The author wants to relate a little incident that certainly made her realize that something is lacking in civilizing mechanisms today. She and a friend of hers were having a snack on a weekday afternoon at a fast food restaurant in which a number of people were eating. Near them was a group of schoolgirls talking in loud, piercing voices. Her companion said to them, "Girls, please, lower your voices, you're shrieking." The shrieking girls shrieked back: "We're not shrieking!" But her friend wasn't giving up, and said, "Yes, you are shrieking and the rest of us would like to eat in peace, so please talk in normal human tones." There was much bristling and consternation, and ruffled feathers and reddened faces and eyeballs distended in ire, but the voices get lower. The author does not think there's any doubt that people want schools to help civilize, to uphold discipline, and to teach the rules of life in a civilized society. Manners are greater than law, said Edmund Burke. In her opinion, the teacher shortage would disappear in short order if schools were strict and serious about upholding discipline and defending educators in their civilizing tasks.