General Discussion

Hekate

(100,133 posts)

34. I'm sorry for your experience, but that wasn't the point of this powerful essay

Tue Dec 18, 2012, 02:32 PM

Dec 2012

I, too, have worked with "government employees" as an employee the county level and at the non-academic staff level at the local university. I come from a long line of school teachers, and my husband taught at community college.

There's some deadwood wherever you find human beings working. My experience has been that the vast majority of "government workers" are just people trying to do their chosen job, whether it is filling in potholes, guarding your streets, or teaching your children. Demonizing them demoralizes them and makes it easier for other people to treat them callously but does nothing to help.

You tar with too broad a brush (30% - 40% - 98%), and that's not really egalitarian, just ... kind of thuggish.

Let's get back to liberalhistorian, okay?

Hekate

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So I was called in to sub late this morning at our local rural elementary school [View all] liberalhistorian Dec 2012 OP

Beautifully said... CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2012 #1

The only overpaid, incompetent, lazy, "public leeches" I know of are those we call legislators. nt valerief Dec 2012 #2

98% of them & appointed positions, about 80% of the administrators, and about 40% of the rest. n/t Egalitarian Thug Dec 2012 #3

80% of the administrators and liberalhistorian Dec 2012 #5

Government employees. I spent many years working with almost every level and all Egalitarian Thug Dec 2012 #6

Well, that certainly isn't true liberalhistorian Dec 2012 #9

In regard to teachers I have only my own experience to draw upon, but that experience Egalitarian Thug Dec 2012 #20

I'm sorry for your experience, but that wasn't the point of this powerful essay Hekate Dec 2012 #34

Thank you, I was going to make liberalhistorian Dec 2012 #38

Apologies. Responded to the comment about legislators, didn't consider the context of your post. Egalitarian Thug Dec 2012 #39

Indeed. But, to them, liberalhistorian Dec 2012 #4

I don't claim to know anything about teachers, except that my mother worked for valerief Dec 2012 #7

That's definitely true that teachers really are the liberalhistorian Dec 2012 #8

WOW! Carolina Dec 2012 #10

So many things mainstreetonce Dec 2012 #12

Oh, I don't think it's critical at all, I think liberalhistorian Dec 2012 #16

Schools get into situations mainstreetonce Dec 2012 #19

Again, you make some valid points and I don't liberalhistorian Dec 2012 #21

Substitute teaching pools have been traditionally a hiring pool duffyduff Dec 2012 #31

Bullshit, dearie. murielm99 Dec 2012 #33

Your post was a tearjerker pitbullgirl1965 Dec 2012 #11

k&r Starry Messenger Dec 2012 #13

Thank you so much. A most heartfelt K&R! n/t OneGrassRoot Dec 2012 #14

It would be great to start a thread with all of the Repugs who said all of the negative things about Dustlawyer Dec 2012 #15

Indeed, I'd like to see that also. And how many of us liberalhistorian Dec 2012 #17

beautiful heaven05 Dec 2012 #18

Well written, eloquent and so true! kmlisle Dec 2012 #22

I'm thinking of going back to finish my teaching license shenmue Dec 2012 #23

As horrific as this was tavalon Dec 2012 #26

A rare situation indeed but not so rare that this iemitsu Dec 2012 #29

I agree with all you say, especially the last line tavalon Dec 2012 #40

Save yourself the trouble duffyduff Dec 2012 #32

liberalhistorian Diclotican Dec 2012 #24

That was beautiful tavalon Dec 2012 #25

Poignant and pertinent...bless the teachers and Surya Gayatri Dec 2012 #27

Yes, that just liberalhistorian Dec 2012 #28

One of my kids asked me yesterday if I had heard about what happened in CT proud2BlibKansan Dec 2012 #30

Powerful and poignant Hekate Dec 2012 #35

I have three grandkids in public schools, thank you for what you do and for caring n/t Fumesucker Dec 2012 #36

Very powerful OP... Spazito Dec 2012 #37