Governor DeSantis creates Victims of Communism Day

Earlier this week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a proclamation declaring November 7 as the first annual Victims of Communism Day in Florida.

Florida is home to millions of individuals who came from countries controlled by Communist governments, including Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

According to DeSantis’ office, to honor the memories and sacrifices of those who suffered under these despotic regimes, the Florida legislature passed and Governor DeSantis signed House Bill 395.

The bill establishes a yearly day during which students in Florida’s schools will learn about the acts committed by Communist regimes and the people who have died in communist-controlled countries.

“At a time when Marxism, socialism, and communism are actively promoted by prominent politicians and pop-culture figures in our own country, it is more important than ever to teach Florida’s schoolchildren about the horrific history of Communist countries and to provide them with opportunities to hear from individuals who suffered under the rule of Communist dictators,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “That is why I established Victims of Communism Day and launched an initiative to record video testimonials of Floridians who suffered under these regimes. When we comprehend the horrors of the past brought about as a result of this evil ideology, we are inspired to defend our nation’s republican government, its free enterprise economy, and its vibrant religious traditions and civil society from the forces which seek its destruction.”

“As the daughter of Cuban exiles, I know firsthand the devastating impact communism has had on the people of Cuba,” said Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez. “In Florida, we will not allow that dangerous ideology of communism to permeate into our society, and we will continue to educate our children about the atrocities that have happened at the hands of communist dictators. I am proud that our administration has and will always stand for freedom and oppose those who want to take it away from us.”

“As a Cuban-American, my family is just one of many who have suffered from the evils of communism. Some of the devastating impacts of Communist regimes include the stealing of citizens’ homes, the murdering and imprisoning of their loved ones and the stripping away of their freedoms,” said Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. “It is imperative that every single student in Florida learns of the atrocities committed in the name of communism so that it never has a place here in America. Thank you to Governor Ron DeSantis for honoring those victimized because of this hateful ideology.”

 Per the text of House Bill 395, all public high school students in U.S. Government classes will receive instruction on “topics such as Mao Zedong and the Cultural Revolution, Joseph Stalin and the Soviet System, Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution, Vladimir Lenin and the Russian Revolution, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, and Nicolaìs Maduro and the Chavismo movement, and how victims suffered under these regimes through poverty, starvation, migration, systemic lethal violence, and suppression of speech.”

History and Social Studies teachers of other grade levels will be encouraged to incorporate these themes into their lesson plans, as well.

What do you think?

Send a Letter to The Editor with your thoughts about the newly proclaimed Victims of Communism Day to the Havana Herald editor at:

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