“You would see others suffer doing good,” wrote Nietzsche, “in order to make others suffer still more.” The show of another made to feel less than it appeals to our baser instincts.

Any any of these behaviors exhibited by a student at my school would result in disciplinary action and possible expulsion; any exposure by a teacher would result in an investigation, removal from the classroom, and possibly termination of employment. All would violate my district’s anti-bullying policy.

The children in my classroom know they are safe. They are cherished. They matter. I don’t treat anyone differently because of their legal status, their front lawn sign, whether they live in subsidized housing or have parents who work on Wall Street. If we follow the norms of civilized society in the classroom—civility, politeness, avoiding profanity—we can all disagree, but still get along. We are not teaching our students anything by ignoring or normalizing Trump’s behavior.

Opinion: New York workers can’t afford a corporate tax increase

It was very telling to me how the school district where I work handled the events of January 6, 2021. They said nothing. Nada. Zip. Compare that to the neighborhood I live in, where my the children go to school. Peekskill City Schools Superintendent David Mauricio immediately sent home a letter stating that the storming of the capitol was an attack on our democracy. He encouraged every teacher in Peekskill to discuss it in their classrooms. That’s who we are ALLEGED to do This is what it looks like to be on the right side of history.