May 12, 2025 • 12 mins
Before you post your political opinions online, think about the consequences. As a teacher, your words can have a big impact.
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or
Use this link whenever you shop at Amazon https://amzn.to/3FOeHDY
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Posting your political opinion on the internet is absolutely your right.
You're free to do that. You're absolutely free to do that.
But the lesson that I want you to take away
from this post and the result of this post, is
that you need to count the cost before you post.
(00:24):
Count the cost before you post. Here we have Joanna
Saint Jermain. She has made a Facebook post that she
deleted because it brought the Secret Service to her door.
They opened up an investigation on her. Now the internet
lives wherever someone took a screenshot, and we have it here.
This news organization title Waterville teacher calls for Trump supporters
(00:48):
to be assassinated. Quote from the post. If I had
the skill set required, I would take them out myself.
Now that this is a new organization they're tweeting. Of
course that sounds provocative. But let's let's look at the
post and see what miss Jermaine said. The Secret Service
(01:11):
has the perfect opportunity if they choose to step up
and take it. You are the ones with power. Okay,
I'm intrigued. I want to know more. Coordinate, take out
every single person who supports Trump's illegal and moral and
constitutional acts. Look at the sick offense and give them
(01:32):
what they're asking for it. Now that right there, I
don't know. I don't know what she means by that.
I'm I'm curious. I need to know more because obviously,
if I'm on the right, I mean, okay, you sound
like sounds like you want to hurt somebody. But if
(01:55):
I'm on the left, okay, maybe it's a poor choice
of So you see how that goes. You see how
that goes. And for me, I read that and I'm
uncomfortable for her to have that out there for public consumption.
(02:19):
Every other country seas what's happening, and they are taking stands.
If you step up, we can avoid a civil war.
I'm not talking about assassinating a president. A president is
a person duly elected by the American people. Trump has
shamelessly bragged openly about stealing the election. He's making plans
to give himself a third term. I'm talking about Americans
(02:41):
recognizing a fascist dictatorship and standing against against it. Secret Service,
you are Americans, my beloved military, you are Americans. We
the people are counting on you. If I had the
skills set required, I would take them out myself. So
there you go again, that that language right there. That's
(03:06):
I just I'm uncomfortable with that. I'm really really uncomfortable
with that because she put herself in this position that
I think it would be reasonable for the Secret Service
to look at that and say, hey, we have to
have to at least do an interview with with Joanna
(03:28):
Saint Jermaine. We least got to talk to her and
just get some get some clarity on this. At the
very at the very very least, you know, this reads
like it reads like emails that I've accidentally sent out
where I'm not I'll type some of it, and then
(03:51):
I'll go and get some more information, and then i'll
type some more of it, and then I'll get interrupted,
and then I will come back and finish it. But
based on the information that I got earlier, or the
new thought that I had, like there was stuff that
I didn't delete that I typed earlier. Because this isn't
(04:12):
this is not flowing, This is not flowing very well
for me. Goes on to say, I'm making this post
public for a reason. I promise you don't waste time
wondering if I'm okay, I'm not, if you're okay, you're
lying to yourself, so we have to count the costs,
(04:41):
have to count the costs. And then too, I would say,
if I was in mister Saint Germaine's, if I was
in her inner circle, I would as a friend, I
would say, hey, let's just take a break from politics.
Just take a break. Turn off the news. Guarantee you
the sun will rise, sun will set. Uh, You'll you'll
(05:05):
be you'll. You know, with each with each day that begins,
you're gonna go to work, you're gonna go to school,
You're gonna execute wonderful lesson plans. You're gonna interact with
your students and build relationships. You're gonna teach every Everything
is going to be fine. You don't, you don't need
to get lost in the political swamp. And it's just
(05:34):
especially if it if it causes this kind of these
kinds of emotions, these kinds of frustration, anxiety. And she
even says here herself, don't waste time wondering if I'm okay,
I'm not so I don't. I don't think she wants
to hurt anybody. But politics has this effect on people.
(05:58):
And yeah, definitely people on the right, they will want
charges brought up against her and people on the left
that would be a little bit more understanding and wanting
to give her a break. But remember the fact that
she is a teacher. Not only is a teacher, she's
a high school teacher. So she is working with what
I call young adults young adults, and these young adults
(06:22):
they need our help not only to teach content, but
they need help navigating the hundreds of decisions that they're
making each and every day. We as teachers, we are leaders,
We are leaders, and we're also role models. We show
these young adults how to be a responsible citizen, how
to be a part of a community. We show them
(06:44):
what that looks like. And when we're a part of
a community, a productive part of a community, we tend
to stay away from making comments or commentary or posts
that can be taken in a certain way. That that
to mean that you want people hurt because of there,
(07:06):
because they think different than you and I and I don't,
I don't. I I just don't think that that is
the I don't think that's I don't think that's wise.
I don't think that's the message we want to send
to young people that because you disagree with me, I
(07:29):
I don't think you should have a day in your
life that that you have something to smile about. That's
I think you should. You should be taken out like
that's that's not the message. And I don't think that
that's the message, now that she's had time to think
about it, I don't think that's the message that she
wants to put out there for her, even her for
(07:49):
her students to also be able to see. I don't
think that's the I don't think that's the example that
she meant to set. I'm gonna I'm gonna give grace.
Not because I'm on the left or the right, but
I'm gonna give I'm gonna give grace here. Obviously, the
the political landscape has has caused some some anxiety, uh
(08:14):
for this teacher. But the lesson that we can take
from the oh, also check this out. She's an English teacher.
She's an English teacher, so I know that she demands
her students to be to be specific and uh, but
there's just for for me especially this coordinate take out
(08:36):
every single purpose. What what do you mean by that?
I don't I don't understand. You gotta you gotta, you
gotta hit the nail on the head, if you're if
you're talking, if you're talking like that, if that's what's
in your if that's what's in your mind, what do
you mean? Because the hook, the hook is is in
terms of in terms of writing a persuasive essay. The
(09:00):
Secret Service has a perfect opportunity if they choose to
step up and take it. You are the ones with
the power. Whoa what are we talking about? What do
you want the Secret Service to do? You want them
to coordinate take out every single person who supports Trump's
And again, the more and more you read it, it
(09:21):
could only mean one thing. And so what's the lesson?
What's the takeaway? Before you post your political opinion on
the on the internet for all to see. Just I
want you to pause. I want you to pause and think,
(09:49):
is this Is this what I really want to put
out there for public consumption? Just think about that, and
then I want you to think about am I am? I?
Would I be okay? If my principle were to see this? Okay?
What would would everything be? Okay? Would I be okay?
(10:11):
If my students were to see this? Because the students
are looking, they're they're looking, and then they find you
present students and former students that they're looking, especially at
a high school. Am I am I okay with that
because this wasn't this wasn't a private profile. This is
public and I and I think again, you're allowed to
(10:32):
have your public You're allowed to have your own political opinion.
I imagine this was on her own device. That's fine,
but you have to count the costs because now at
her school, I guarantee you there are parents who called
the school concern about this post, about this teacher, about
(10:53):
the safety of students, like now now now, there there
are other there are other things that are that are
set in motion because this story is out there, the
school is in the news, and you just have those parents.
They just you just have those parents, those concerned parents, Hey,
(11:15):
what's going on. I don't want my kid in her
class because I guarantee you there are people within her community,
within that school community that agree with Trump. So when
they read that, they're going to personalize it and say, oh, well,
(11:37):
I guess if she wants something to happen to Trump
supporters must want something to happen to me. That goes
for parents, that goes for colleagues who also support Trump.
You just have to count the costs. It's not it's
(11:59):
not illegal to post your political opinion on the internet,
but you just you have to be wise and you
have to count the cost. So I'll leave it at that.
But I just it's just really sad. It's really sad
(12:22):
what it's come to when we talk about the politics
in this country. It's just really sad how it affects
negatively our communities. And I'm gonna I'm gonna leave it
at that. But there you have it. Okay, thank you
(12:44):
so much for watching. And until we meet again, please
don't forget that teachers are leaders.
Posting your political opinion on the internet is absolutely your right.
You're free to do that. You're absolutely free to do that.
But the lesson that I want you to take away
from this post and the result of this post, is
that you need to count the cost before you post.
(00:24):
Count the cost before you post. Here we have Joanna
Saint Jermain. She has made a Facebook post that she
deleted because it brought the Secret Service to her door.
They opened up an investigation on her. Now the internet
lives wherever someone took a screenshot, and we have it here.
This news organization title Waterville teacher calls for Trump supporters
(00:48):
to be assassinated. Quote from the post. If I had
the skill set required, I would take them out myself.
Now that this is a new organization they're tweeting. Of
course that sounds provocative. But let's let's look at the
post and see what miss Jermaine said. The Secret Service
(01:11):
has the perfect opportunity if they choose to step up
and take it. You are the ones with power. Okay,
I'm intrigued. I want to know more. Coordinate, take out
every single person who supports Trump's illegal and moral and
constitutional acts. Look at the sick offense and give them
(01:32):
what they're asking for it. Now that right there, I
don't know. I don't know what she means by that.
I'm I'm curious. I need to know more because obviously,
if I'm on the right, I mean, okay, you sound
like sounds like you want to hurt somebody. But if
(01:55):
I'm on the left, okay, maybe it's a poor choice
of So you see how that goes. You see how
that goes. And for me, I read that and I'm
uncomfortable for her to have that out there for public consumption.
(02:19):
Every other country seas what's happening, and they are taking stands.
If you step up, we can avoid a civil war.
I'm not talking about assassinating a president. A president is
a person duly elected by the American people. Trump has
shamelessly bragged openly about stealing the election. He's making plans
to give himself a third term. I'm talking about Americans
(02:41):
recognizing a fascist dictatorship and standing against against it. Secret Service,
you are Americans, my beloved military, you are Americans. We
the people are counting on you. If I had the
skills set required, I would take them out myself. So
there you go again, that that language right there. That's
(03:06):
I just I'm uncomfortable with that. I'm really really uncomfortable
with that because she put herself in this position that
I think it would be reasonable for the Secret Service
to look at that and say, hey, we have to
have to at least do an interview with with Joanna
(03:28):
Saint Jermaine. We least got to talk to her and
just get some get some clarity on this. At the
very at the very very least, you know, this reads
like it reads like emails that I've accidentally sent out
where I'm not I'll type some of it, and then
(03:51):
I'll go and get some more information, and then i'll
type some more of it, and then I'll get interrupted,
and then I will come back and finish it. But
based on the information that I got earlier, or the
new thought that I had, like there was stuff that
I didn't delete that I typed earlier. Because this isn't
(04:12):
this is not flowing, This is not flowing very well
for me. Goes on to say, I'm making this post
public for a reason. I promise you don't waste time
wondering if I'm okay, I'm not, if you're okay, you're
lying to yourself, so we have to count the costs,
(04:41):
have to count the costs. And then too, I would say,
if I was in mister Saint Germaine's, if I was
in her inner circle, I would as a friend, I
would say, hey, let's just take a break from politics.
Just take a break. Turn off the news. Guarantee you
the sun will rise, sun will set. Uh, You'll you'll
(05:05):
be you'll. You know, with each with each day that begins,
you're gonna go to work, you're gonna go to school,
You're gonna execute wonderful lesson plans. You're gonna interact with
your students and build relationships. You're gonna teach every Everything
is going to be fine. You don't, you don't need
to get lost in the political swamp. And it's just
(05:34):
especially if it if it causes this kind of these
kinds of emotions, these kinds of frustration, anxiety. And she
even says here herself, don't waste time wondering if I'm okay,
I'm not so I don't. I don't think she wants
to hurt anybody. But politics has this effect on people.
(05:58):
And yeah, definitely people on the right, they will want
charges brought up against her and people on the left
that would be a little bit more understanding and wanting
to give her a break. But remember the fact that
she is a teacher. Not only is a teacher, she's
a high school teacher. So she is working with what
I call young adults young adults, and these young adults
(06:22):
they need our help not only to teach content, but
they need help navigating the hundreds of decisions that they're
making each and every day. We as teachers, we are leaders,
We are leaders, and we're also role models. We show
these young adults how to be a responsible citizen, how
to be a part of a community. We show them
(06:44):
what that looks like. And when we're a part of
a community, a productive part of a community, we tend
to stay away from making comments or commentary or posts
that can be taken in a certain way. That that
to mean that you want people hurt because of there,
(07:06):
because they think different than you and I and I don't,
I don't. I I just don't think that that is
the I don't think that's I don't think that's wise.
I don't think that's the message we want to send
to young people that because you disagree with me, I
(07:29):
I don't think you should have a day in your
life that that you have something to smile about. That's
I think you should. You should be taken out like
that's that's not the message. And I don't think that
that's the message, now that she's had time to think
about it, I don't think that's the message that she
wants to put out there for her, even her for
(07:49):
her students to also be able to see. I don't
think that's the I don't think that's the example that
she meant to set. I'm gonna I'm gonna give grace.
Not because I'm on the left or the right, but
I'm gonna give I'm gonna give grace here. Obviously, the
the political landscape has has caused some some anxiety, uh
(08:14):
for this teacher. But the lesson that we can take
from the oh, also check this out. She's an English teacher.
She's an English teacher, so I know that she demands
her students to be to be specific and uh, but
there's just for for me especially this coordinate take out
(08:36):
every single purpose. What what do you mean by that?
I don't I don't understand. You gotta you gotta, you
gotta hit the nail on the head, if you're if
you're talking, if you're talking like that, if that's what's
in your if that's what's in your mind, what do
you mean? Because the hook, the hook is is in
terms of in terms of writing a persuasive essay. The
(09:00):
Secret Service has a perfect opportunity if they choose to
step up and take it. You are the ones with
the power. Whoa what are we talking about? What do
you want the Secret Service to do? You want them
to coordinate take out every single person who supports Trump's
And again, the more and more you read it, it
(09:21):
could only mean one thing. And so what's the lesson?
What's the takeaway? Before you post your political opinion on
the on the internet for all to see. Just I
want you to pause. I want you to pause and think,
(09:49):
is this Is this what I really want to put
out there for public consumption? Just think about that, and
then I want you to think about am I am? I?
Would I be okay? If my principle were to see this? Okay?
What would would everything be? Okay? Would I be okay?
(10:11):
If my students were to see this? Because the students
are looking, they're they're looking, and then they find you
present students and former students that they're looking, especially at
a high school. Am I am I okay with that
because this wasn't this wasn't a private profile. This is
public and I and I think again, you're allowed to
(10:32):
have your public You're allowed to have your own political opinion.
I imagine this was on her own device. That's fine,
but you have to count the costs because now at
her school, I guarantee you there are parents who called
the school concern about this post, about this teacher, about
(10:53):
the safety of students, like now now now, there there
are other there are other things that are that are
set in motion because this story is out there, the
school is in the news, and you just have those parents.
They just you just have those parents, those concerned parents, Hey,
(11:15):
what's going on. I don't want my kid in her
class because I guarantee you there are people within her community,
within that school community that agree with Trump. So when
they read that, they're going to personalize it and say, oh, well,
(11:37):
I guess if she wants something to happen to Trump
supporters must want something to happen to me. That goes
for parents, that goes for colleagues who also support Trump.
You just have to count the costs. It's not it's
(11:59):
not illegal to post your political opinion on the internet,
but you just you have to be wise and you
have to count the cost. So I'll leave it at that.
But I just it's just really sad. It's really sad
(12:22):
what it's come to when we talk about the politics
in this country. It's just really sad how it affects
negatively our communities. And I'm gonna I'm gonna leave it
at that. But there you have it. Okay, thank you
(12:44):
so much for watching. And until we meet again, please
don't forget that teachers are leaders.
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