Pain in the ‘butts’

The supreme irony of two accomplished men, Gov. Pat McCrory and Bill Bennett – both with liberal arts degrees, both quite gainfully employed – trashing the utility of liberal arts education was apparently lost on them. Reading, writing, thinking; conducting research and experiments; learning about how the world works has worked – these are quite useful things. I am certain they have helped these gentlemen get where they are.

I have passed on to my students McCrory’s reference to them as so many “butts” filling classes and needing jobs. They seemed highly flattered.

Ken Vickery

Professor of history, N.C. State University, Raleigh