LANSING, Mich. – A Michigan lawmaker has apologized for wearing a face mask that appeared to depict the Confederate flag during a vote at the state Capitol.
State Sen. Dale Zorn, R-Ida, said in a statement Saturday he was sorry for his “choice of pattern” on the face mask he wore the day before.
“I did not intend to offend anyone; however, I realize that I did, and for that I am sorry. Those who know me best know that I do not support the things this pattern represents. My actions were an error in judgment for which there are no excuses and I will learn from this episode,” he said.
Zorn previously denied that the face covering — a red mask with blue stripes and white stars — was the Confederate flag, telling WLNS-TV on Friday that his wife made it and told him it was more similar to the Kentucky or Tennessee flag.
“It was not a Confederate flag,” he said. “I think even if it was a Confederate flag, you know, we should be talking about teaching our national history in schools and that’s part of our national history and it’s something we can’t just throw away because it is part of our history. And if we want to make sure that the atrocities that happened during that time doesn’t happen again, we should be teaching it. Our kids should know what that flag stands for.”
When asked by a reporter what the flag stands for, Zorn replied, “the Confederacy.”