Robert Brown: Uneducated do plenty for democracy

The March 16 column “The real value of higher education” made some good points concerning the economic benefits of public expenditures on higher education. However, the piece seemed to go a bit astray by including a couple of assertions about democracy.

The column stated that, “Our colleges and universities have been the foundation of our democratic society,” and that, “It is higher education that will preserve and protect our democracy.”

There are many people who have never set foot on a college campus but have done plenty to support a democratic society. The contributions of such individuals should be applauded, not marginalized.

Moreover, there are many nations that are every bit as democratic as the United States but take an entirely different approach to education. Why should we assume that the United States’ approach is superior?

This story was originally published March 21, 2015 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Robert Brown: Uneducated do plenty for democracy."