PRINTER'S NO. 1372
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
272
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY ARGALL, MASTRIANO, PHILLIPS-HILL, DINNIMAN,
BARTOLOTTA, BROWNE, J. WARD, MARTIN AND COSTA,
NOVEMBER 15, 2019
REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, NOVEMBER 15, 2019
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of November 2019 as "Victims of Communism
Memorial Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, The year 2017 marked 100 years since the Bolshevik
Revolution in Russia resulting in the world's first communist
regime under Vladimir Lenin, which led to decades of oppression
and violence under communist regimes throughout the world; and
WHEREAS, Based on the philosophy of Karl Marx, communism has
proven incompatible with the ideals of liberty, prosperity and
dignity of human life and has given rise to such infamous
totalitarian dictators as Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Ho Chi
Minh, Pol Pot, Nicolae Ceaușescu, the Castro brothers and the
Kim dynasty; and
WHEREAS, President Donald Trump declared November 7, 2017, as
the "National Day for the Victims of Communism," condemning
communism as a political philosophy "incompatible with liberty,
prosperity and the dignity of human life"; and
WHEREAS, The bipartisan United States Congressional Victims
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
of Communism Caucus stated publicly in 2018 that "Marx's
defenders often say he cannot be held accountable for what
communist regimes did long after his life and death; but Marxist
dictators who massacred their own people were applying communist
ideology to political practice"; and
WHEREAS, Communist regimes worldwide have killed more than
100 million people and subjected countless others to the worst
and widest-spread human rights abuses known to history, with
victims representing many different ethnicities, creeds and
backgrounds; and
WHEREAS, Through false promises of equality and liberation,
communist regimes have, as a matter of government policy, robbed
their own citizens of the rights of freedom of religion, freedom
of speech and freedom of association through coercion, brutality
and fear; and
WHEREAS, Many victims of communism were persecuted as
political prisoners for speaking out against these regimes and
others were killed in genocidal, state-sponsored purges; and
WHEREAS, In addition to violating basic human rights,
communist regimes have suppressed freedom of conscience,
cultural life and self-determination movements in more than 40
nations; and
WHEREAS, The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in
Washington, DC, a nonprofit organization authorized by a
unanimous act of the United States Congress, educates people
about the ideology, history and legacy of communism and honors
those who have suffered and died under communist regimes;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
designate the month of November 2019 as "Victims of Communism
20190SR0272PN1372 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Memorial Month" in Pennsylvania; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Chief Clerk of the Senate of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania transmit a copy of this resolution
to the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation so that members
of the organization may be apprised of the Commonwealth's action
on this matter; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Chief Clerk of the Senate of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania post this designation on the
publicly accessible Internet website of the Senate.
20190SR0272PN1372 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9