Editorial: Thumbs

To veterans and first responders.

It was something else on Veterans Day at the Freeborn County Courthouse to see the local veterans organizations commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks by honoring local law enforcement officers, firefighters and medical responders — the people who are there for civilian emergencies day in and day out. On Sept. 11, 2001, these first responders were on the front lines of a combat zone, giving their lives for the country. It was a sacrifice as courageous, sorrowful and dear as the ones made by soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen during war. It was fitting for the VFW, American Legion and other veterans groups to honor these brave men and women.

To hecklers.

Whether it is President Obama speaking to Congress or presidential candidate Michele Bachmann speaking to the people of South Carolina, it is uncivil to interrupt the speaker with heckling from crowd members. It is rude and uncalled for. Free speech is good, but decorum is a sign of arguments and statements made in a civil manner. Heckling, on the other, subverts an argument and makes the heckler simply look foolish.

To Albert Lea teachers.

The teachers in Albert Lea have made quite a few changes to their routines in efforts of aiding the district achieve its goals. First and foremost, many were assigned to new schools after years of being at the same ones. It takes some getting used to, but a new mixing of the staff creates a fresh approach to the teams in each building. Secondly, the meetings the teachers term as PLCs for “professional learning communities” now are better aligned with the goals of the school board and school administration. This isn’t something teachers simply had to do. They agreed to it as a whole, for the sake of getting everyone going in the same direction. The district has goals it calls “aims.” Now what happens at the teachers’ meetings are in line with those aims. The next time you hear anyone say bad words about a teacher in town, it must be someone who doesn’t have a clear picture. Albert Lea’s teachers truly care about the education of children.