Teaching the Truth About Communism

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Teaching the Truth About Communism

For students today, the fall of the Berlin Wall is ancient history, if they know about it at all.

Ken Pope
Jun 24, 2023

I still remember it like it was yesterday, those famous words spoken by President Ronald Reagan on June 12, 1987 at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” It was a momentous day for Russians, Germans, Americans, and the entire world. We hoped we had seen the last of its kind—both the wall and the regime it represented.

Communism, however, was far from dead; to this day it still holds 1.5 billion people captive in China, Cuba, North Korea, Laos, and Vietnam.

On paper, communism is appealing to those unaware of its brutal legacy. During the October Revolution, Lenin’s promise of “Peace, Land, and Bread” sounded like the perfect solution to Russia’s problems. That myth is tragically still prevalent today.

By definition, utopia does not exist, and thinking that we can make communism work “this time” has been shown repeatedly to only generate human suffering, rather than a worker’s paradise. Today’s problems of inequality, division, and strife will never be solved by a political theory responsible for the lives of 100 million people and counting.

Thankfully, our children are born without the Soviet nuclear threat that we experienced during the Cold War. But the clear and present danger of communist ideology still exists, and our students are not learning about its enduring legacy in the classroom. This rising generation deserves to know the truth—communism brings about only suffering and the abuse of human rights.

At the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, our goal is to ensure that all students know about the crimes, and the victims, of communism. Next month, we look forward to hosting teachers from around the nation to discuss the truth about communism. VOC’s eighth annual National Seminar for Middle School and High School Educators will provide teachers with witness testimony, instruction from leading experts, and the newest tools and curriculum resources.

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Source:  https://www.theamericanconservative.com/teaching-the-truth-about-communism/

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