Sen. Al Franken is not working for us; he is relying on us. He wants to arouse interest for students to vote, which should be supported, but we must not allow ourselves to be misled. The rhetoric from Franken to lower college and textbook costs may be well-intentioned, but it doesn’t have plausible solutions to work. Franken proposes to do this by raising taxes to offset the deficit that will be caused by us, the students.

We should not support this because we students should have more dignity than that. Higher education is an opportunity for us all, but why must we feel victimized? In this competitive economy, we need to rise above the hustlers who make us feel victimized and take responsibility for ourselves — something John F. Kennedy advocated for — which made America thrive. Our competitive democracy is deteriorating.

We need leaders who are going to provide opportunity in which we will be dignified, not handouts by craven politicians like Franken who wish to hustle their propaganda for cheap votes. I am not advocating for anyone and identify myself as an independent who wants leaders who know how to solve problems, not deliver the same rhetoric that last Wednesday’s letter to the editor condemned. Now, Franken will win the election, but winning in a landslide will ensure him more power in Minnesota as well as in the Senate.

One reason is Franken allows his constituency to bask in ignorance. Given the opportunity to debate his opposition during the Minnesota State Fair and here at the University of Minnesota, Franken declined, showing how his convictions of transparency are only concrete when they will not harm him politically. These actions taken by Franken have done Minnesota students a great disservice.