An Iowa school district has apologized for using a phrase attributed to Heinrich Himmler, the architect of the Nazi Holocaust, as its “Respect Quote of the Day.”
The quote “My honor is my loyalty” was used in the public address system for high school students in Indianola on Monday — as well as in an email to parents, where it was attributed to “Heinrich H,” the Des Moines Register reported .
Himmler’s actual phrase, “loyalty is my honor,” was used by the Schutzstaffel — the Nazi Party’s paramilitary group better known as the SS — to show loyalty to Adolf Hitler, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
The school district later apologized, insisting a “staff member was unaware that the quote was from a highly inappropriate source.”
“This morning (Nov. 20), an administrative staff member accidentally posted the Respect Quote of the Day before checking the source of the quote,” Superintendent Ted Ihns wrote in an email to parents.
Indianola schools Superintendent Ted Ihns, pictured, said it was “totally unintentional.” Indianola Community School District Indianola High School. Indianola Community School District
“I would first like to apologize for the mistake/ Although it was unintentional, I understand that some of those who saw the quote and realized its source were offended,” he wrote, according to KCCI.
“Moving forward, we will be implementing a new process for Honorable Mention of the Day to ensure that we review all sources and ensure that the citation is appropriate for our students,” Ihns added.
Heinrich Himmler.Bettmann Archive
Experts warn that school officials must remember that words can influence people.
“Taking a step back, what are you trying to say?” Jarad Bernstein, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines, told the Register.
Heinrich Himmler, right, meets Adolf Hitler.ullstein bild via Getty Images
“Maybe it’s a powerful tool to help educate, but because you’re going down that path, know what you’re doing, because words have power,” he said.
The US Department of Education recently issued a letter to remind academic institutions of their “federal legal obligation to ensure a non-discriminatory environment” for students amid rising antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents across the country after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, USA Today reports.
The ADL has documented 832 incidents of antisemitic attacks, vandalism and harassment between October 7 and November 7, while the Council on American Islamic Relations has received 1,283 requests for assistance and reports of bias between October 7 and November 4.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
