Guest commentary: Biden proves many Americans are dummies

by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator

If you worked hard for a scholarship, paid your way through school, paid back loans or your family sacrificed for you to go to school, President Biden has shown that you were a big dummy.

Don’t knock yourself out. Just sit back and the government will throw you some crumbs to take care of you.

In a move that Biden had promised during his campaign he erased between $10,000 to $20,000 of debt from millions of Americans college spending spree extravaganza. Years ago, Americans starting learning to spend money like it’s water. Maybe they thought, “I won’t have to pay it back”. Their dream has come true. You and I along with the rest of America’s tax payers will get to pay at least a half trillion dollars of this debt.

This is just what you had been hoping for! More taxes! Oh wait, just those rich people in America will have to pay this off, right? Every American on some level will share in this new financial burden.

Universities are legally raping America’s families because we sign up and agree to pay the tuition. We do it to ourselves. Universities don’t put a gun to the heads of Americans and make us pay. Americans foolishly agree to this debt. Yet, most universities are the last sector in America to feel the pain of the economy. In 2020-2021, most of them received millions of free government paycheck protection program money. This is more government money that will be eaten by you – the taxpayer. Millions of American businesses also received tens of thousands to millions of dollars of free PPP money in the last two years that will also slam all Americans in more taxes.

Some tenured professors are making over $200,000, a year. Many University Presidents across the country are making over one million dollars a year, plus major perks. Many coaches make a million or more a year. Universities spend money like its water. They are the ones who need to be lending and collecting or forgiving some of this debt. Not you.

You probably already paid once. Now we get to pay more for the students and the Universities who just kept spending money. Why are you responsible for the foolish people who borrow $50,000 to $100,000 and more?

I believe in helping people, but Biden needs to pass some of this lending and collecting burden to the Universities. You the taxpayer keep giving the money. The universities want $30,000 to $50,000 a year and more. American families foolishly swallow the poison. Next, their financial insanity becomes everybody’s problem. Does this seem right to you?

Sadly, millions of Americans rack up college debt and never complete their degrees. Millions more get degrees they never use. You don’t need a college degree for a lot of jobs. Most jobs do require training that can be accomplished in far less time and money.

Congratulations if your debt is $10,000 to $20,000 lighter, but your debt will still have to be paid, by your friends, family, neighbors and others.

Consider spending the first two years in a community college or trade school. You can move on to the big-name school for your Junior and Senior years. The first two years are generally electives and classes you don’t enjoy that much anyway. You’ll save a lot of money and maybe grow up some before you land in a dorm room 200 miles away from home.


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Dr. Glenn Mollette is a syndicated American columnist and author of Grandpa's Store, American Issues, and ten other books. He is read in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization.

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This article is the sole opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Sentinel. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.


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Illinois theater convention September 24

CHICAGO -- The Illinois Theatre Association will hold its 2022 ITA Annual Membership Meeting & Award Celebration at the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel & Conference Center in Downers Grove on September 24. In addition to presenting annual excellence awards to Illinois thespians, the all-day event will include the induction of the 2022-2024 Board of Directors, workshops sponsored by the ITA, a special presentation on intimacy direction, and its Red Carpet Gala Award Luncheon.

The keynote address will presented by Michael Novak, Artistic Director of the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Novak has danced in 57 roles in 50 Taylor dances, and created gigs for five of the Taylor Company Commission choreographers.

This year's award winners include Teatro Vista, a Chicago-based theater group created in 1990, Dr. David Allan Kuester director of the IVCC Theatre, Judy Ruzevich Klingner, and Marjorie Hillocks.

Hillocks won the award for Creative Drama/Theatre for Young Audiences and Klingner is the recipient of the Anne Thurman Mentorship Award.

Festival 56, a Princeton Theatre Group, that won this year's Award of Honor, along with Streator High School and the Vermillion Players, a community theater group, will also be honored with awards the gala.

Workshop sessions include "OUCH! Hits, Kicks, and Other Combat Tricks" by Kyle Cassady from the Society of American Fight Directors, "Creating the Best Audition Package for You" with Paul Stancato & Felicia Finley from the Timber Lake Playhouse, and "Collaborative 10 Minute Play Writing: Hearing Every Voice" presented by Friar Dominic Garramone from Saint Bede Academy.

For more information and registration to this year's event go to https://illinoistheatre.org/event-4897079.

How to deal with your child and bullying

Lee Batsakis
OSF Healthcare

PEORIA -- According to the National Bullying Prevention Center, one in five students reports being bullied – but the actual number is believed to be even higher, perhaps even one in three kids, as some cases are not reported. Bullying can be verbal, emotional, or physical and can be based on a variety of aspects – from looks and size to academics and athleticism, and more.

During the peak of the pandemic, a decline in bullying was seen as so many kids were learning from home. Now, with schools back in full swing and in person, kids are spending more time with classmates than they have since early 2020. Talking to your kids at home each day is important to not only learn more about what is going on in their lives, but it also helps to identify potential bullying.


"Whether it’s politically or racially or spiritually, sometimes we end up in this spot where we don’t focus on the commonality that we have."

Joseph Siegel
Licensed Clinical Social Worker

"A good 10 to 15 minute conversation every day about what happened during the day, what was good, what was bad, and what did they struggle with. Use open-ended questions and don’t necessarily try to solve problems they are experiencing, but just listen and understand what they’re saying and how they’re feeling in these situations. That is an important first step," says Joseph Siegel, an OSF HealthCare licensed clinical social worker.

This conversation can turn into part of your daily routine by starting the discussion before bed, or any point after your kid is home from school. If your child indicates that he or she may be experiencing bullying, Siegel advises to first try to understand their feelings. Some children may be hesitant to have these conversations and keep their responses short when asked about their day. In these cases, Siegel recommends an app for your phone, such as Gather – Conversation Starters, to help get the conversation flowing.

If in conversation you find out that your kid might be a victim of bullying at school or elsewhere, a whole range of emotions may be stirred up and you might not know where to begin. Many adults tend to want to immediately get all the details from their child, but parents need to understand their kids’ feelings should be a priority. Most importantly, Siegel strongly advises against telling your child to respond to a bully with violence. For example, a parent may tell their kid that if another kid shoves them to shove them back. This advice may worsen the situation.

"Sometimes the bully is acting out of the desire to provoke and they want an angry response, so if the person is calm and says to stop and then walks away from the situation, that could be somewhat helpful because not it is not elevating or becoming worse," Siegel advises.

If you want to ensure your child is able to stand up for his or herself, there are ways to do so appropriately and safely. Siegel adds that being assertive is different than being violent, and that there is nothing wrong with being assertive.

"Assertive, nonviolent behavior and communication should be the goal. They need to be able to express themselves – which they can with a bully – without letting it get into a situation that can be violent and become out of control, turning into a situation where they can no longer handle," explains Siegel.

Siegel recommends having a plan in case your child is approached by a bully. This could include advising your child to either ignore them altogether and hold their head high, or helping to create some type of brief yet appropriate verbal response such as “please stop” or “no thanks, not today” or simply “I prefer you don’t do that” – and then walking away.

In addition to implementing these responses for your child, Siegel advises parents to take the same approach. While you may feel the desire to reach out directly to the parents or guardians of the bully, this is something that should be avoided.

"It is recommended that we try to resist calling the other parent. That often can make the situation much more complex or even taken to a different level completely. That is what schools do – they mediate these kinds of conflicts all the time and are very good at it. If you feel like you need to talk to the other parent, then it’s probably better to talk to the school instead so they know what is happening and can document it," Siegel says.

Many times, bullying stems from a bully not accepting someone for their differences. Siegel says it is important to watch how you speak and act in the presence of your child, adding that setting a good example is important.

"We live in a very diverse state and our language often is about differences. Whether it’s politically or racially or spiritually, sometimes we end up in this spot where we don’t focus on the commonality that we have. And focusing on the commonality just in our everyday conversation with our kids is going to help a lot with their level of acceptance at school," advises Siegel.

If your child is not disclosing bullying, some signs to look for include the child “losing” or misplacing things, coming home with unexplained injuries, developing a change in eating patterns or sleep disruption, and experiencing head or stomach aches that could be caused by increased stress and anxiety. Other changes in a child’s behavior that might indicate bullying include not wanting to go to school or a change in their social relationships.

If your child has disclosed they are being bullied, start by documenting what you have learned and contacting their school. If the bullying continues and is taking a toll on your child’s mental health, Siegel advises setting up an appointment with a mental health professional for your child.

Most importantly, sticking to those daily conversations with your child is key for getting them to open up to you. Additionally, creating a home environment that is based around acceptance plays a significant role in not only reducing the chance of bullying, but also helping your child identify when bullying is happening.

For more information and resources, go to https://www.stopbullying.gov/.


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