To be honest, I know very little about American education. But I have taught mathematics in the public school as a special guest for several friends. I will tell you that I think it is a very hard job. Not that it isn't rewarding but you could not pay me enough money to stand in front of a room full of kids and try to teach them things that they are not interested in learning at that moment. We don't pay teachers enough. Regardless if it is their calling or not, they deserve more pay. I believe I was meant to be a statistician. I don't think they should reduce my pay because I enjoy what I am doing. Should teachers make less than a middle class salary because they enjoy what they do. As far as the Viet Nam war is concerned, I think that is a time and place that you really can't fully appreciate unless you were involved. Enough said there. I don't want to rehash a very bitter debate on a highly emotionally charged subject.