New York students would be required to study the infamous January 6, 2021 Capitol attack as part of their curriculum under proposed state legislation.
The bill aims to incorporate this pivotal event into the existing list of mandatory learning topics, alongside other significant events like slavery, the Holocaust, and mass starvation in Ireland. The measure was introduced by state Senator John Liu, who emphasizes the importance of teaching such historical events to ensure that all public school students in New York are aware of them.
The attack on the U.S. Capitol resulted in injuries to over 140 law enforcement officers and the loss of five lives, as supporters of then-President Donald Trump attempted to prevent the certification of the 2020 presidential election results, which were won by Democrat Joe Biden. The incident has been marred by controversy, with President Trump granting clemency to over 1,500 individuals connected to the insurrection, including most who received pardons and others had their sentences commuted.
In light of these developments, lawmakers believe that it is essential for educators to teach the history of this event. According to Assemblymember Charles Lavine, the bill's sponsor, President Trump's rhetoric and actions have made it crucial to include this topic in school curricula. "This bill is only necessary due to President Trump’s all-out effort to erase the Jan. 6 insurrection from the memory of time," he stated.
The measure would apply to both public and private schools in New York, with lessons required to take place after students reach the age of eight. However, not everyone is supportive of this proposal, as David Laska, communications director for New York's Republican Party, dismissed it as a "distraction" from other pressing issues, such as affordability and immigration crises.
The bill aims to incorporate this pivotal event into the existing list of mandatory learning topics, alongside other significant events like slavery, the Holocaust, and mass starvation in Ireland. The measure was introduced by state Senator John Liu, who emphasizes the importance of teaching such historical events to ensure that all public school students in New York are aware of them.
The attack on the U.S. Capitol resulted in injuries to over 140 law enforcement officers and the loss of five lives, as supporters of then-President Donald Trump attempted to prevent the certification of the 2020 presidential election results, which were won by Democrat Joe Biden. The incident has been marred by controversy, with President Trump granting clemency to over 1,500 individuals connected to the insurrection, including most who received pardons and others had their sentences commuted.
In light of these developments, lawmakers believe that it is essential for educators to teach the history of this event. According to Assemblymember Charles Lavine, the bill's sponsor, President Trump's rhetoric and actions have made it crucial to include this topic in school curricula. "This bill is only necessary due to President Trump’s all-out effort to erase the Jan. 6 insurrection from the memory of time," he stated.
The measure would apply to both public and private schools in New York, with lessons required to take place after students reach the age of eight. However, not everyone is supportive of this proposal, as David Laska, communications director for New York's Republican Party, dismissed it as a "distraction" from other pressing issues, such as affordability and immigration crises.
I gotta say, adding the January 6 Capitol attack to the curriculum in NY schools feels kinda necessary 
. It's not like we don't know what happened or that it won't spark some tough conversations 
. But seriously, if we wanna teach our kids about the consequences of extremism and the importance of democratic values, this is a good starting point 
. I mean, how many of us really think this would be just another "add-on" to the regular curriculum? It's a bold move by Senator Liu, and while some might say it's a distraction from other issues, I say it's about time we had these kinds of discussions in schools 
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. It would help kids understand context and avoid makin mistakes like that again 
! I think it's super important for kids to learn about the January 6th attack and its impact on our country. It's crazy that we need a law to make sure they're taught about it, considering how much attention has been given to the topic since then. I mean, who doesn't want their kids to be informed about what happened at the Capitol? 
these politicians are always trying to control our kids minds. i mean come on, study the 6th of jan every year? like they're gonna make it super fun or something 
. seriously though its kinda necessary considering the whole trump thing and how he's been erasing history left and right. but still gotta wonder if its really a good idea to be making kids learn about this stuff so early on 
I mean, I get where they're coming from, you know? We gotta teach our kids about the dark side of history, but can't we just have some nuance in there too? Like, yeah, President Trump's actions were super problematic, but shouldn't we be focusing on the complexities of that situation rather than just hammering home how bad he is? 
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i dont know how much more trauma we can take with all the politics getting in our kids education they deserve to learn about history but not have it turn into a propaganda fest ... its like lawmakers are trying to prepare them for a world where truth is whatever side you're on 
. and what's next gonna be the 2005 hurricane season or something?
. I mean, we can't just ignore it and hope everyone knows what happened, right? It makes sense to me that they're adding it to the curriculum, especially with all the controversy surrounding President Trump's actions... I don't really get why he had to pardon so many people tho 
. Anyway, I guess it's good that lawmakers are trying to make sure kids learn about this event, even if some people think it's a distraction 
And what's next? Are they gonna make us teach Trump's Twitter rants too 
. We gotta have honest conversations and make sure everyone's on the same page when it comes to what really happened. And yeah, maybe we can learn somethin' new from President Trump's actions too 
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! And I hope Assemblymember Lavine's right that we need to include this in school curricula, 'cause if we don't, who will? 
. By teaching this stuff, we're giving kids a chance to learn from history and avoid repeat mistakes 
. We can't just pretend like everything's okay when it's not 
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. Plus, it's not like we want future generations to forget what happened on that day 
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. i mean i guess it's good that they wanna teach us about this event, but do we really need to be learning about it at age 8?! 
. plus, isn't teaching kids about the capitol attack kinda gonna make them more angry and passionate about politics? wouldn't that be bad for the future of america?! 