I live in America, and Donald J. Trump is my president, whether I like it or not (and, for the record, I do not). However, many Americans do like President Trump, and though I am perplexed disagree, I still respect them because several of those supporters are my neighbors, colleagues and friends. Fortunately, America is a country based upon basic freedoms and principles, and our right to free speech and disagreement with the establishment is literally at the top of the list. So here I am exercising that right, wondering why our political discussions have become so venomous and full of hate.
Undeniably, the clamor has risen since President Trump’s inauguration. There are countless Americans making noise on every side of the issues. The Right is happy and triumphant that Washington D.C. is getting “shaken up” while criticizing liberals for criticizing Trump. The Left is now head-scratching because conservatives have forgotten how they’ve criticized former President Obama for the past eight years, but now we’re supposed to give Trump a chance?
We’re a mess, and everyone is weighing in...so I am too. Politics aren’t my “thing” because they’re divisive, unkind, complicated, and heavy, yet that’s why I’m writing today. When I think about why I write, I know I write for my children to know who I am and what I stand for; it’s as simple as that. My words are my legacy to them.
So, before I get to it, may I take a minute to introduce myself? Most of you know me, and likely know where I stand. However, I’ll begin with an explanation of who I am NOT, especially since many conservatives on social media have decided to brand Liberals and left-leaning people like me in the following ways.
I am not a Special Snowflake.
Perhaps you think that’s a term reserved for those “lazy, misguided” millennials who won’t get a job and can’t handle criticism; however, it’s become very right-wing to consider liberals delicate, soft and in need of “safe spaces” to handle our feelings. Don’t worry; I won’t melt.
I am not a Libtard.
This is simply an unfortunate and discriminatory portmanteau which further emphasizes the President’s lack of compassion for those with disabilities. It’s a despicable word full of hate. Pair those who willingly use “Libtard” with Betsy DeVos and her understanding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and you can begin to paint a despicable picture of overt injustice in America.
I am not a Feminazi.
The moment a woman starts talking about her right to basic freedoms, she is suddenly considered radical and extreme. How dare a woman talk about her right to equal pay for equal work, and honestly, shouldn’t every woman discuss her uterus privately? It makes people uncomfortable when we think we own it. Finally, ladies, please, please put your breasts away; don’t you know they’re sex objects. Stop feeding your baby with them -- disgusting.
I am not a Union Thug.
I’m a proud union member who believes there is a lot to be gained from a Union philosophy of “we’re all in this together” to protect the rights of those involved. Remember those Feminazi’s fighting for equal pay for equal work? Well, my Union grants me the right to be paid the same as the men who teach down the hall from me. Since I’m a pretty big fan of equity, I’m a pretty big fan of my ability to say that I am a proud union worker. Thug? Not so much.
If you know me, you know those labels don’t suit me. There is one label however, that I don’t take issue with, one that I don’t find insulting, so feel free to call me a Bleeding Heart Liberal whenever you’d like. I am proudly compassionate towards those who are downtrodden, suffering and facing injustice; I consider that kindness, while others consider it weakness. I will never apologize for seeking humanity before I seek party lines, race, religion, socioeconomic status or ethnicity. I refuse to care whether my critics believe that my strong sense of compassion and willingness to see the good in others is a flaw. I know that most conservatives say Bleeding Heart with a note of condescension, and that’s okay because I’ll gladly fall on the side of mercy, empathy and grace.
Now that we’ve gotten the name calling out of the way, I’ll gladly tell you who I AM.
I am a LEO wife...if you’re unfamiliar, a LEO is a law enforcement officer. My husband serves our community with dedication and passion that I admire and respect. Consequently, I worry every time he goes to work. Every.single.time. It doesn’t matter that he’s not on the road or in a squad every day; he and his counterparts are still always in danger because the world is broken and law enforcement officers have been demonized in ways I can’t fathom. I stand by the men and women in blue in a way that many will never understand. The tricky part is that when people only see me as a Liberal, they make the assumption that I’m anti-cop. As President Trump would say, “Wrong.” My heart breaks everytime I hear of an officer ambushed or killed in the line of duty. When I hear of those tragedies, I pray for the families of those lost and their LEO brothers and sisters, and I cry for the lives lost. What is this world coming to that the “good guys” are now the targets? 
However, I still have room in my heart for those who die at the hands of police when they are unarmed or the force unwarranted. In fact, on the day of President Trump’s inauguration, one of my former students was shot in the back and killed in Chicago by an off-duty police officer. Insert all of the cliche comments you hear on the news...he was such a good kid, how could this have happened, what is the world coming to? The difference was that this time, I was able to put a face to the body under the sheet. That night I cried for Joshua Jones, the unnamed officer who killed him and for my husband and every law enforcement officer I know because they live and work in such a hostile climate. My bleeding heart always has room for compassion for everyone.
I am a mother. My children have married parents paired with the privilege of a home where our income is steady and their needs are met. I take pride in my ability to provide for them, and though we’ve had moments where we’ve struggled, we are making it through with the grace of God and our American bootstraps. I don’t helicopter because my daughter is Type-A enough to handle things, and my son will likely be a better grown up if we stand on the perimeter and let him figure it out. My kids do their own projects (but sometimes I might push ‘em along because it is taking soooo long), and I let them turn in work that is rough around the edges as long is it’s their best effort. I preach love, kindness and forgiveness; offering all in heavy doses while asking for plenty myself. We pray nightly and ask God’s blessing upon us, our nation and our world. Weird, right? I don’t over-parent my kids, I tell them to be kind and we have a steady relationship with God. But I’m a liberal?! Many think I’m supposed to hover over those precious snowflakes, and hand them unearned trophies before we head to our protest march. Nah, we’ll just keep loving our neighbors, tending our chickens and being “the resistance” from over here. 
I am a teacher. My students are diverse and their home situations vary from routine stability to unimaginable disarray. They are white, black, hispanic, biracial, Muslim, Catholic, Christian, Atheist, areligious, republicans, democrats, gay, lesbian, poor, not-so-poor, college-bound, workforce-bound, military-bound, undocumented immigrants, US citizens… However, when they walk into my room they’re all “my kids.” I don’t see them for their labels, though educational bureaucracy often forces me to examine them that way. As an educator, my job is two-fold: teach the material, but also teach them to be good humans. Together we learn about literature and writing while we develop a strong work ethic, all while establishing a classroom culture built upon diversity and respect. When I sit back and think about the fact that I have 9th and 12th graders discussing and debating current events while using academic language, I become so proud of where we’ve come. Yes, you’ve read that right. In my classroom undocumented immigrants and staunch “build the wall” proponents can have an opinion-based conversation supported by facts with their emotions relatively in check. Youth group leaders are able to have conversations with their gay peers about transgender rights. White and Black students discuss current events without batting an eye. They are polite, passionate and poised. I’ve taught them to listen before they respond, and though sometimes it takes a moment or two to gather the proper phrasing or to calm their raw responses, they nearly always impress me.
“I hear what you are saying, but disagree with you because…”
“I understand your point, but if you look at it from my perspective…”
If it can happen in Room 147, why can’t it happen in the real world? Why are keyboard warriors so hell bent on screaming their message and insults so loudly that political conversations aren’t worth having? Sean Spicer should take a few lessons from my freshmen and perhaps his press briefings would feel less combative. This year’s classroom mantra: Pause. Breathe. Love.
I am an American. That makes me a multi-faceted part of this amazing melting pot. I am a card-carrying liberal gun owner in the heart of a deep red county in a blue state. I paid my own way through college, worked two jobs, and took out loans which I am still paying on today. I hold a Master's degree and am a teacher by choice, and not out of June-July-August convenience; I believe in the potential of the students who sit in my classrooms. I live an hour away from where I grew up, but I drive back daily to teach in the community that raised me. My chickens make me happier than I like to admit, and there is an indescribable joy when I watch my garden yield its harvest. There is no one way to define or label me, and when we try to apply labels, we all fail.
We are living in a world of conflict where we are so blinded by our resounding need to be right that we forget that the people ideas we are so vehemently opposed to are held by our neighbors, friends and family. I do know that my anti-hate inspirational quotes will do little to change minds as others post their xenophobic, homophobic, racist memes. I know that this blog will be posted long after my initial shock and disbelief hit on Election Day. As I post this, my slack-jawed, stomach-turning outrage has begun to be shaped into purposeful, intentional resistance to a man and a party who does not represent the majority of the people they are meant to serve.
I won’t name call, I won’t see the world through a single lens and I won’t keep quiet. I promise that I will not keep quiet. I don't know what that will look like, but I do know I will protest through love; I will continue to allow my liberal heart to bleed all over the place while showing everyone who knows me the value of kindness, compassion and understanding.
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” ~Desmond Tutu
