As Michael pointed out, freedom does not mean you can do and say whatever you please. There are limits. To simplify a point that Michael raised, freedom of speech does not mean you can shout 'FIRE' in a crowded movie theater as a prank, and then try to hide behind the First Amendment's free speech protection.

Also, you need to be graceful sometimes. You may not have meant any disrespect toward the veterans who visited your school, but you showed a lack of grace and regardless of your intent, you disrespected them. A wise man once wrote that there is a time to speak up and a time to shut up. A wise person must know when to exercise good judgement by knowing when to speak and when to be quiet. Just because you have an opinion doesn't mean you always have to blurt it out and force it on others around you. Call it prudence if you will.

Also, we're not a nation of war mongers. Any sane person is opposed to war, but as long as evil exists, there will always be a need for soldiers and sailors who stand ready to take on the forces of evil. No sane person would ever express a desire to go into combat and take another person's life. No sane person boasts about the people he has killed in combat. But again, as long as there is evil in the world, we must have soldiers who are trained and ready to go war. The job of combating evil has fallen on the United States for the last hundred years or so. But if you and others like you truly dislike our foreign policies, I would be more than happy to see America return to pre-World War II isolationist policies, including the suspension of all foreign aid payments, and just let the rest of the world fend for itself.

By saying they probably voted for Trump shows you have a negative attitude towards other political beliefs. My guess is that there is more to the story than you are telling us. If you tried to politically indoctrinate students, I as a parent would want you gone too. You've given two examples of political bias. Do you see the trend?

I have lost two non teaching jobs and one teaching post on grounds of "not being an American style" born again Christian-everything ok until people found out when others found out by their nosey inquiries-suddenly, things started to go wrong. They started looking for fault to terminate my employment, forcing me to an Indian Reservation school where it doesn't matter. I've never seen anything so secular.

Bon Jour Martine. While I agree with some of what you say, there are some pretty glaring flaws in your anti-war logic and your socio/cultural comment about native-born Americans being free to say whatever they like is flat out wrong. Let's start with the former. While war is an abomination, it is sometimes a necessary, though regrettable, means to an end. Let's take a look at the history of your own native country as an illustrative case in point. What do you think would have happened if, rather than resisting the German invasions of 1914 and 1940, France had opted for the nobler path of peaceful acquiescence through military and political capitulation? Imperialists and Nazis are often immune to the subtle nuances of peaceful negotiation and compromise; consequently, I think France would still be an out-lying zip code in the German postal system had she not resisted Germany's attempts at subjugation. As for your comment about Americans being able to say whatever they want because of the happy coincidence of citizenship status, at best that is a patently fallacious statement or, at worst, a mendacious falsehood. With freedom comes responsibility. Nowhere is this better exemplified than the freedom of free speech which is accompanied by the obligations of personal responsibility and legal accountability. Were I to say something untrue that cost you your job or your clients, you would have legal recourse to remedies through the civil torts of slander, defamation and even tortuous interference. Furthermore, the accompanying odium arising from social disapprobation is not something to dismiss lightly. People have lost their jobs because of imprudent racial/ethnic/sexist/homophobic remarks. Anybody remember Howard Cosell? So the notion that Americans are immune to recrimination because of their citizenship status is, quite frankly, bullshit. Finally, let me leave you with a parting thought. I've traveled extensively around the world and I have noticed that Europeans are much more open with their political views than we are here in America. While abroad, I've been abruptly asked by complete strangers for my political beliefs and to explain political events as though I were an intimate member of the President's National Security Counsel and perforce privy to the inner-most deliberations of his staff. Don't do that here. Its just...unwise. Remember the ancient maxim: "When in Rome, do as the Romans". Ergo, I recommend refraining from discussing politics outside a social setting (and even then I urge you to use due care) while you are visiting...after all, following the host's customs is the courteous thing for a guest to do. Remember, you were hired to teach, not regal your students and their parents with your enlightened European political acumen and incisiveness.

If you're going to bring politics into any situation--especially employment--you're only asking for trouble.