A Bitter Response

A certain person in my life has raised concern about the offensiveness of a previous post and the violent (and vulgar) language of the wording. I believe that the individual has misunderstood the context, intent, and tone of the piece. I find this troubling since this individual is one who should know me and my “tone” the most. Perhaps this individual has also not taken the time to understand the context before making and voicing his/her judgments. That requires attention to and honoring of the details of daily living. That simply is not possible in this situation, nor has it been prioritized in the last 20 years. As part of this distance, I am troubled by the individual’s obliviousness of my intense passion and respect for our First Amendment rights (in times of war or peace). If there is one entity of living in this nation for which I would risk life and limb, it is my intellectual freedom.

But, while the individual’s lack of understanding of intent and tone deeply saddens me, what really angers me in this exchange is that my “responsibility” as a teacher was raised, and with that, my professional integrity questioned. It is my responsibility as a teacher to challenge my students to understand the historical precedent and question the contemporary context. It is my responsibility to help them learn their rights (and their own responsibilities) and not to fear them. It is also my responsibility to create a new generation of critical thinkers who are willing to take educated risks that will prevent us from living through generation after generation after generation of WAR, death, and dishonor. To do so, we must experiment with language and tone in a variety of rhetorical styles and contexts. Etiquette of the past is not always effective--as the cited three generations of war and fear have proven. I am clear and highly professional in my approach within the classroom, and I resent my professional sense of responsibility being in question. And yes, I will admit that my resentment here is informed by the fact that I have made huge sacrifices in my personal life to be that teacher. I have given up social and financial stability, as well as my physical health to be the teacher I am. Questioning my professional integrity is of the highest dishonor and disrespect.

And one last thing … If we follow the principles of our Constitution, what a teacher says outside of the classroom/professional forum, as long as it is within LEGAL guidelines, should have no bearing on his/her professional role. If that is not the case, and public “opinion” has more power than legal statute, should we not view that as a form of mob rule? I happen to still trust in our legal system and the strength of our foundational principles. I won't step down and quietly walk away from my views in the public forum. Maybe that’s a generational thing. Maybe that’s because I wasn’t “of age” through all the lies of the Vietnam War. Maybe because all of the lies and illegal actions of the Iraq War haven’t come to the surface--yet. Time can only tell us that.

“If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that Government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable.” -- William Brennan: Texas v. Johnson