Teaching isn’t a profession for men?Date: 9/12/2011 By G. Michael Dobbs, Managing Editor
Are public school teachers next on the conservative to-do list? On the show “FOX & Friends” last week author and pundit Anne Coulter made some comments in relation to a speech made by James Hoffa, the president of the Teamsters Unions and she revealed some deep thoughts on teachers.
Coulter said, “What I really think needs to be talked about is that no one is mentioning this is Jimmy Hoffa, the president of the Teamsters. They used to be truck drivers and pipefitters. Now he’s representing public school teachers? Kindergarten teachers? Cafeteria workers? Fighting for every last bit of their government pension? What a pathetic downfall! And how about a little of this tough talk back when the Teamsters supported drilling [for oil] in ANWR? You know: ‘Real jobs for real men’ — as opposed to kindergarten teachers. And how about fighting for nuclear power plants being installed? … He’s not even representing men who have actual jobs. He’s representing a bunch of useless public sector workers.”
The show’s co-host Gretchen Carlson gave her a chance to soften that statement a bit by saying, “I don’t want to say that teachers are useless.”
Coulter replied, “No? I will. They are government workers. Let’s turn it over to private [schools], to vouchers, to charter schools. No, they fight for every last dime. They get summers off. They’re off at two [o’clock] and they make more money than most of those pipefitters who no longer have jobs.”
I find it fascinating that Coulter has determined that teaching is “unmanly” and I suppose the profession should be the province of woman-folk. Under her rule, I imagine there would be spinster “school marms” again being paid slave wages while charged with educating men but not having the same right as they do.
As I write this, the problems at the U.S. Postal Service have risen to an ugly head and it’s clear a new business model will have to be quickly developed to stave off bankruptcy. Certainly there have to be some drastic measures taken, which will cause pain to some people.
I’m sure Ms. Coulter would prefer having the post office privatized because the private sector always does a better job, right? Isn’t that a key Republican talking point these days?
Recently, I ordered a great product for Lucky the Wonder Bichon. It’s my second time with this product and I received free shipping of my order. It was sent via UPS, with which I normally have better luck than FedEX.
Not this time.
Although I received no stickers on my door indicating a driver had been at my house, there were e-mails in my inbox claiming efforts had been made to deliver the product. One of those attempts was at a time at which my wife and I were deliberately at home to insure the receipt.
So I called the computerized customer support line, shouted the word “agent” a few times at the computer and reached a human being. I told her my tale of woe and she said I would have to go over the UPS depot in West Springfield between 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. to pick it up otherwise it would be sent back to the shipper.
Why that’s so convenient!
This wouldn’t have happened with the post office. Oh, I’m sure you can share a tale of woe or two about the men and women in light blue, but generally I think they do a great job.
Hey, I bet we could pay those privatized post office workers minimum wage and we could prohibit them from unionizing. They don’t need to be middle class. Maybe, we could send some of the jobs offshore.
This isn’t my America; is it yours? Do you want it do be?
Hey, agree with me? Disagree? Drop me a line at news@thereminder.com or at 280 N. Main St., East Longmeadow, MA 01028. As always, this column represents the opinion of its author and not the publishers or advertisers of this newspaper.
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