Thread by @JMForCalifornia

Today I taught a Kindergarten class. I like to do Kindergarten every once in a while to give me a break to where I can just have fun and relax and just enjoy the innocence of children. No games, no awkward hormones, nobody weirdly hitting on me despite me being old enough to...

2) to be their father, just wholesome time with kids who think I’m Superman or some shit. I was in a small town, Woodlake to be exact which ain’t but 15,000 if that. So when I picked up my 23 slightly scared, slightly confused Kinders today, I noticed that one of them was...

3) Was different. Particularly that he was Middle Eastern. He had the same clothes as everyone, spoke perfect English (well as good as a 5 year old can). He was polite, maybe a little hyper but again, he’s 5. He stood up and pledged allegiance to the flag (which I don’t do)...

4) And most of importantly of all, he was a vital part of his class. Everyone knew and liked this kid and they listened to his voice and didn’t make him feel less than. So of course I knew the answer but I had to ask him, so I said, “Young man; where is your family from?”...

5) And with the most broken smile I’ve ever seen a 5 year ever give he replied to me “#Yemen”. I’m not going to pretend that my heart sank at being proven perceptive, it often does these days. And I said to the class, “His Family belong here. And it is our duty to be kind.”...

6) So first off, this was a lesson about #MLK that I was teaching and we were speaking about the lessons of #DrKing which echo the lessons that #Jesus taught, which above all else is to love. And I spoke to this kid and told him I didn’t want to single him out, and he said...

7) “We had to leave Yemen because a bad man was doing things.” As I said children are innocent right? They don’t know it was US who helped that. They don’t know it’s US still ignoring the dying and starving and they don’t know it’s US that could stop it. It’s the bad guy.

8) My point in sharing this is threefold;
#1- If you don’t support that 5 year old being here, you’re part of the problem.
#2- If you support politicians who made decisions that made that child have to come here. You’re part of the problem.
#3- Love, damnit. Love.
☝🏾💜🤴🏾🕊🔥

@threadreaderapp unroll min fadlak.

@NomikiKonst I thought you might enjoy my story of a 5 year old #Yemeni kindergartener I met today. Puts into perspective what we are all fighting for.