Are you now or have you ever been a member of the NEA?

[Warren Stuart]

I was, it was a youthful indiscretion while I was suffering from the soft bigotry of low expections. Just because they looked out for my interests, made sure I had a retirement paln and health insurance, was no reason to give them my money. Had I known that they would have been labeled a terrorist organization, well, lets no go there.

Fortunately I did have to sign a loyalty oath, for every district I worked at (I was a sub), so hopefully this will count for something.

Please Mr. Paige, don't take my red pencil!!!

[JailForBush]

1. I was a member for sixteen years.

If there was any justice, I'd get every penny I ever paid in membership dues back, along with damages for pain and suffering. It would also be nice to see parents file a class-action lawsuit against the NEA for the role it plays in helping corporations exploit their children.

What a bunch of assholes.

[bookman]

2. I must confess...

..I'm living a life of wonderful retirement because of that organization and its affiliates.

I have a nice pension, health benefits, and prescription plan that makes even my corporate friends shake their heads with amazement.

How dare they use such tactics to represent me and my colleagues!

When I worked at negotiations the Republicans on the school board would rant how the teachers were wonderful, but the "Union!" was awful. We could not convince them that we were the same.

In my defense. I did say the Pledge every morning.

[eyesroll]

3. I was a full member for one year and a student member for a year

I wonder if that makes me a terrorist, or an ex-terrorist.

Then again, my "cell" was utterly incompetent. We couldn't blow up a balloon, much less a building.

[TN al]

4. NRA recruitment

Michael Moore suggested that people like him should join the
NRA. There are more people who think that there should be
limits to how many and what kind of guns you should own then
there are people who want to own the biggest gun they can to
make up for, ahem, inadequacies in their physical make up.
Anyway if we all joined the NRA then we could take it over and
vote our people into office. No more demented Alzheimer's
victims holding rifles above their heads and no more Wayne La
Pierre. Just well adjusted DUers calling for sensible gun
laws. Think about it.

[11 Bravo]

5. I've been a member since 1974.

And anyone who indulges in scattershot NEA bashing has no fucking idea what teaching was like prior to its existence. I invite the bashers to speak with someone who taught before the NEA came to be. Ask them about the pay, the working conditions, the lack of benefits, and the myriad restrictions placed on teacher's behavior EVEN WHILE THEY WERE ON THEIR OWN TIME.