Recently, a Florida professor told students to write "Jesus" on a piece of paper and stomp on it. What this was supposed to demonstrate is anyone's guess.
Now, some Albany High School students were told to "think like a Nazi" in an assignment that told them to: "argue that Jews are evil and use solid rationale from government propaganda to convince me of your loyalty to the Third Reich!"
Given the rising incidence of anti-Semitic acts in this country and Western Europe, to say nothing of the Middle East, this is appalling. It hardly needs to be said that, among certain minority groups in this country, anti-Semitic feelings are rampant. It is beyond comprehension for a teacher in a school that by its very nature has diversity as one of its traits to give such an assignment.
The teacher, or teachers, responsible for this atrocity showed shockingly poor judgment. As a 30-plus year veteran of teaching high school students, I would suggest those responsible should be told firmly they need to find another line of work and then be relieved of their teaching duties so they can seek it out.
Michael L. Nardacci
Albany