Who hasn't heard of Ted Brassfield by now? He's being talked about by those of us who are trying to raise awareness about the student lending crisis. I wrote about him a few days ago (see my remarks here).
Schilling Me Softly argues that Mr. Brassfield does not represent those of us who are part of the indentured educated class, and provides interesting analysis about it in a piece entitled, "Ted Brassfield is an 'Everyman' - If 'Everyman' is Defined as 'Douche." The language is a wee-bit strong for my taste, but I like the concluding remarks in this post. Now that Mr. Brassfield is enjoying his 15-minutes of fame and being interviewed as an "instapundit," the "real issue is overshadowed." How convenient, right? It reminds of the way I was handled recently in an interview that was not aired. Oh, well, I'll keep on tryin' . . . that's why I'm doing this publicly. If you met me on the street, I'd be the same person who's writing this out on Education Matters, Tweets often, or appears on Facebook to try and help out student debtors. I am the real deal, because I refuse to hide behind an online persona. It keeps me honest, unlike some of my nasty posters.
A non-profit organization dedicated to the eradication of all student loan debt through activism, education, and legislation; because student loan debt is dangerous to the US economy and to the health and well-being of individual Americans and their families. CRYN JOHANNSEN, Founder & Executive Director
3 comments:
I like SMS a lot, but I thought that post missed the point in a big way. Who cares where Ted Brassfield lives, or how articulate he was? HE HAS TWO DEGREES AND HE CAN'T GET A JOB WITH THE GOVERNMENT.
Obviously the real problem is larger than where he goes on vacation and how that is paid for - he wants a career, but he can only find temporary work. That problem of mismatched qualifications and opportunities is widespread. Sniping at fellow debtors over personality traits just allows everyone to dismiss us as a bunch of whiners. Don't join that parade unless you want to be in it next time you speak up...
Liz - that's a great point. I think I am more disturbed by the way in which it's been handled by the media. That angers me the most. It's easy for them to focus on this one guy, rather than looking at the problem as something that's systemic. That's my gripe. If you read my original post, I said I was glad that Brassfield spoke. I don't give a damned where he eats or if he has an iPhone. So, I hope you are aware that that is not why I posted this follow-up piece. Thanks for your insights.
Liz - here's a good interview with Brassfield at Law.Com: http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202472331692
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