Beck: Is a College Education Worth It? Published June 22, 2011 | Glenn Beck

Beck: Is a College Education Worth It? Published June 22, 2011 | Glenn Beck | Glenn Beck Print Email Share 0 Comments This is a rush transcript from "Glenn Beck," June 22, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. GLENN BECK, HOST: We have a lot to talk about tonight. Last night, we talked -- we talked about energy. And there is a lot to talk about with energy. We talked about the administration's hostile policy towards our most important energy sources. Our economy is about to crumble. And they are making it in Washington harder to gain access to energy that we have. They're closing down our coal plants because of regulation. We get, by the way, 50 percent of our electricity from coal. They have made oil permits very difficult to get. And we are in the midst of an energy crisis. A lot of this is self-imposed. We have a ton of untapped energy resources that we could use to help. But for some reason, we refuse to be independent. Tonight, I want to talk to you about another untapped resource -- great minds. Great minds and the people of this country who have first retired. All of that knowledge, all of that skill, all of that experience wasting away to -- what? So you can hit a little while ball around the field, sit on a beach? What are you -- I mean, what are you doing? I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But what else is new. The boat called America is sinking. And we're a little short on life rafts. Could you help? Could you get in the game? And I don't mean necessarily go back to work. I mean, could you help others? Could you mentor someone? I don't want to talk about the untapped resource tonight of the retired. I want to talk about somebody else that wants to get in to the game, the other side of the retirees, the youth -- the 25 and under crowd. Something a lot of people that in America won't be willing to admit but I will, those of us in our 40s, 40s and above, in many ways, we failed our kids, mainly because we didn't know. We just didn't see it coming. As parents, we had this bizarre expectant -- expectance that somehow or another, everybody will just -- our kids will just feel the way we do. They'll learn all of this stuff through some sort of osmosis, and America will just always be here. So, we gave our kids a gentle shove out into the world, sending them to the wolves without a clue. We let the school, we let television, "Sesame Street," society, anybody but us raise our kids because we want to have it all. It was a lie and we bought it. And now, our kids don't have the same understanding that we do. And they're entering a very different world unprepared because everybody got a stupid trophy. Now, we bought in to the lie that a college education is the only chance for success. And if you are without it, you are screwed. Before the elites have a cow, I do believe that there are many things you have to do to require extensive studies. This morning, we were talking about this new jet. I don't know if anybody saw it, but there's a new jet that they are now saying can fly at incredible speeds or they are working on it. It's, I don't know, about 30 years away or so. And we were talking about at what speed does metal break down? Do we have new alloy that can withstand those extreme conditions? Well, you have to have a college education to be able to even answer that question. People pushing the limits are not -- you know, just didn't find themselves on a street at McDonald's and, all of a sudden, they're like I like birds and big shiny things in the sky and I'll make something fly fast. You do need a little higher understanding. But, at the same time, we endorse an educational system now that is increasingly only about memorization, dates. It's not about critical thinking. It's about passing a test -- a system that ushers high school seniors into college while 12 percent demonstrate a solid grasp on their nation's history. And then we just repeat the process at college. Only this time, everybody who can graduate and just recite dates, now they owe hundreds of thousands of dollars -- and it's only getting worse. The cost of a college education is rapidly rising far more than the cost of inflation, more than even the cost of health care. But I don't hear a peep about it in the media. When I adopted by son Raphe, he is 6 years old now. My wife and I, we got together with a financial adviser and we tried to be responsible. And we said, OK, so, how much do we have to put away every month to save up for college for him? And we thought we were way ahead of the curve. We're like, hey, you know, he's just been born, huh? The financial adviser said, well, at the cost of education the way it's increasing now, you should put away the full amount now. And you may have to add more when he's ready to go to college. You've got to be kidding me -- except you don't hear a word about that. Something else people don't ever say is -- does everybody need a $50,000 education? Do you need to go to Harvard, Yale, Columbia? Is that really -- I mean, what's wrong with learning a trade? What's wrong with an education that isn't Ivy League? What's wrong with an apprenticeship? Is that not the best way to learn, to actually watch people do the thing that you want to do, watch them, learn from them day in and day out? This administration has now made it tougher for even interns to find an internship. This is not only hurting the companies of our country, it is hurting the youth of America, because they are losing invaluable experience. Almost everything I learned worth value, I learned at someone's side, watching them. If you have ever seen the show "Deadliest Catch," it's some of the hardest working people you'll ever see. These are sea fishermen. One of the captains, who recently passed away, Phil, once talked about how he got in the business. And he got his start by going down to the dock as a teenager and begging to get work. He actually did it and it worked. He had this crazy idea that he would work for free just to learn because he knew the experience would pay off. But we don't teach that anymore. The system is broken. Tonight, we're going to talk to the untapped resource. Find out how they feel, because that's what we're supposed to do. Let's listen. Let's find out how everybody feels. No, let's really not. We'll find out how they feel and then let's see if anybody has a plan, see if anybody has an idea. See if anybody is doing anything about it. See if anybody has any ideas. Also, we're going to show you an 11-year-old tonight, somebody who is actually going, "Well, I can make a difference." He is 11. So, if you're 40, you might ask yourself, "What the heck is wrong with me if the 11-year- old thinks he can make a difference"? Why aren't you? Let's talk to the untapped resource of America. OK. Who has massive debt? OK. Who believes that massive debt is really going to pay off? Come on, somebody. Nobody? Not a soul. Tom? AUDIENCE MEMBER: Well, for me, I think it will pay off. It's an investment. I'm paying now for the education which will help me earn that money back at some point down the road. Or at least I'm hoping that it will be earned back at some point. BECK: Who went -- who went to college to find your way? I'm going to figure out what I want to do. OK. Alison (ph), in the third row. You did that? AUDIENCE MEMBER: I did. BECK: Did it work out for you? AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yes. BECK: Yes? AUDIENCE MEMBER: I ended up choosing a profession that's kind of hard to make money. I'm a theater major. BECK: Oh. There's a lot of money in that. AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yes. (LAUGHTER) BECK: That's good. AUDIENCE MEMBER: I mean, I love what I do. BECK: That's good. AUDIENCE MEMBER: But it's just -- it's going to be one of those things that's hard to find work to pay off those debts. BECK: Sure. AUDIENCE MEMBER: And to ensure security later on. BECK: May I ask you, Alison, you graduated from college? AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yes. BECK: OK. If I said to you, hey, Alison, I want to sell you a house today for $100,000. What would you say? AUDIENCE MEMBER: I can't afford it. BECK: OK. You can't afford it. I can give you loans, don't worry about it. You can pay small amounts. Don't worry. We'll make it affordable for you. I just want to sell you this house. Get into this house. You got to have a house. If you don't have a house, where are you going to live? You got to have a house. Everybody has to have a house. AUDIENCE MEMBER: It's true. It's true. BECK: You want to house -- yes. So, you're going to have a house. And I'm going to help you pay for it. You just pay very small. OK. Would you -- you're skeptical, sure. But would you not also say maybe, OK, well, if I have to have a house, what would you ask? Payment? AUDIENCE MEMBER: I'll ask about the payment. What's the interest? BECK: OK. About where is it? AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yes. Where is it? BECK: How many bedrooms? Does it even have a kitchen? AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yes. BECK: Nobody would go out -- I have never, ever gone out and spent $100,000 on anything that I hadn't known exactly what I wanted. And what I wanted it for. I mean, nobody goes out and says you know what? I'm going to go out and buy a house. And then just pick a house in some random city, in some random country, with God knows how many bedrooms or even if kitchen. Does anybody think that's what's happening to our society with education when you spend $100,000 or more? Brian? AUDIENCE MEMBER: To a degree, I think it is. I talked to people my age all the time who -- they ask what I'm into. I say radio and TV, I'm doing radio shows at Monmouth University and, you know, I'm getting heavily involved. And I'll ask them, you know, what do you study at college? What do you in extracurricular? And they say, I'm not really sure what I want to do. And these are seniors in college. You know, I'm not sure what I want to do, but I know I need to go to college. So, I'm thinking, you're spending thousands of dollars and you don't even know what you want to do? And your time is almost up in college. BECK: Anybody know anybody who is going to graduate school just to place-hold? Raj? Down here in front. AUDIENCE MEMBER: I know a lot of people that are going to grad school for the simple fact of -- well, I don't have anything else to do. I might as well kill time and hope economy is better when I graduate grad school. I know a lot of people are doing that. BECK: What happens when they get -- what happens when they get to the end and they're now more in debt? I mean, that's an expensive place- holder. You could -- you could go to the library every day and probably rent a sweet house on a beach and end up with less debt and more knowledge at the end of your years in graduate school and be in better condition. Yes? AUDIENCE MEMBER: I think most students go to college for the purpose of getting a job after college. A lot of kids don't know what they are doing when they go to college. A lot of people do figure out what they want to do with life when they are in college. But, you know, I don't think the kids are motivated to do or they don't even realize what they can do with themselves because they're so set in line with a system that tells them they have to get a job and the only way they can get a job is through college. BECK: Who believes that? Who believes that the only way you can get a job -- Sally, do you believe that? The only way you get a job is through college? AUDIENCE MEMBER: Absolutely. I think, unfortunately, it's playing within the rules for now and trying to stay -- I mean, I could tell you. I'm an example of someone who has definitely, like education has become so institutionalized in a way that it's definitely failed me beyond belief. I mean, my GPA does not say anything about who I am. I mean, I founded an organization called the Youth International Empowerment. We went to Egypt this past December. We rallied the young youth in Tahrir Square. We marched with the people. And that doesn't say anything about my GPA. It didn't overlook that at all. BECK: So, what does that tell you? AUDIENCE MEMBER: This is my 12th time changing my major and I'm a senior in college. And I don't even think I'm going to be able to graduate on time, which means I'm going to be spending another year paying for college. BECK: If you don't believe you -- if you don't believe can make it in America, without a college education, you're wrong. I have. And I know many very successful people. You know what you need? Who have seen "The Green Lantern"? By the way, I don't recommend it. It's horrible. (LAUGHTER) BECK: Has anybody seen it? Anybody seen it? Oh, you guys are so much smarter. That's why you need a college education. I went and I saw it. You know what the power of the Green Lantern light is? The power is imagination with will. It's the best superhero out there -- imagination and will. If you imagine it and you will it, if you don't give up, you'll do it, especially if there's more than one, especially if there is more than one of you. Just do it. You have to be smart. Jonathan? AUDIENCE MEMBER: I don't want to say this, as if it's is easy, but the truth is our nation was founded on the principle of entrepreneurship. And we can do anything by ourselves. We don't need somebody to employ us. We can come up with an idea. We can be innovators. We can invent. What do you think people are doing around the world? Wait for people to offer them jobs? We have to go out and think and imagine like you said and come up with our own idea and be leaders in this world again. BECK: I have to tell you guys. You have -- would you say -- who thinks that you, your generation has less opportunity than my generation did? Less opportunity? Good for you. You didn't raise your hand. I think you have more opportunity, because you have access. I remember the fax machine. I remember -- I remember -- honestly, do you know the guys who started FedEx? Do you know that they couldn't get a loan? Do you know why they couldn't get a loan? No bank would give them a loan to start their company. 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