Letters for families based on the book “It Can Be Done” @studentsleadusa
We write to make a case for promoting free enterprise because this part of American life has set the stage to educate and train hundreds of millions of Americans. We want a system that unifies educators, business, and the rest of us, by rewarding educational attainment and training with workplace opportunities. That system is free enterprise.
We set education as a priority because it provides a foundation for American life. It can help us in just about everything we do, whether in business, on the job, as a spouse, family member, or as a citizen. It’s all about developing minds and capabilities to reach our full potential.
Freedom and liberty help make education front and center in American life. Each person will ultimately be responsible for making decisions about their own livelihoods, with the freedom and liberty to make those choices. This drives most Americans towards education and training to earn a way financially.
Some people think it would be wonderful to stay in college year-after-year just to develop our minds, but education is bigger and better than that. Education and training in America help distinguish us in the job market. We seek knowledge and skills in high demand and short supply within our economy.
With high demand and low supply skills, we will be able to earn more and maybe even work less if we so choose. We know that when we do this right, we can earn more and more money to help our families. With education and training, we move along a path to success.
The ideas of capitalism and education go together in America. Education helps free enterprise. Employers want to hire educated, intelligent people to help them beat their business competitors. Without education, capitalism and businesses cannot succeed.
Without capitalism and businesses, education cannot succeed. Without businesses, citizens would have less incentive to seek education and training. Business and job opportunities motivate us to do better when it comes to preparing to take advantage of those opportunities. This includes becoming better educated and trained in our field of work.
Capitalism’s enormous ability to generate breakthrough technology and wealth provided education funding. As we became better educated and trained, more businesses around the world wanted to do business in America, employing Americans. American companies which needed smart employees often wanted to grow here, rather than sending their jobs to other countries.
America works best when all the pieces of a puzzle fit together. The education and free enterprise pieces fit together because businesses provide jobs for students, businesses fund education, and education produces qualified job candidates. It’s a remarkable way that different parts of the country work for everyone’s benefit.
Educators and capitalists should be big fans of one another. If you see good education as something wonderful, and it is, then root for capitalism. Every thoughtful person who graduated or completed training and then secured a good free enterprise job opportunity knows the truth.
Education and free enterprise supporters depend on each other and should, nearly always, be standing with one another on the same common ground.
Frost Brown Todd LLC Member and business lawyer Rob Hudson is a past chair of the Northern Kentucky Chamber and a business lawyer. 2018 Independent Author of the Year Lauren Hudson is a Singletary Scholar at the University of Kentucky. Their next letter will explore common ground about freedom, honesty and integrity.
