John Ratzenberger eloquently makes the case for the unsung heroism of American blue collar work. The hands-on skills that built this nation used to be taught in shop classes at every middle school in the country; auto shop, wood shop, metal shop under the overarching name of Industrial Arts.
Students who were not academically inclined often found their first school-related self esteem in Industrial Arts classes where logic and hands-on skills married at the workbench under the guidance of a patient teacher who knew and respected the tools of his trade. Our country would be better for it!