1. United States
2. Ind.
3. Letter

I am deeply concerned that the proposed "patriotic education" principles in HR1 legislation threaten the integrity of our educational system and the accurate teaching of American history. Whitewashing complex historical events and mandating a jingoistic curriculum deprives students of a comprehensive understanding of our nation's triumphs and struggles. It is frightening that this bill would hide and obscure the facts and full reality of American history, omitting or sanitizing historical realities from textbooks or classrooms, like slavery, segregation, and racial or minority oppression. This would perpetuate a dangerous revisionism that runs counter to the principles of intellectual honesty and critical thinking. Additionally, forcing an overtly "patriotic" framing prevents students from developing crucial critical thinking skills, which are fostered by engaging with multiple perspectives and the development their own informed opinions. Providing a proper education free of propaganda or forced ideology is exactly what makes America this unique and amazing nation with a rich and complicated history that has resulted in a an amazingly prosperous, free society. Education should foster open inquiry, not nationalistic propaganda. Specific examples of concerning "patriotic education" requirements that should be rescinded from HR1 include: mandated portrayal of founders as unblemished heroes (despite any personal involvement with morally complicated issues like slavery), compulsory celebration of westward expansion without reckoning with Native displacement, and enforced emphasis on American "exceptionalism" over honest assessments of our nation's complexities. The American experiment is at great risk if our politicians cannot let facts and history speak for itself, and allow historians and teachers to present facts without inserting bias. Patriotism naturally thrives when we educate students honestly, free of bias and propaganda, and celebrate and honor truth and free education. I urge you to protect the integrity of American education by removing any "patriotic education" dictates from HR1. Our students deserve a truthful, nuanced exploration of history - not a whitewashed mythologizing crafted for political aims. Preserving robust, ethical education should be of paramount importance "to promote the common welfare and secure the blessings of liberty" for all American children.