Dear Editor:

If you can read this, thank a teacher for your education. Thank a teacher for your success and for showing you what it takes to be who you are today. I graduated from Symsonia High School. Many of my dedicated and conscientious  teachers taught Sunday School and volunteered countless hours.  My teachers inspired 25 percent of the female students in my graduating class to become teachers themselves. I have many relatives and friends who became educators and coaches. They have earned their salaries, their benefits and their retirements as much as any profession. 

The disrespectful hypocrites of the Republican-Tea Party apparently believe they were self-educated and self-made without the help of a teacher. These self-glorifying cons have shown their true long-term agenda. They want to take away the rights of education professionals to bargain for the right to retire with dignity.

Next on their agenda is any American who is paid by the hour. They will take away the right to a minimum wage. They will take away safety in the work place, worker representation and your ability to retire with dignity. We should condemn the Republican-Tea Bag agenda.

Because of a teacher I can spell hypocrite and recognize one. Their real agenda is against workers like you and me. These unappreciative Republicans are working to destroy the livelihood of the people responsible for you being able to read a voting ballot. 

It takes a lot of dedication to make a difference in the lives of our children. The hard work and volunteer attitude of a teacher has not changed in 50 years. What has changed is the respect they receive from politicians who claim teachers don't get paid enough but work to take away everything they have worked for.
 
Sincerely,

Jimmie Johnson