Cass, you did not read my last post. Also, you seem to have a problem reading what others have written. I said software engineers never DIRECTLY saved a life. A number of occupations can claim they indirectly "save" lives, but not too many directly save lives. An engineer who designs a bridge can claim they "save" lives by providing a safe way over a waterway, valley, or road. School nurses, part of a teaching faculty, have directly saved lives. Software engineers have never directly saved a life. The teacher in a previous post never compared himself to a doctor. On the other hand, I talked to a doctor once who told me a story about how his high school biology teacher inspired him to become a physician. Who do software engineers directly inspire? For all of you who claim teachers make too much money, a list just came out of the worst paying (starting salary) college degrees. Guess what? Education, which includes college, came in at number seven on the list,

while elementary education was the second worst paying college degree. Kevin, if people respect an occupation, they do not mind paying a person what they deserve to perform that particular type of labor. Basically, you contradicted yourself in the last post. You said that people do not have "poor respect for the work" concerning teachers, yet you seem to not respect the salary and benefits given to a teacher, an occupation which inspires people to do great things. Kevin, what is it? Do people have high respect for teachers, thus affording high benefits, or do they not respect them? Make your mind up.