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Walter E. Williams simply doesn't get it and likewise does not represent Obama's perspective from last night's historic nomination acceptance speech. Although a well educated man with considerable scholarly credits to his name, Williams is simply wrong in spirit and fact when he says that "students are a cost." Students cannot be a cost and a revenue source simultaneously, unless you expect customers to pay for things that have no underlying cost basis. That would be akin to saying grocery store customers are a cost because they demand actual food and supplies when they shop. Maybe Williams needs to re-educate himself a bit more before he makes such basic logic errors. Sincerely, E. J. Walton Director, Corporate and Foundation Relations Virginia Union University 214 C.D. King Hall 1500 North Lombardy Street Richmond, VA 23220

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Dear Sir, I agree that college seems to be a problem for some. Our daughter is in her fourth year at a university. She went in the top 10 percent of her class and has continued that for the first 3 years of college. Now she's feeling very overwhelmed and is struggling in the first sem. of her supposed last year. She was advised wrongly in her 2nd year and is trying to get the classes straightened out; turns out she'll have to go another sem. for 1 credit. Briefly, poor advising will cost another tuition, rent and all other expenses for one class. We've encouraged her that indeed there is a great future for accountants and to hang in there. Life could be easier. Somehow.

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Mr. Williams is dead on with his point of view. I believe that this probably prevails at the public colleges and universities and not the private schools, particularly the smaller liberal arts institutions. I imagine the Amherts, Williams and Wesleyans of the world graduate a high percentage of their students and, of course, they are comprised of the stronger academic students. I am a physician and have looked at the ever increasing cost of educating a medical student. What I see is an unrealistic goal of creating the perfect doctor. I toured my medical school last reunion and couldn't believe the extent that the school goes through to educate particularly in the first two years. The last two years are spent in apprenticeship and yet, the cost is still the same as the academic intensive and costly first two years. I proctor medical students from a newer school that has a central "school" and then farms the students out for their clerkships. I end up educating them volunteering my services. In the long run, they come out with close to $200,000 debt and will be entering a healthcare system that will not be able to retire that debt. I foresee the government bailing all these students out, although they were gullible enough to pay an outrageous tuition and equally outrageous debt. They then enter the market place and work with foreign trained physicians that don't have the kind of debt our homegrown sons and daughters have. We are blind to the reality of the situation. I, frankly, cannot continue to support this system with my input and teaching. I think educating medical students is a great business if you can license it. I am looking for investors to start a new school and make some money. (only slightly kidding)