While I am happy to see that our country is moving in a more progressive direction, I am sad that I cannot say the same about the University of Florida. Our good president Barack "The Messiah" Obama is steering the nation toward a much fairer, redistributive taxation and social program system which will take from the greedy rich bastards to provide for those who have fallen on harder times. Every single rich person in America, after all, "earned" his or her fortune by denying opportunities to the poor.
Unfortunately, UF still clings to an archaic grading system which gives preference to those who were born as intelligent and hard-working students at the expense of those who, by no fault of their own, were not born in such a privileged state.
These students get locked into a "grade poverty trap" that destroys their motivation and self-esteem. They cannot hope to compete with the greedy A-students who hoard all the good grades among themselves.
Accordingly, I propose that UF adopt a system of "grade redistribution" to make grades more equal across the board and give failing students a better opportunity to succeed. This will put the school more in line with the progressive politics of our generation.
The system would be a simple. Every high-earning student would be given a progressive, bracket-based grade tax. For instance, all grades from a 2.0 to a 3.0 might be tax-exempt, grades from 3.0 to 3.5 might be taxed at a 50 percent rate, and grades from 3.5 to 4.0 might be taxed at a 90 percent rate, like the AIG bonuses.
This means that the bright, diligent grade-grubbers who extort their way to a 4.0 would end up with only a much more reasonable 3.3, only a hair higher than the equally qualified students who manage a 3.5.
Meanwhile, the grade revenues collected from these students could be used to fund grade welfare programs for the failing students. All students would be guaranteed a minimum grade income of at least a 2.0. Any additional revenues could be given back in the form of grade-tax credits to the lowest-earning students.
This would provide a much more equal system of grading that doesn't give substantial preference to those more capable of earning grades. Those who don't do well in school and don't work hard, study or comprehend the material don't fail through any fault of their own. They were born at a significant disadvantage from those who work and study hard, and they need to have the same opportunities to succeed in life as talented students.
It is socially unjust for an elite few students to be earning a 4.0 when there are students struggling just to pass their classes.
The school has an obligation to its grade-poorest students to provide for them in their times of need. The government does this for the impoverished, and it does it by taking from the rich. It is only right and just that UF should do the same thing.
We can only hope that UF will end its evil, capitalist, "free-market" approach to grades and embrace the progressive, redistributive mindset of our new generation.
Johnathan Lott is a political science and economics sophomore. His column appears on Thursdays.
