Indiana GOP State Senator Demands Teachers Be Neutral on Nazism

Indiana is among many states where Republican legislators are trying to overhaul what can be taught in the classroom in the name of banning critical race theory - real or imagined. 

It is now the second state where teaching children about The Holocaust has been called into question. Back in October, a Texas school board official came under fire when she told teachers they would have to present "opposing views" when teaching The Holocaust.

During a hearing on SB 167 last week, a teacher named Matt Bockenfeld expressed his concern about being prohibited from "promoting certain emotional reactions" from students in that it would prohibit him about teaching about the rise of Nazism in Europe. Bockenfeld stated, "But we're not neutral on Nazism, We take a stand against it and it matters that we do."

However, GOP State Senator Scott Baldwin, who introduced the bill, stated:

I'm not discrediting as a person Marxism, Nazism, fascism. I'm not discrediting any of these isms out there and I've no problem with the education system providing instruction on the existence of these isms. I believe we've gone too far when we take a position on those isms as it relates to - we need to be impartial.

Why do we need to be impartial about Nazism?

A somewhat chastened Baldwin subsequently issued another statement:

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 believe that kids should learn about these horrible events in history so that we don't experience them again in humanity.

Yet Bockenfeld was very specific in talking about Nazism and Baldwin's response was to say teachers had gone too far in taking a position on the subject. Even in his modified statement, Baldwin fails to acknowledge to unique evil which was wrought by Nazism by seeking to eliminate Jews from the face of the Earth.

Somehow I don't think this will be the last time that teaching about Holocaust becomes verboten in the name of banning critical race theory.