Biden earned her title

Re “The doctor of education is back in the classroom,” Feb. 2

Honorary titles include DHL (doctor of humane letters) DLitt (doctor of literature) and LLD (doctor of laws).

Traditionally, one is conferred on a university commencement speaker, a philanthropist and so on. The PhD is an earned degree. It usually takes years of academic inquiry and creative scholarship beyond the master’s degree. In the case of Jill Biden, her doctorate of education is the recognition of disciplined work, culminating in her contribution to the knowledge in her field. Her thesis becomes a reference for those who do later inquiry and research.

Whether Dr. Biden uses the title is solely her choice. She does not need the approval of uninformed naysayers who insist that it is a presumption. She has earned the right to define herself. Leave her alone.

Kenneth Wesley

Livingston

Woodland Hills