My Cardboard Balcony

I Have Been Branded by Belinda Roddie I have been branded a sinner, a whore, a concubine for my allegedly gluttonous and sinful acts. I have been bitterly charged with harming the children and converting them to a "deathstyle." I have been verbally condemned, a Bible serving as a dusty moral compass. Yet every morning, I wake up and eat breakfast while figuring out cryptograms and crossword puzzles. Then I go to school to teach second graders to read and write and understand their culture. At last, I go home to write and at night, I do send my love to my girl. Tell me, where's the sin?

"It was a slight lapse in communication." "Slight? Slight? " barked Mrs. Birch, glowering over her old-fashioned pince-nez. "Freaking gargantuan is more like it! Mister Hernandez, do you have any idea how much your words will impact our school?" The short little black-haired man was fidgeting. It was amazing how a Coors-influenced Facebook comment could spark so much fury from so many people. Especially the gay-affirmative Cynthia Birch.