't mean that women or minorities will be earning as much money as their white, male counterparts. Additionally, it's now 2004, and many well qualified minorities are still passed over when it comes to managerial position. Kind of funny, if you think about, Asian Americans make up more than 40% of U.C. Berkeley, over 20% at Stanford and other top universities, yet...gee...how many of them are CEOs of Fortune 500 companies in the US? And tell me how many of them are in managerial position. I don't agree with Affirmative Action as it stands today, but it's rather odd that Asian Americans are no where to be found on the top of the corporate ladder. Yeah, we definitely don't need any form of Affirmative Action whatsoever. I mean, heck, if "Model Minorities" can't reach pass the glass ceiling, then I wonder who can.

Sorry for the rant.

[iWrite]

Some people don't have the money to readily pay for higher education. Just because of this, people should not be turned away from an education.

Sorry, but I disagree.

That is expecting SOMEONE ELSE to pay your way through: ME. You are expecting MY taxes to pay your way through school.

Like I said, I paid my own way through and I got loans and then I paid them off. During the semesters when I didn't have the money I either borrowed it from friends or I got another job or I didn't take the classes, period. I took half as many credits.

People (which is the government) don't OWE anyone ANYTHING. Not even an education past high school.

Expecting the government to provide you with an education is utter nonsense. WORK FOR WHAT YOU WANT.

I'm sure you're a nice person and actually, this has nothing to do with race, because I'm talking about EVERYONE.

[cal4ever]

Originally posted by iWrite:
Sorry, but I disagree.

That is expecting SOMEONE ELSE to pay your way through: ME. You are expecting MY taxes to pay your way through school.

Like I said, I paid my own way through and I got loans and then I paid them off. During the semesters when I didn't have the money I either borrowed it from friends or I got another job or I didn't take the classes, period. I took half as many credits.

People (which is the government) don't OWE anyone ANYTHING. Not even an education past high school.

Expecting the government to provide you with an education is utter nonsense. WORK FOR WHAT YOU WANT.

I'm sure you're a nice person and actually, this has nothing to do with race, because I'm talking about EVERYONE.

First off, you are not paying for my education. In fact, my parents are, my family are, heck...I am too. We all pay taxes. Your taxes do not get shipped directly to my bank account (as much as I wish it would).

While I agree that the government doesn't owe anyone anything, the government does have a responsibility to help its citizens--as in the case with Medicare, Social Security benefits, and so on. Don't get me wrong, I don't beleive that higher education should be free. However, I believe that people who desperately need the money (and are more than qualified) to go to college should be allowed to go. Whether this be with the help of scholarships or government grants.

One thing abotu government grants, I do wish that they weren't so generous. I wish the government was little more stringent on who they give these grants to. There are plenty of "students" who take advantage of the generous grants the government gives out. And that's incredibly upsetting because there are plenty of students out there who really need help with their college bills, especially in CA where they just hiked up our tuition by %25 in one year!

Lastly, if you truly believe that your taxes went directly to my college tuition, I guess I should thank you for help paying for my education. You just helped me graduate from one of the best universities in the country...er...the world Thanks!

It's almost 6am here...I think I should sleep now.

[Joshua]

Originally posted by iWrite:
Sorry, but I disagree.

That is expecting SOMEONE ELSE to pay your way through: ME. You are expecting MY taxes to pay your way through school.

Like I said, I paid my own way through and I got loans and then I paid them off. During the semesters when I didn't have the money I either borrowed it from friends or I got another job or I didn't take the classes, period. I took half as many credits.

People (which is the government) don't OWE anyone ANYTHING. Not even an education past high school.

Expecting the government to provide you with an education is utter nonsense. WORK FOR WHAT YOU WANT.

I'm sure you're a nice person and actually, this has nothing to do with race, because I'm talking about EVERYONE.

Out of curiosity, how much was tuition when you paid your own way?

[vmarks]

Originally posted by cal4ever:

While I agree that the government doesn't owe anyone anything, the government does have a responsibility to help its citizens--as in the case with Medicare, Social Security benefits, and so on. Don't get me wrong, I don't beleive that higher education should be free. However, I believe that people who desperately need the money (and are more than qualified) to go to college should be allowed to go. Whether this be with the help of scholarships or government grants.

And that's the crux of the matter- what is the proper role of government. The government that is big enough to help you (give you) is big enough to take it all away, too. Nowhere in the constitution does it say that the government has a responsibility to help its citizens. It says it has a responsibility to defend them. Now you'll bring up the general welfare clause, because Congressmen cite the "general welfare" clause in the Constitution as giving them authority to pass laws dealing with education, farm handouts, student loans, foreign aid and fighting street crime.

But here's what James Madison, the father of the Constitution, said about the "general welfare" clause: "If Congress can do whatever in their discretion can be done by money, and will promote the General Welfare, The Government is no longer a limited one. ..." Thomas Jefferson echoed the same sentiment, saying that Congress does not possess "unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but were restrained to those specifically enumerated. ..." Those enumerated in Article One, Section Eight.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitut....articlei.html

[Krusty]

Originally posted by iWrite:
Sorry, but I disagree.

That is expecting SOMEONE ELSE to pay your way through: ME. You are expecting MY taxes to pay your way through school.

Technically true but so incredibly short-sighted I can hardly believe its coming from you, iWrite. I don't have any children, yet I'm paying for millions of children to go thru K-12. Why ? Because, the idea is that it is in an investment that will pay greater dividends for society as a whole down the road. The idea is that the X thousands of grant dollars given to people for college will pay off many times over through the increased tax dollars they will contribute back over the course of their lives. Targeting the poor and minorities for this money is the most cost-effective way to realize this return as these are the people that will most likely see the greatest mobility from it (i.e. they're likely to return significantly more to society than they would have otherwise).

Originally posted by iWrite:

Like I said, I paid my own way through and I got loans and then I paid them off. During the semesters when I didn't have the money I either borrowed it from friends or I got another job or I didn't take the classes, period. I took half as many credits.

People (which is the government) don't OWE anyone ANYTHING. Not even an education past high school.

Expecting the government to provide you with an education is utter nonsense. WORK FOR WHAT YOU WANT.

I'm sure you're a nice person and actually, this has nothing to do with race, because I'm talking about EVERYONE.

Its funny how you consider High School to be "owed" to you but not college. Prior to this century, free K-12 wasn't nationally "owed" either. But, a bunch of people ... who did NOT have the luxury of a free K-12 schooling (like you didn't with college) actually had enough of a long-term hope for the future of their society and country to start paying for this through their taxes even though they did not get to benefit from it themselves. As having a largely college-educated populous becomes increasingly necessary for our country to remain economically competitive, I hope that we as a society will be far-sighted enough to do whatever it takes to make sure we will be ready for it in 30 years rather than complaining that "It's not fair cuz I didn't get it when I was a kid".