(DCWatchdog.com) – Last week, a bill that would have required Virginia schools to teach about the dangers and victims of communism was rejected by the state’s Democrats.
The opposition to the bill came from the Virginia Education Association (VEA), the state’s largest teachers union, which argued that the bill might encourage anti-Asian sentiment.
Emily Yen, a research coordinator for the VEA, stated that the union was concerned that the bill would subject Asian-American students to anti-Asian sentiments because four out of the five remaining communist regimes are in Asian countries.
Communism was a significant and deadly influence in the 20th century, with the Soviet Union and China being two of the most notable examples of communist regimes.
Communism was also present in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. However, some Asian countries, including Thailand, Japan, and South Korea, were not influenced by communism.
The bill, titled HB 1816, was introduced by Del. John Avoli, a Republican from Staunton, Virginia, and would have required schools to teach about the dangers and victims of communism.
It would have also required the Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, to issue a proclamation annually setting November 7 as Victims of Communism Day. This holiday would have been observed in each public elementary and secondary school in Virginia, honoring the approximately 100 million individuals who communist regimes around the world have killed.
However, opponents argued the bill was unnecessary as the current state curriculum already requires teaching communism and its history. The bill was “passed by indefinitely” along party lines in the state Senate’s Education and Health subcommittee, meaning it could be reconsidered at a later meeting. If the committee takes no further action, the bill is considered dead.
