In a recent address marking Victims of Communism Day, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took a sharp aim at New York City's Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani.
The commemoration, established in Florida in 2022, has gained heightened significance this year in light of Mamdani's recent electoral triumph.
Governor DeSantis, a staunch advocate for the illumination of communism's lethal dangers, criticized the education system for its role in producing uninformed voters who contributed to Mamdani's victory. "We remember the 100 million killed at the hands of Marxist-Leninist regimes and laud those who bravely fought to break free from communism," DeSantis stated. "We must ensure that young people appreciate the destructiveness of communist ideology."
According to RedState, the commemoration serves not only as a tribute to the countless victims of a lethal political and economic ideology but also as an educational opportunity. A bill signed into law by DeSantis in 2022 mandates schools to implement comprehensive instruction on the history of communism starting from the 20262027 academic year.
"We must ensure the students learn the lessons of history, recognize the destructiveness of MarxismLeninism, and appreciate the founding principles of the American republic," the governor emphasized.
However, the importance of understanding communism's destructive nature seems to have been overlooked by Mamdani's supporters. DeSantis underscored the relevance of Victims of Communism Day in the context of recent political developments. "We just had a guy elected in New York Cityelected the mayor," he remarked during his speech. "You know, I came up to the podium and I quoted Ronald Reagan, he came up to the podium and quoted a guy named Eugene V. Debs, who was a communist."
Nick Arama, a reporter for RedState, pointed out the "troubling" nature of Mamdani's victory speech, which referenced Debs, a renowned socialist arrested under the Espionage Act in 1918 and sentenced to ten years in federal prison. The sun may have set over our city this evening, Mamdani told his supporters. But as Eugene Debs once said, I can see the dawn of a better day for humanity.
Historical data attributes approximately 100 million deaths to communist regimes in the 20th century, including 20 million under Stalin's Soviet Union, 65 million under Mao's China, and millions more in Cambodia, North Korea, and Eastern Europe.
The state of Florida is all too familiar with the horrors of communism. The Cuban communist regime has inflicted untold suffering through systematic human rights abuses, including political repression, arbitrary detentions, and suppression of free speech. The chronic economic stagnation, marked by shortages and poverty, has triggered mass humanitarian crises and forced many to flee to Florida.
"I can't think of a place in this country that has a more instinctive understanding of the dangers of communism than we have in our South Florida communities," DeSantis said.
However, New York City residents seemed to overlook these fundamental truths during the recent election. With Mamdani at the helm, nearly one million residents have indicated their intention to "definitely" leave the city, with many likely to seek refuge in Florida.
This migration trend suggests that the Sunshine State may soon be welcoming not only those fleeing from Cuba but also those escaping the potential consequences of Mamdani's leadership.
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