1. United States
2. Ga.
3. Letter

I strongly urge against passing H.R. 5349, the Crucial Communism Teaching Act. This bill aims to develop a curriculum that portrays communism as an inherently evil ideology, responsible for over 100 million deaths worldwide. However, presenting such a one-sided, inflammatory narrative will only breed further division and hostility. A balanced, nuanced approach is needed when teaching about complex political philosophies and their historical impacts. Indoctrinating students with a particular viewpoint, rather than encouraging critical thinking, goes against the principles of democratic education. Furthermore, the proposed oral history resources risk promoting harmful stereotypes and oversimplifying diverse personal experiences. Educational materials should prioritize objectivity, intellectual rigor, and respect for cultural differences. I implore you to reject this misguided legislation and instead support efforts to foster open-minded, well-rounded discussions of political systems and ideologies in our classrooms.