More than a dozen survivors of communist regimes like Vietnam and Cuba traveled to Tallahassee to share their story and support the legislation.
The Florida State Legislature is one step closer to passing legislation making education on the history, philosophies, and global “atrocities” of communism mandatory in public schools.
Senate Bill 1264 was passed favorably through the Appropriations Committee on Education on Feb. 20 after several survivors of communist regimes around the world, as well as the children and grandchildren of survivors, testified to the atrocities they had to endure.
Sponsored by Republican state Sen. Jay Collins, it calls for the formation of a five-person “History of Communism Task Force” within the Department of Education by the 2026-27 school year. Its aim would be to ensure the creation and integration of an age-appropriate curriculum focused on the history, philosophies, and “atrocities” of communism domestically and internationally.
“What this does is focus on the reality of communism to make sure that we teach the truth about it holistically through our educational system, scaffolding year over year ensuring that we teach the very facts of what is done across the world,” he said.
‘Vital for the Future’
According to a 2020 poll conducted by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, 18 percent of Gen Z and 13 percent of Millennials view communism as a system that is more fair than capitalism; 30 percent of Gen Z and 27 percent of Millennials have a favorable view of Marxism, and only 63 percent of both Gen Z and Millennials “believe the Declaration of Independence better guarantees freedom and equality over the Communist Manifesto.”
Jaime Arellano, a political prisoner of the communist Sandinistas in Nicaragua, was freed only a few months ago and flown to the United States, as part of a deal made by the State Department.
Mr. Arellano stood before the Florida committee and said that, after reading about what was happening in the country, “I got away one from one nightmare to land into another nightmare.”
“I think it’s very important for this country… to teach young kids what communists does [sic],” he said. “What communists take away from you. What communists does [sic] to your family. What communists does [sic]… to your dreams.”
By T.J. Muscaro
