Mohawk
Shame, Shame, Shame on You
RECEIVED Mon., Aug. 29, 2005
Dear Editor,
Please give Greg Solcher ("Postmarks," Aug. 19) the following message:
Shame, shame, shame, on you! Go to the blackboard and write 100 times, in very legible handwriting, "I will put my mind in gear before I put my mouth in motion."
As an old, fat, tired, retired sixth-grade teacher, I must respond to that racist, mean-spirited, ignorant diatribe of yours. One hopes your teacher wife is suitably embarrassed to see it in print. However, she married you of her own free will, so perhaps not.
Observations in no particular order of importance:
1) No teachers anywhere work less than nine months per year.
2) All teachers deserve better pay.
3) Teachers everywhere recognize your type as a former student, 99 out of 100 of them, as well as the patiently suffering "silent majority" of students, would choose almost any other type of student over you as a student/classmate.
Fortunately for you, and to the chagrin of the rest of us, we mainstream jerks in our society. You're even allowed to grow up and become president if you can pass all the exit exams. Lucky for those folks who graduated before all our compassionate conservative education began.
4) Instead of favoring only the wealthy, let's start giving tax breaks to the great parents in every tax bracket who somehow manage to raise decent, well-behaved kids. We love them and salute you – you're why we teach.
5) For the socially challenged (smarty pants) let's have a Volunteer Courtesy Patrol, armed only with duct tape and bulging muscles. They can walk up and down hallways and classrooms to help keep order. Cages optional.
Please give Greg Solcher ("Postmarks," Aug. 19) the following message:
Shame, shame, shame, on you! Go to the blackboard and write 100 times, in very legible handwriting, "I will put my mind in gear before I put my mouth in motion."
As an old, fat, tired, retired sixth-grade teacher, I must respond to that racist, mean-spirited, ignorant diatribe of yours. One hopes your teacher wife is suitably embarrassed to see it in print. However, she married you of her own free will, so perhaps not.
Observations in no particular order of importance:
1) No teachers anywhere work less than nine months per year.
2) All teachers deserve better pay.
3) Teachers everywhere recognize your type as a former student, 99 out of 100 of them, as well as the patiently suffering "silent majority" of students, would choose almost any other type of student over you as a student/classmate.
Fortunately for you, and to the chagrin of the rest of us, we mainstream jerks in our society. You're even allowed to grow up and become president if you can pass all the exit exams. Lucky for those folks who graduated before all our compassionate conservative education began.
4) Instead of favoring only the wealthy, let's start giving tax breaks to the great parents in every tax bracket who somehow manage to raise decent, well-behaved kids. We love them and salute you – you're why we teach.
5) For the socially challenged (smarty pants) let's have a Volunteer Courtesy Patrol, armed only with duct tape and bulging muscles. They can walk up and down hallways and classrooms to help keep order. Cages optional.
Respectfully submitted,
Maggie Hawkins
Maggie Hawkins