Melanie Hodge: Inter-Lakes board did the right thing opposing HB544

I want to express my deep appreciation to the Inter-Lakes School Board for opposing HB544. As a parent of two Inter-Lakes High School students, I am grateful that teachers will not be hampered from teaching the TRUTH about the history of systemic racism in this country. I want my children to learn about what happened in Tulsa. I want my children to know Emmett Till's name. I want them to know and understand the horror of lynchings. We cannot hide from our past, nor should we. It is time for America to grow up once and for all. The signs that were in favor of this bill stated "save the children"....what they REALLY meant was "save our children from learning the truth." Teaching children the ugly truth about racism in this country will not make them feel ashamed or guilty about being white; on the contrary, by learning the truth, they will become intelligent, thoughtful adults who will work to eliminate racism once and for all. I would like to cite Germany as an example of this – children in Germany learn the shameful truth about how their country treated Jewish people during Hitler's reign. Kudos to the German government for facing up to the truth about this shameful part of their past so that it will never happen again. If we do not face up to the truth in this country, we will never eliminate the horror of racism and we will perpetuate white supremacy, which is the ultimate goal of HB544. 

Melanie Hodge

Sandwich