Iowa law forbids teachers from telling students "slavery was wrong"
A Republican legislator in Iowa claims that the law he helped to pass
prohibits teachers from
telling students that "slavery is wrong."
The actual text of the law does not go that far. It prohibits saying
that the US, or Iowa, is "fundamentally or systemically racist or
sexist." There is no serious doubt that systemic racism and sexism
exist in Iowa, and in the US generally, so that law tries to censor an
important truth. But it does not seem to prohibit saying "slavery is
wrong." Nonetheless, officials fear it implies that.
People fear that these laws will be stretched and twisted to attack
them because Republicans say they want to try, and Republican judges
are are ready to be dishonest in interpreting laws.