Public workers are self-sacrificing

Recently, a letter was published in Fence Post that called teachers, firemen and policemen “crybabies.” I wonder, does the writer really think that finding and carrying an injured person out of a burning building is the act of a “crybaby”? I wonder if the writer has ever visited the police stations or village halls and seen the pictures of police officers who have died protecting their community?

As for the teachers, they contribute over 9 percent of their salary every payday to their pension. He should know that more than half the people in this country trained as teachers do not make it a full career. Many teachers I have known spend several hours each day preparing and grading for their students. Teachers in this country give supplies and equipment to their classes worth over $1 billion every year. Teachers in Illinois must take coursework for most of the rest of their careers to keep up with their fields.

Whatever line of work the writer is in, do he and his colleagues donate a billion dollars to the greater good of the community? He speaks of freedom. Freedom should not be confused with license. In 1980, fully 25 percent of nongovernment employees were unionized. Now it is down to about 8 percent. When public sector jobs meet the same fate, we can look forward to collective begging. Once all unions cease to exist in his perfect world, child labor laws will be weakened, overtime for work over 40 hours will become an employers “freedom” to eliminate, and the five day workweek will begin to fade away like the Cheshire cat.

When everyone lives in a “right to work” state, we will all have the right to work for less.

Thomas Cargill

Inverness