Bill Proposed To Teach School Children About Hate Symbols [POLL]

A New York legislator introduced a bill recently that would require state school children to be taught about the meaning of swastikas and other hate symbols, like the noose. Sen. Todd Kaminsky, a Democrat representing District 9 on Long Island, sponsored bill S6648 that would require instruction of symbols of intolerance and hate in curricula for students in grade six through 12.

The bill states, "As incidents of hate crimes have skyrocketed across New York State and the nation as a whole, it is imperative that the legislature mandate compulsory education for school children on the meaning and significance of hateful symbols used to instill fear in communities across our state."

Kaminsky singled out the swastika and the noose, the former the emblem of Nazi Germany and the latter the symbol of racism and intimidation, "with an eye towards stamping out hate, bigotry and intolerance from our great state."

The senator pointed to an uptick in hate crimes, including one incident in early August where seven swastikas were found drawn on the picnic pavilion at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park in Oyster Bay.

He said that going after the perpetrators isn't enough, he told the New York Post.

Kaminsky explained that there needs to be a connection made between historical events and racism.

"Those symbols are meant to intimidate," he told the Post.

The bill, which is in committee, was co-sponsored by Sen. Anna M. Kaplan, a Democrat serving District 7 on Long Island, and Sen. Shelley B. Mayer, a Democrat representing District 37 in Westchester County.

It will be taken up when the Senate returns to work in January, CNN reported. If approved, it will become law no earlier than Sept. 2020.

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