Congressman Cohen Condemns School Board Banning of Holocaust Novel

MEMPHIS - Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), who as a state senator sponsored and assured the passage of a bill creating the Tennessee Holocaust Commission in 1984, today condemned the decision by the McMinn County School Board to ban Maus, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Art Spiegelman's graphic novel about the Holocaust.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

"The unanimous decision of the McMinn County School Board to ban the graphic novel Maus from its curriculum is another unfortunate and embarrassing example of close-mindedness. It's also censorship and typical of a trend we're seeing around the country of right-wing politicians attempting to shield themselves from the painful truths of history. It appears the subject matter of Maus is as concerning as its use of mild profanity and a single instance of nudity.

"We're a century away from the Scopes Monkey Trial but, for the McMinn County School Board, it appears not much has changed since the neighboring county put the theory of evolution on trial.

"I created the Tennessee Holocaust Commission and served on it as an ex officio member to help schools and other institutions better understand and teach the horrors of the Holocaust.

"Art Spiegelman's novel opens minds to the history of the Nazi genocide we're remembering on today's anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps in 1945. I look forward to seeing the school board decision reversed."

As Co-Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, better known as the Helsinki Commission, Congressman Cohen has been a strong and consistent voice against antisemitism on both national and international fronts. Congressman Cohen has been a consistent supporter of legislation and other Congressional efforts to ensure those lost in the Holocaust are never forgotten.

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