TDS Watch: In letter to the editor, former teachers union leader ignores families who voted for Trump

In a letter to the editor, an arrogant teacher in Delaware told his relatives that he would not be spending Christmas with them because some, perhaps all, of them voted for President-elect Donald Trump.

“Mike Matthews is a teacher in the Red Clay School District who openly supports the right to life for transgender and non-binary students,” reads the biography at the end of his letter posted on DelawareOnline.com. It is written.

But he is also a former president of the state teachers union. He has lost that sense of security due to erratic comments on his blog, which begs the obvious question of why he is still teaching.

letter

Matthews' ugly letter from December 22 suggests that he is suffering from severe Trump Derangement Syndrome.

He wrote this piece “not out of anger, but out of love and exhaustion” and acknowledged that “politics…should not get in between family and friends,” but said his relatives who voted for Trump were too “unbearable.” do not have”.

“This is not about a petty disagreement,” Matthews wrote.

It's about the values ​​behind that vote. A vote for President Trump, who has been impeached twice, found responsible for sexual abuse, and faces 91 criminal charges, means more than just a vote. It is a reflection of a worldview that, for many, feels fundamentally at odds with empathy, justice, and compassion.

For those of us who have distanced ourselves from family members who support Trump, this is not a decision we make lightly. It arises from a deep sense of betrayal, the need to maintain mental and emotional health, and a refusal to remain silent in the face of harm.

Matthews told his relatives who voted for President Trump that their vote was “ethical” and that a vote for Orange Man Bad would therefore “promote immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, people of color, women, and other vulnerable groups.” “It shows an alarming disregard for the humanity of others, including some people.”

After listing some of the sins he imagined, Trump attacked his relatives for their Catholic beliefs.

This is where the hypocrisy stings the most. Many of you have lived your lives adhering to strict Catholic orthodoxy and adhering to values ​​such as humility, compassion, and service to others. You taught me the sanctity of marriage, the importance of helping the poor, and the moral obligation to protect the vulnerable. So how can we reconcile these beliefs with voting for someone who embodies the exact opposite of these teachings?

That's why Matthews wrote that her “choice to set boundaries” between herself and friends and relatives who support Trump “is not about hatred or division.” It's about survival. It's about refusing to sacrifice your values ​​or undermine your humanity in order to force harmony at the holiday dinner table. ”

Ms Matthews claimed she was part of a “marginalized community”. And their “safety (and) right to exist without fear” is at stake. So leaving the Trump tribe is “waking up every day knowing that your family may prioritize your comfort over your struggles.”

And, of course, it is their fault for his decision to abandon his loved ones, and for publishing a letter about it three days before Christmas.

Empathy is not passive. It's an active choice to be there for vulnerable people, even if their pain doesn't directly affect you.

Ask yourself, what do I want to do to repair this relationship? Are you willing to examine your privilege, acknowledge the harm caused by your political choices, and commit to meaningful change? Healing is possible, but it requires not only the injured, but also the broken bones. must take responsibility for the actions that led to this.

For now, I choose to prioritize my peace, values, and happiness. I hope you understand that this choice comes from a place of love: love for yourself and love for the justice that I believe we all deserve. …

With love and hope, we hope to see you again soon. …

Matthews' career

That a newspaper would publish such an article is as incredible as it was that Matthews had the courage to write it. In the end, he was forced to resign as president of the Delaware State Teachers Union due to “sexist, racist, and other inflammatory statements made in previous blogs,” according to NPR affiliate WHYY. Reported.

Some of the blog posts verified by radio stations include:

Mr. Matthews called then-Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Miner a “butch bitch.” He wondered if a video of the “Chocolate, Caramel and Vanilla Brawl Stars” gang-raping Miner would increase her poll numbers. Administrators could not be reached for comment. He called Whip (Helen) Keeley, then the House Minority Whip, “delicious” and “gorgeous” with a “come here” look on her face. He wrote about her “hot feminist booty” and quipped: Please use my last name. ” He called state Rep. Melanie George Smith “super hot” and wondered what she would wear to the Legislature. Matthews also wrote in October 2005 that “blowing up all Muslims” was probably not such a bad idea. He suggested that child sexual abuse is justified if the wife is a “stinking, ugly man”. In September 2005, he wrote about a family evacuated by Hurricane Katrina and relocated to the Wilmington area on the same block as four sex offenders: chic).

But Matthews' angry and sometimes pitiful Facebook posts coincide with his firing of the people he supposedly cares about most over Christmas.

Not surprisingly, he lists his “pronouns” and appears to be consuming large amounts of soy.

Yale Headshrinker: Let Your Family Go This Holiday Season

Matthews may have gotten the idea for his op-ed from Amanda Calhoun, a brilliant psychiatrist at Yale University.

Days after President Trump grilled Vice President Kamala Harris at the polls, Calhoun appeared on MSNBC and said Harris voters should skip vacationing with relatives. The reason is “mental health.”

Calhoun decried the social norm that says, “If someone is your family, they have a right to spend time with you. …The answer is, absolutely not.”

“If you find yourself in a situation where you have family members or close friends who you know voted against you, it's perfectly fine to not be around those people. Tell them why. It's okay,” Calhoun said. far-left commentator Joy Reid;

She continued:

“I have a problem with the way you vote because it goes against my livelihood. I'm not going to be by your side this holiday. You need to hold space for me.” That is (no problem). ”

She said adults and children should not be forced to be “close to people just because they're family.”

If you feel the need to establish boundaries and establish boundaries with people, family or otherwise, you should have the right to do so. …It may be essential for mental health.