This afternoon, I logged on to Facebook and saw an article posted by a friend titled “6 Reasons to Not Send Your Daughter to College.” I went through a wide range of emotions in a short amount of time after reading this: incredulity, disgust, anger, helplessness, sadness and finally, determination. If you have a minute, I urge you to read it at www.fixthefamily.com/blog.

After my initial disbelief, I was absolutely infuriated by this blog post on the Catholic website Fix the Family. I was eager to join in with the angry comments it was amassing. Before adding a comment, I skimmed the post again and found a smooth paragraph that addressed angry readers.

“The rejection we receive is always emotionally charged and ends up insulting, since once explained logically, the opposition runs out of substance and is only left to hurl insults and presume and misconstrue this practical wisdom into some chauvinistic evil,” read the paragraph.

Instead or hurling insults, I decided to find the “nonexistent” substance for a counterargument.

The article said, “A good working knowledge of the basics for today’s culture and progressive society can be learned in 12 years of school.”
The author does not seem to understand that college is not a continuation of high school. A comparison showing the differences between high school and college on Southern Methodist University’s website said that in high school, teachers impart knowledge and facts, sometimes even drawing direct connections and leading students through the thinking process. Students are simply fed information and they do not learn how to think for themselves. In college, however, students take responsibility for thinking through and applying what they are learning from textbooks and lectures.

I agree that students can learn the basics in high school. What is sad is that the author seems to think learning only the basics of the world is enough for women.

“(Women) are gifted by God with the natural abilities to nurture (feed and raise) as well as educate children. Today’s society has a very accessible conduit for that ability that is very conducive to family life: homeschooling. Educating and caring for children is the most valuable calling of a married woman and requires accomplished abilities. These are no small matters,” the article read.

I agree, these are no small matters. But how will a woman have accomplished abilities if she goes to school for 12 years and only acquires the basics? Also, a woman cannot homeschool her children when she has not received an education higher than that which she is trying to teach. In different terms, a violinist would not take lessons from somebody who plays at the same level as them. They would look for someone with more knowledge and experience than them.

According to the article, “College has become more of a training ground for a job … Since the purpose of a college degree is for a job, it becomes unnecessary for (women) to have such a credential.”
I believe the author has confused colleges and universities with professional, vocational and technical schools. The purpose of these schools is to learn a skill set for a specific job. The purpose of colleges and universities, however, especially those that stress a liberal arts education like the University of Northern Iowa, is to receive a broader education and to learn how to think critically.

This purpose is stated on Maine’s college system website www.learnmaine.edu: “College courses encourage you to think, ask questions and explore new ideas, a priceless investment in personal development.” The website also mentions that a college education allows a person to contribute to the betterment of their family and their community, something that the author of the article did not seem to think college could offer.

And finally, the article said, “Stay-at-home mothers are actually very busy industrious women and do absolutely beautiful marvelous things.”
Simple put, women are spiders.

People look at spiders and their webs with awe, commenting on their industry and beauty. People appreciate spiders for taking care of the dirty work of killing pesky flies.

And when spiders wander into places they do not belong, they get squashed. Just as women get squashed when they wander away from the home.

But it is this article that squashes women, not the outside world. It acknowledges women’s importance and admires their hard work, but completely strips them of their rights as human beings.

This is a topic that should not have to be addressed in the year 2013. Even though it sounds silly for this day and age, we need to continue to support the fact that women are equal to men and that they deserve the same rights, the most important of which is getting a college education.