I Am (a) Woman

I am a woman.  I am not women.
I am a teacher.  I am not teachers.
I am a mother.  I am not mothers.
I am American.  I am not Americans.

And, in the same vein, I must remember that Donald Trump is a Republican.  He is not Republicans. . . although I kind of think that Trump is actually working for the Clintons.

When the day is done, all I can do is try to own who it is that I am--the decisions I make, the beliefs I hold to, the words I say.  These things are mine, not ours.

God help anyone who expects me to Represent.  

Of course, that doesn't mean I don't try to behave.  Educators, after all, fall in the same precarious category as ministers--when one of us screws up, we all wince.  But that person's act doesn't make me screw-up-by-proxy any more than being born in Syria makes someone a terrorist.

I don't think some of our U.S. politicians--our governor among them--have any idea how difficult their bigoted spittle makes my job.  When Pete Ricketts says "no" to all Syrian refugees, when Chris Christie shuts the proverbial door on a child, the hot wind of their words reaches the hallways of my school, where whispered threats gather steam.  And this is not the kind of steam you want to give to still-forming human beings.

Unlike me, these politicians are expected to Represent. First, however, they should repent, for their words have done great harm to many people, my students included.