My husband is a high school teacher. He’s had more than a decade of students saying Nazi shit in an attempt to be “edgy.” They seem surprised when he calls them out on their bullshit. His response has made a few (probably too few) of them think twice about how people perceive them because of their words.
Last year was the first time he had a student who spouted that crap because he actually believed it. I think he has a couple of students now who actively identify as fascists. Times, they are a-changin’.
Sometimes it’s “being edgy just for the sake of it isn’t cool. Don’t be an idiot; people fought wars over this.” Students generally respect him, so once they realize he doesn’t play that game, they stop doing it in his classes.
If it’s a specific kind of bigotry, he points out that someone important to him is black/gay/trans/an immigrant/etc, and asks the kid if they’ve even met someone in that group. Most of the time the kid hasn’t and they’re just parroting things they’ve heard at home or online.
If, as kids with this mentality, were never punished or corrected it just carries over.
For a lot of these 4chan-tier chuds, the behavior was likely rewarded and encouraged. That’s how you get Charlie Kirk and Nick Fuentes tier freaks. We are quite literally paying these people to exist and reproduce.
I’m not. Kids did this shit all the time in middle and high school. These people just never ran into any kind of push back or experienced maturity
My husband is a high school teacher. He’s had more than a decade of students saying Nazi shit in an attempt to be “edgy.” They seem surprised when he calls them out on their bullshit. His response has made a few (probably too few) of them think twice about how people perceive them because of their words.
Last year was the first time he had a student who spouted that crap because he actually believed it. I think he has a couple of students now who actively identify as fascists. Times, they are a-changin’.
So what is his go-to response?
Sometimes it’s “being edgy just for the sake of it isn’t cool. Don’t be an idiot; people fought wars over this.” Students generally respect him, so once they realize he doesn’t play that game, they stop doing it in his classes.
If it’s a specific kind of bigotry, he points out that someone important to him is black/gay/trans/an immigrant/etc, and asks the kid if they’ve even met someone in that group. Most of the time the kid hasn’t and they’re just parroting things they’ve heard at home or online.
That sounds like a really good strategy, I like it. Also he must be a good teacher to be respected like that. Thank you both for being the good guys.
None of them were kids, which is sad, but I get your point. If, as kids with this mentality, were never punished or corrected it just carries over.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/10/republican-hitler-group-chat-nazi-politico/
They all were at some point.
For a lot of these 4chan-tier chuds, the behavior was likely rewarded and encouraged. That’s how you get Charlie Kirk and Nick Fuentes tier freaks. We are quite literally paying these people to exist and reproduce.
Glad I was homeschooled then
YMMV. It’s more you should be grateful you didn’t have racist parents.