As the college admissions scandal continues to dominate the news I find myself wondering why. It’s not like the vast majority of us didn’t think this was going on so it’s not like this comes as a shock to most of us I’d say. Even if we didn’t want to admit it out loud, deep down we have heard this story play out over and over again. Yes, in this instance the story is of celebrities committing the crime (and actually getting caught), but in the end it’s all the same. The rich in this country and I would dare argue the rich in many other countries as well, hold more power and are able to do far more, legally and illegally, than other citizens who only differ from their counter parts in wealth. Even the first time I read the news story of the college scandal all I could think was so what. Ok, so we have finally decided that it is wrong to cheat your or your kids’ way into college, but the problem here is so engrained and deeper than a mere handful of individuals who cheated the system. I question what this will really do in the long run. If we really believed in the idea that the poor and rich alike should have an equal opportunity to get accepted to colleges then we must actually commit to this idea on all levels. It will take far more than this one event to bring about any really change. Hopefully it’s a step in the right direction, but I would hate to be overly optimistic.
~M