Last week, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., introduced a bill “ to help educate students about the history and dangers of communism” with the help of U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.
Kennedy brought out the “Crucial Communism Teaching Act” with Scott co-sponsoring it.
“Communism has led to the deaths of more than 100,000,000 victims worldwide, while more than 1,500,000,000 people currently suffer under communist rule. Still, a 2020 poll by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation showed that more than one in four Millennials and nearly one in three members of Generation Z view communism favorably,” Scott’s office noted. “The Crucial Communism Teaching Act would make educational materials available through the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to help teach high school students about the dangers of communism and totalitarianism. The bill would also require high schools to teach students the history of communism and how this ideology undermines America’s founding principles of freedom and democracy.”
The senators weighed in on why they were backing the proposal last week.
“Communism is a cancer, and it always produces the same results: oppression, suffering and death. We must teach the next generation of Americans the threat communism poses to liberty and justice for innocent people around the world,” said Kennedy.
“America is the beacon of freedom and democracy around the world—principles our nation was founded on. As the far left abandons those principles and pushes the failed policies of socialist and communist nations, our Crucial Communism Teaching Act will make educational materials available to schools that shine a light on the dangers of communism in our society. For many families, especially in my state of Florida, the United States has been a stark contrast to the communist rule that once stripped them of their freedom, liberty and basic human rights and dignity. We can’t let that happen in America,” said Scott.
The bill was sent to the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. So far, there is no companion measure over in the U.S. House.