New Mexico leads America to become less stupid!
Gov. Michelle Grisham (D) signed the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship Act making in-state college tuition free for New Mexico residents.
Get this: Free tuition if you take at least 6 credits and earn 2.5 avg. College there is free for new high school graduates, returning adult learners, associate degree, bachelor degree, training certificate and summer courses!
They also let you still get Federal grants or public or private scholarships to let you pay the “incidentals” like food.
They’re the first state to do it, apparently, but surely not the last.
What does this mean? It means a whole lot less stupid people in New Mexico. Now don’t get me wrong, a college degree doesn’t mean someone’s smart and someone without it is stupid. I’m just saying a college education makes you “less stupid.”
Having less stupid people in your state can’t help but improve everything. Imagine, fewer stupid drivers on the road. Fewer stupid people standing in the wrong line. Fewer “idiots” in the parking lot.
Not to mention the surprising increase in income from an education.
But the big takeaway for me is an improvement in government legislators and policies.
As George Washington said, the government should “promote… institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge. In proportion as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion should be enlightened.”
In modern terms, stupid citizens make stupid decisions and then the government will enact stupid laws and policies.
Here’s to hoping New Mexico can lead the way to a new Enlightened Age in the United States, where science and philosophy blossoms, strengthening the governed over the government (see Washington’s quote).
But not too literally, of course, considering the previous Enlightened Age supported slavery. Let’s just skip over that part.