The wrongs committed by the Soviets, the Chinese and other communist regimes will be discussion fodder for students in the Sunshine State going forward.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed off on SB 1264, a "History of Communism" bill that got just seven "no" votes in the Senate and in the House, as it passed with bipartisan enthusiasm.
The location and timing of the signing was no coincidence: the Hialeah Gardens Museum.
The facility honors the 2506 Assault Brigade during the Bay of Pigs Invasion, a group of anti-Fidel Castro fighters who were imprisoned for 20 months by the Cuban communist regime at the height of Cold War tensions.
DeSantis noted that Wednesday was the 63rd anniversary of the Bay of Pigs, which he called a "noble cause" that resisted the "tyranny" Cubans have faced for at least that long.
Students in traditional public and charter K-12 schools are on track to receive instruction on the history of communism beginning in the 2026-27 academic year in what is billed as an age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate way.
DeSantis said discussion of the "evils of communism" has faded over time, contending that "apologists for communism in our society" abound, especially in academia.
"We're going to tell the truth about the evils of communism, about the unprecedented death toll at the hands of communist tyranny," the Governor promised, citing 100 million casualties over the decades.
A history of communism in the United States as well as a study of "tactics used" by communist activists will also be included, DeSantis said, as part of the "proper foundation" to be set up by the "truth" about the ideology in Florida education.
Education Commissioner Manny Diaz lauded the legislation, noting that it will help people across the state understand "the evils and the perils" of communism, and make sure history does not repeat when it comes to the "devil that is communism," with "age-appropriate" inculcation into "the truth" that expands "Florida's moral legacy" regarding the ideology.
Diaz promised to "penetrate" higher education with Florida's official version of events as well.
To that end, the bill compels the creation of a museum of history of communism, creates the Institute for Freedom in Americas at Miami Dade College, and renames the Adam Smith Center for Study of Economic Freedom as the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom.
There is a key party split on this concept among actual voters, meanwhile.
Polling conducted by Sachs Media found Republicans were overwhelmingly supportive (74%) of an effort to teach K-12 students about the "horrors of communism." By comparison, only 41% of Democrats believe kids need a crash course on Soviet genocide.
While many details remain to be worked out, what's clear is that students who may have had a dim idea about the tensions of the Cold War and the ideological divides of the time will get an idea about what worked their parents and grandparents up many decades ago.
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