Reconstructing this thread again. If you knew me at BHS, you know that Mr. Hart had an immense effect on me in highschool and I used to consider him a great teacher-friend. As not only his ex-student but also a non-binary queer person, seeing him idolize a transphobic nazi shook- https://twitter.com/lindsbitch/status/1317498856913981440

me immensely. He credited Jordan Peterson as the catalyst of his "conservative epiphany" around 3 years ago in a public reddit post. There are sporadic posts that talk about his conservatism and ideology.

After highschool, I looked back on some of the things that he taught us with a realization that it was completely fucked up. @ethnicprxnce explained some of this in a tweet recently about the "counterpoints" he brought up in favor of the discovery of America, which included-

the idea that because "all countries were founded on slavery and colonialism" that it was somehow justified that America was colonized. Though he tried to show that any argument can be refuted, the way he blatantly sympathized with settlers and the practice of slavery is-

simply inexcusable.

I feel so inexplicably disappointed in not only him but myself for falling for this false persona that once seemed to guide me into extremely better writing and thought. A big part of finding my interest in English was through his influence.

And now I look back and piece all of this together and feel sick to my stomach. Especially as a non-binary person. I confided in him and behind mine, (and others), backs, he was supporting a radical transphobe. This is a direct attack on me.

In one specific instance, I came to him in senior year because I had just come out to my mom as bisexual and was having troubles. To think that he was supporting this hate while I shared a vulnerable piece of myself makes everything feel more like a lie.

I feel even more horrible for those marginalized students who had to sit in class and hear those things, and whether they pieced it together at the time or later, suffered through a "defense" for their own oppression.

Mr. Hart was also very openly against postmodernism, which I see as a very essential way to equality and the acceptance of more than one truth. He even warned me not to go to UW Madison because it was full of "brainwashed postmodernists" and in my period of-

ignorance on the subject, I followed his lead. I didn't understand what postmodernism really was until I graduated and did my own readings. Before that, he had tried to mold my understandings against this completely feasible ideology.

So in someway I feel taken advantage of intellectually. I was in a position where I was willing to learn and expressed that interest and he used that to try and project his beliefs onto me. Now I've learned that it's always necessary to question everything and everyone.

I just regret not realizing more of this earlier. But now I do, and I am extremely disappointed and saddened to think that most of my intellectual groundings came from someone who idolizes a bigot interested in degrading myself and my identity.

I'd love to jump on a zoom call with him and express my disappointment, but I think that will come at a later time when I'm less emotional and I can compose all of my thoughts into an organized piece of writing.

Hope we all can move forward and realize that questioning people we once looked up to is essential to personal and intellectual growth. I end here.