This is happening at all levels of the education system. I heard yesterday from a friend in East Texas. Her daughter came home from school horrified. Her history teacher told the students that he was required to say that 6 million Jews had died in the Holocaust, but it wasn't true. He had listened to podcasts by "people who knew what the…
This is happening at all levels of the education system. I heard yesterday from a friend in East Texas. Her daughter came home from school horrified. Her history teacher told the students that he was required to say that 6 million Jews had died in the Holocaust, but it wasn't true. He had listened to podcasts by "people who knew what they were talking about." He said it was "just not possible" that 6 million could have been killed--probably more like 500,000. The teacher also said that Hitler undoubtedly was one of the best leaders ever because he was able to get his whole country against the Jews. To put Hitler's accomplishment in perspective, he said, imagine if Trump tried to turn the whole US against Mexicans. It would be hard because "not everyone will hate Mexicans."
My friend called the principal this morning. She's not optimistic that anything will happen. The principal said they would investigate but also said that "people have opinions." I suggested she ask the principal if he think it is appropriate to offer students the opinion that Hitler did a great thing by unifying Germans against Jews. Also, if it's cool to teach opinions, they it must be OK for a teacher to teach critical race theory, right?
This is an extreme case (for the moment), but it's what the new orthodoxy will look like, and it will be enforced by school boards and universities that impose false teaching.
I see two wonderful things in this story...you are doing something about it, and your kid knew enough not to believe it. I was that kind of kid myself. Let's not underestimate how many people will NOT be taken in, and the general trend of the culture toward more empathy and inclusivity. Doesn't mean we don't keep fighting, but we fight with hope!
That story is incredibly disturbing. Yes, people have opinions but there are also facts. The Nazis killed 6 million more other people as well as 6 million Jews that often get left out of the conversation, too. The fact that the principal wouldn't have a serious talk with that teacher is not a good sign.
To add injury to insult, I should have mentioned: My friend fears that just by bringing this to the principal's attention, she and her daughter will become targets for hate and retaliation. While she couldn't let what this teacher did pass without a response, she also is now living in fear.
This is happening at all levels of the education system. I heard yesterday from a friend in East Texas. Her daughter came home from school horrified. Her history teacher told the students that he was required to say that 6 million Jews had died in the Holocaust, but it wasn't true. He had listened to podcasts by "people who knew what they were talking about." He said it was "just not possible" that 6 million could have been killed--probably more like 500,000. The teacher also said that Hitler undoubtedly was one of the best leaders ever because he was able to get his whole country against the Jews. To put Hitler's accomplishment in perspective, he said, imagine if Trump tried to turn the whole US against Mexicans. It would be hard because "not everyone will hate Mexicans."
My friend called the principal this morning. She's not optimistic that anything will happen. The principal said they would investigate but also said that "people have opinions." I suggested she ask the principal if he think it is appropriate to offer students the opinion that Hitler did a great thing by unifying Germans against Jews. Also, if it's cool to teach opinions, they it must be OK for a teacher to teach critical race theory, right?
This is an extreme case (for the moment), but it's what the new orthodoxy will look like, and it will be enforced by school boards and universities that impose false teaching.
I see two wonderful things in this story...you are doing something about it, and your kid knew enough not to believe it. I was that kind of kid myself. Let's not underestimate how many people will NOT be taken in, and the general trend of the culture toward more empathy and inclusivity. Doesn't mean we don't keep fighting, but we fight with hope!
That story is incredibly disturbing. Yes, people have opinions but there are also facts. The Nazis killed 6 million more other people as well as 6 million Jews that often get left out of the conversation, too. The fact that the principal wouldn't have a serious talk with that teacher is not a good sign.
To add injury to insult, I should have mentioned: My friend fears that just by bringing this to the principal's attention, she and her daughter will become targets for hate and retaliation. While she couldn't let what this teacher did pass without a response, she also is now living in fear.