It is not the intention of the Unquiet Collective to hammer education in general, or teachers in particular. We like good educators. We recognize that training the little (or bigger) brats is usually a thankless job. I know teachers who make less money than does the big beefy guy who picks up my garbage once a week. (I do not have anything against sanitation engineers either so please sir, do not tear my Rubbermaid receptacle to shreds.)

Actually, it is because we do assume that the majority of educators are both competent and cognizant of where their responsibilities end, and the rights of their charges begin -- that the exceptions stand out. Perhaps that is why I have noticed a recent story in the news…

First, let us review some American history. It is pertinent to what follows.

Shameful past
From the late 1940s and into the 1950s, a jackass of a Senator from Wisconsin named Joseph McCarthy created a manic stir in the country. He and his permanent subcommittee 'investigated' -- a euphemism for 'harassed' -- members of the media, public figures, army officials and people in high government positions. He accused them of being Communists -- whatever that means. Not one of his imputations was ever proved and the Senate finally censured him in 1954.

A national suspicion developed over the idea of domestic Communism and it was egged on by this fascist's sensational -- but baseless -- attacks. One consequence of this paranoia was requiring loyalty oaths as a condition of employment for certain jobs -- including education. Most of these oaths included whatever a local administrator decided should be required of a good American citizen.

Historically, educators have been among the most open-minded and freedom loving of citizens. During McCarthy's era, many teachers were unwilling to sign a piece of paper that effectively denied them their basic First Amendment rights, including "freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble". Because of America's national hysteria, many good teachers lost their jobs for their refusal to take a loyalty oath. In one such case in July 1950, thirty-one faculty members of the Berkeley and Los Angeles campuses of the University of California were dismissed by a two-vote majority of the Board of Regents for refusing to sign the required loyalty oath. This oath required a specific denial of membership in the Communist party or belief in organizations advocating overthrow of the national government.

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government…

-Declaration of Independence