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If you would like to contact Rep. Wiens, please do NOT reply to this email. Rep. Wiens can be reached at?[email protected].
Dear Friends,
This week, I signed onto a?letter?urging Governor Walz to direct the Commissioner of Education to retract the notice of intent to adopt the new social studies standard over ?harmful and hateful? language currently included in the proposed standards. It is unfortunate that divisive language and concepts would be adopted into Minnesota education curricula at the expense of the shared history of Minnesotans.??
Prior to running for office, my great friend and AP History teacher Doug Norlander?alerted me to the development of new history standards which?made little to no reference to WW1, WW2 and the Holocaust. These?cataclysmic events?of the 20th?century changed America's role in the world for the good and many Minnesotans served that end. We established an information campaign and collaborated with veteran and history groups plus the JCRC to push back on this lack of inclusion.?
In light of recent world events, there are some troubling references in the proposed standards to ?settler colonialism? and ?anti-colonialism? that share similarities to the anti-Semitic language that is being used by the Democratic Socialists, including the?Twin Cities DSA.
Like many of you, I have been horrified by the war raging in the Middle East. I have been equally disturbed by the rhetoric that has ensued. Hate has no place in our world, and it certainly has no place in our schools or academic standards. It is unconscionable to defend, let alone include some of the violent, anti-Semitic language in our children?s education.
I hope the Governor will strongly reconsider the controversial proposed standards. He has rightly stood against members of his party in condemning the terrorist attacks in Israel, and I am urging him to extend that same approach to the social studies standards.??
In addition I invite you to the Minnesota History Center on Tuesday October? 24th?at 7 PM for the WW2 Round Table. I will be interviewing two WW2 Veterans and moderating a discussion with renowned historian Alex Kershaw (author of The Liberator-now a Netflix series). You will hear first hand accounts of combat and the phenomenal?analysis of the 'Friends of the National WW2 Memorial's Resident Historian.'
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