New Hampshire voters should be alarmed by the recent passage of HB 544, co-sponsored by Rep. Glenn Cordelli. This bill is an anti-First Amendment bill designed to censor educators, state employees, contractors and students from having important conversations about race and gender. Republicans, aware that this legislation is unpopular (Gov. Sununu opposes it), tabled HB 544 only to hide it inside the larger state budget bill, HB 2. HB 2 passed the House on April 7th, so this bill is now on its way to a Senate vote.
The bill seeks to bar educators from teaching certain truths about our country deemed “divisive concepts.” If enacted into law, HB 2 (the former HB 544) would limit classroom discussions about whether or not racism exists in our state or country by forbidding teachers and students from stating that New Hampshire or the U.S. is racist. U.S. history is steeped in racism. Think about slavery, Jim Crow laws, the “Yellow Peril” and Japanese Internment during WWII. It’s true that slavery has been abolished, but one could reasonably argue that institutional racism still exists. Why not encourage having this conversation in the classroom with each side debating the issue? HB 2 would ban educators and students from participating in such a debate. This sort of muzzling suppresses the First Amendment rights of teachers and students and should be condemned. Please call your senator and ask him or her to vote “no” on HB 2.
Bonnie Chehames
Melvin Village