How 'bout them Apples? . . .

Oh bravo!

I liked this immensely not so much because Damon deftly crushed the snotty MBA views of the interviewer and the shriveled balls of the smug cameraman but because he STOOD UP AND DEFENDED THE HONOR OF SOME VERY HONORABLE PEOPLE WHO WE USED TO LOOK UP TO IN THIS COUNTRY - TEACHERS!  The Democrats and Obama could learn something from viewing this clip a few hundred times non-stop.

The teabaggers and conservative media by hook and crook (meaning mostly lying) have demonized public education and public educators to the extent that if it were solely their viewpoint being heard a completely uninformed individual would think that Teachers are some of the most horrid creatures on the planet and therefore worthy of extermination.

We can most definitely have a sane conversation as to the methods for reforming and improving public education in this country if you wish, but if you think you are going to engage me on this subject and just blindly sing the praises of private and charter schools and spout Michelle Rhee bullshit talking points read straight from a Heritage Foundation study - think again.

This is very sore spot for me as I have friends and family who are public educators.  I doubt they would disagree with me when I say that they are not Bentley driving millionaires who only work 30 hour work weeks 6 months out of the year, live in $500k homes in gated communities and vacation on the French Riviera - as the teabaggers and the odious Fox news serial liars would have some believe.  And they are certainly not the cause of this country's economic woes as the David Kochs and Dick Armeys of the world would snidely tell you.

On the contrary, the ones I know are people who basically are in one of the toughest careers one can choose.  It's a career that requires long hours and incredible resolve dedicated to producing (in conjunction with parental/student participation) functioning, literate, decent human beings to send out into society.  Are they always 100% successful.  No.  Name a career field that is.  There are many extraneous factors that determine how successful a child's educational progress will be -- the teachers are a big factor, sure -- but it also requires family and community, and yes - even government participation in that endeavor.

Bottom line is Matt Damon just got a smiley face hero sticker for doing what he did here.  Hopefully others will take note and start standing up to the thugs on the right and do what's right by America's education system and the people who have dedicated their lives to it.


TFG