I always get a little bored in the middle of McMurtry's books as his characters do go on and on sometimes, but I'm glad I've read them when I'm done. I can't read several at one time, but need to wait a while between his books, as they seem too much alike if I read them close together. I love the characters because they are more like real people than in many novels. I have a hard time identifying with the characters in many novels but McMurtry's characters are strange and confused and imperfect, yet with hope, like we all are.

I was watching the news about the Detroit teachers strike and realized that I wasn't as much against unions as I used to be. Sometimes they are necessary. Teachers are necessary and we need to pay them a good salary.

On the other hand, they need to be more open to options to the public school. They need to be more open to vouchers and charter schools and magnet schools. I would have sent my kids to private school if I could have afforded it because they were bright kids. Until the public schools drastically improve they are pulling down the students at the top end.

They are also short changing the students at the bottom end as often these programs are nothing more than babysitting and warehousing. The top students need the freedom to do their own work and the bottom students need to be challenged by a variety of experiences, which is nowhere near what any student gets in most public schools today.

Education is vital to any country and when we dumb it down or sideline some students we are harming the country. I would like to see much more money go to schools but that won't solve most of the problems as long as the teachers unions are more interested in job security than education. The teachers unions are trying to keep children from going to better schools, that is private schools, when they should be concentrating on making the public schools better.

Schools, public schools, are vitally necessary for a democratic society. We need public schools and we need teachers. One of the most important things we can do is improve schools, but we have to realize that one size doesn't fit all. But teachers unions want one size fits all, because it's easier.