EDUCATION: Cheers to Dave

An unbelievable number of thoughts went through my mind when I read Dave Johnson’s “My Turn” article in the Feb. 22 Press. First of all I commend him for the article and for his teaching methods. As a Social Studies teacher, I taught three different history courses and a Problems of Democracy course to 10th- through 12th-graders. As a retired federal employee, I have great respect for government and its employees because of the dedication I observed during my working life. As a veteran of eight years in the U.S. Navy, a federal employee, I observed that same dedication to the defense of our nation.

I am tired of people putting down government and its employees, often blaming them for their personal problems rather than accepting personal responsibility. Government should not only be respected as a necessity; its employees should be respected for supporting our citizenry in spite of the criticism they take. Mr. Johnson is taking steps to insure that his students will understand that and appreciate it. Thanks Dave.

MORT KRAUS

Coeur d’Alene