{"id":1503228,"date":"2022-06-04T08:19:29","date_gmt":"2022-06-04T12:19:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1503228"},"modified":"2022-06-04T08:19:33","modified_gmt":"2022-06-04T12:19:33","slug":"gabriella-hoffman-visit-d-c-s-new-museum-honoring-the-victims-of-communism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gabriella-hoffman-visit-d-c-s-new-museum-honoring-the-victims-of-communism\/","title":{"rendered":"Gabriella Hoffman: Visit D.C.\u2019s New Museum Honoring the Victims of Communism"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgabriella-hoffman-visit-d-c-s-new-museum-honoring-the-victims-of-communism%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1503228&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><\/div>\n<aside id=\"aside1\" class=\"left aside-wrapper aside-wrapper-950\">\n<\/aside>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">A new Washington, D.C.-based museum honoring the 100 million plus victims of global communism opens later this month.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Originally slated to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bizjournals.com\/washington\/news\/2020\/12\/07\/victims-of-communism-museum-coming-to-d-c-in-2021.html\">open<\/a> in 2021, the <a href=\"https:\/\/victimsofcommunism.org\/404-not-found\/?r=https:\/\/victimsofcommunism.org\/?page_id=324\">Victims of Communism Museum<\/a> will <a href=\"https:\/\/victimsofcommunism.org\/voc-museum\/\">welcome<\/a> visitors starting June 13th, 2022. It\u2019s managed by the <a href=\"https:\/\/victimsofcommunism.org\/\">Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation<\/a>\u2014an organization <a href=\"https:\/\/victimsofcommunism.org\/about\/#:~:text=The%20Foundation%20was%20authorized%20in,Memorial%20statue%20in%20Washington%2C%20D.C.\">established<\/a> in 1993 by a \u201cunanimous Act of Congress signed as Public Law 103-199 by President William J. Clinton on December 17, 1993.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">This museum will educate visitors about the atrocities committed under communist regimes and discuss its global reach under totalitarian governments today.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">I had the opportunity to preview the new attraction with other media members yesterday afternoon. Here\u2019s what I learned.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">What to Expect When Visiting<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Finding the museum won\u2019t be difficult for visitors given its convenient location near McPherson Square in downtown Washington. It\u2019s easily accessible by Metro or car and is mere blocks from the White House.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The venue occupies 9,492 square feet across two floors. But don\u2019t let the size deceive you. The exhibits will absolutely leave an indelible mark.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Guests will have the opportunity to explore three galleries guiding them through the history of communism.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The first gallery documents the rise of communism under Vladimir I. Lenin and his bloody Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 to the formation of the Communist International, or Comintern, which exported \u201cthe revolution\u201d globally.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/victimsofcommunism.org\/leader\/ambassador-andrew-bremberg\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Ambassador Andrew Bremberg<\/a>, current President and CEO of VOC Memorial Foundation, described it as providing \u201ca historical context of the origins of communism, starting with the Communist Manifesto and Lenin and Lenin&#8217;s rise to power\u2014importantly, Lenin\u2019s terror and what is taking place as he takes over Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">In the second of three galleries, visitors will learn about communism\u2019s reign of terror taking hold internationally following Lenin\u2019s death.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/victimsofcommunism.org\/leader\/elizabeth-spalding-phd\/\">Dr. Elizabeth Spalding<\/a>, VOC Memorial Foundation Vice Chairman and museum founding director, noted this section is for \u201cvisitors to understand that it&#8217;s about individuals, not just about whole entire countries or millions of people.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">I noticed panels highlighting the victims of the Katyn Massacre and Holodomor genocide, among several atrocities profiled. Victims from beyond Europe were prominently featured, too.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">In the third gallery, guests will discover how resistance movements took hold in Asia, Europe, and South America.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Dr. Lee Edwards, VOC co-founder and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heritage.org\/staff\/lee-edwards\">Heritage Foundation<\/a> distinguished fellow, remarked the rise of communist China \u201chas helped us to realize what we hope to do [with the museum], which is to call attention to the people exactly what communism was all about.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">An interactive feature called \u201cConditions Under Communism\u201d lets guests test their knowledge about the grim realities befalling these nations.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Afterwards, we headed up to the second floor to a room dedicated to rotating temporary exhibits. The current exhibit highlights the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Curators explained this space will host an upcoming feature on Cuba and other nations every six months.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Our final stop on the media tour was meeting participants of Victims of Communism\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/victimsofcommunism.org\/programs\/witness-project\/\">Witness Project<\/a>, the organization\u2019s award-winning video series, in the adjacent conference room.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">There I met <a href=\"https:\/\/victimsofcommunism.org\/speaker\/merita-mccormack\/\">Merita McCormack<\/a>, originally from communist Albania, who is grateful to VOC for keeping her and her family\u2019s stories alive.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cThere&#8217;s many folds of importance here,\u201d she told me. \u201cFirst of all, you tell the story\u2014 tell a true story\u2014 which is not been even told in our own countries. Second, it&#8217;s healing. It&#8217;s very therapeutic for those who have gone into seeing that somebody cares and tells the stories. And the third is, I think most important, and this is kind of got me into getting involved with this, is that our children that are Americans know what happens. And it [communism] doesn&#8217;t happen here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cIn order for the future to be safe of certain dangers, we have to tell the stories of what happened. We don&#8217;t want that repeated,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Having an Impact Beyond the Museum<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The museum\u2019s opening coincides with a push, largely by Republican lawmakers, to make education about communism\u2019s crimes on par with education about Nazi Germany\u2019s horrors.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Several states have <a href=\"https:\/\/victimsofcommunism.org\/programs\/voc-day\/\">designated<\/a> November 7th \u201cVictims of Communism\u201d Day. Last June, Florida <a href=\"https:\/\/www.myfloridahouse.gov\/Sections\/Documents\/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_h0005__.docx&#038;DocumentType=Bill&#038;BillNumber=0005&#038;Session=2021&#038;utm_source=VOC+Universe&#038;utm_campaign=007cdfc5fa-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_11_05_10_31_COPY_01&#038;utm_medium=email&#038;utm_term=0_98a5128251-007cdfc5fa-\">adopted<\/a> updated educational standards to teach kids the truth about collectivist regimes. The Arizona legislature is also <a href=\"https:\/\/tucson.com\/news\/local\/education\/bill-would-require-arizona-schools-to-teach-communisms-conflict-with-democracy\/article_3fa81b86-aa01-11ec-bdff-e3fcf3ace316.html\">weighing<\/a> a related bill. And Dr. Edwards mentioned to our group the Virginia General Assembly may soon consider legislation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">In December, Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) introduced H.R. 6123, or the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/117th-congress\/house-bill\/6123?s=1&#038;r=16\">Crucial Communism Teaching (CCT) Act<\/a>. This bill, if passed, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/117th-congress\/house-bill\/6123?s=1&#038;r=16\">would<\/a> direct \u201cthe Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to develop a civic education curriculum and oral history resources for high school students to promote understanding of certain political ideologies (e.g., communism and totalitarianism) that conflict with principles of U.S. democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">As a daughter of immigrants who fled Soviet-occupied Lithuania, I\u2019m confident the museum can educate Americans about communism\u2019s true nature and help open their eyes to its deadly legacy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The Victims of Communism Museum is located near the McPherson Metro Stop at 900 15th St NW in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the museum at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.victimsofcommunism.org\/\">www.victimsofcommunism.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new Washington, D.C.-based museum honoring the 100 million plus victims of global communism opens later this month.Originally slated to open in 2021, the Victims of Communism Museum<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":489,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1503228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1503228","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/489"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1503228"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1503228\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1503228"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1503228"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1503228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}