LANSING, Mich. (NEXSTAR) — A Michigan state senator is explaining himself when he was seen at the state capitol on Friday wearing a mask that appeared to have the Confederate flag on it.

State Senator Dale Zorn told WLNS-TV that his wife made the mask for him, and that it was not a Confederate flag.

“I told my wife it probably will raise some eyebrows, but it was not a Confederate flag,” said Zorn.

Zorn defended the mask, saying that even if it was a Confederate flag, it is important to cover the Civil War in schools.

“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,” Zorn said. “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.”