Occupy Student Debt!
Today, November 21, 2011 is the beginning of the National Campaign to Occupy Student Debt. According to an official statement, the pledge consists of three things:
2) A faculty pledge of support for the refusers
3) A non-debtors’ pledge of support for parents and other public sympathizers
Since there are tens of millions of student loan debtors, and the group is aware of that fact, the pledge of signatures from debtors at a million is symbolically important.
Given the number of individuals who are struggling or unable to pay their student loans, it is likely that the group will surpass that many signatures. This pledge, in my view, is a far better approach then the problematic call for loan forgiveness. Of course, that is a popular idea, but the language is a poor choice, and occupiers and activists for student loan debtors should consider that fact.
Think about it. When one hears the term “forgiveness,” what comes to mind? First, it sounds like the