Hi Michele, I grew up in Berkeley, California during the 60s and saw how intolerant leftwing politics can be. The Republicans pointed this out and now here they are doing the same thing, which is curious and horrifying at the same time. There are plenty of D people who have been working their whole lives for change. Doing the really hard work required. To have them shouted down and condemned by either the right or the left gets to me. Doing the hard work of trying to make what I would consider positive social change (ie., health, education, and welfare) without which we can't have a high-functioning democracy, is really difficult, and sometimes painfully slow work. I wish people shouting labels would just shut up and do the hard work necessary to move things forward for everyone. Teachers make a huge difference and while there are some bad teachers (as there are in any profession) they continue to be under-appreciated and underpaid. Good luck in Oregon! Cheers, Susan