A state senator in Indiana apologized Saturday for telling a history teacher during a legislative committee hearing that he shouldn’t condemn Nazism. During a hearing on a bill that would require schools to form committees that include parents to review all curricula, a history teacher, Matt Bockenfield, brought up teaching Nazism, saying, “For example, it’s the second semester of U.S. history, so we’re learning about the rise of fascism and Nazism right now. I’m not neutral on the political ideology of fascism. We condemn it.” Republican Sen. Scott Baldwin responded, “I have no problem with the education system providing instruction on the existence of those ‘isms.’ I believe that we’ve gone too far when we take a position on those ‘isms’… We need to be impartial.” He continued, “I’m not discrediting Nazism, fascism, Marxism, or any of those ‘isms’ out there.” In a comment to the Indy Star, however, Baldwin backtracked: “Nazism, Marxism and fascism are a stain on our world history and should be regarded as such, and I failed to adequately articulate that in my comments during the meeting.”
I hoped that I was wrong, but instead my fears were confirmed.
Here is a sitting senator insisting teachers can only “provide instruction on the existence” of Nazism, but “we’ve gone too far when we take a position on” it pic.twitter.com/VJfKAuOFXX
