In response to Karl McArthur’s May 30 letter, “Walk in a teacher’s shoes,” I’d say “I have.” But I learned a much different lesson.
After three years in the Navy in World War II, I attended college under the GI Bill. When I graduated in 1949 with a BA in math it wasn’t easy to find a job in New Jersey. After a year substituting, I finally got a full-time teaching job. After about a year I decided to go back into the military during which time I married. In four years I got out of the Air Force, since my wife didn’t care for the constant moving, and went back to teaching. By this time New Jersey schools had become unionized and I had to join the teachers union. The pay was better but I didn’t like to be run by any union.
After I retired I went back to college, got another degree and a teaching job in the Rapid City, S.D., school system. Since South Dakota is a right-to-work state I didn’t have to join the union although they tried every means they could to entice me.
Lenin said that unions were the road to communism. Why should I doubt him?
Ed De Boer
Vancouver
