Rob Port
Say Anything Blog
5/1/2012
Since 2007 Ilya Somin has been using the occasion of May 1st, the traditional day of international solidarity for the world’s labor and socialist movements, to commemorate the victims of that horrendous ideology.
He calls it the Victims of Communism Day, and he hopes we will begin to commemorate it in the same way the victims of the Holocaust are commemorated.
From initial 2007 post:
May Day began as a holiday for socialists and labor union activists, not just communists. But over time, the date was taken over by the Soviet Union and other communist regimes and used as a propaganda tool to prop up their regimes. I suggest that we instead use it as a day to commemorate those regimes’ millions of victims. The authoritative Black Book of Communism estimates the total at 80 to 100 million dead, greater than that caused by all other twentieth century tyrannies combined. We appropriately have a Holocaust Memorial Day. It is equally appropriate to commemorate the victims of the twentieth century’s other great totalitarian tyranny. And May Day is the most fitting day to do so. I suggest that May Day be turned into Victims of Communism Day….
Read the rest at Say Anything.
CAJ note: There are those of us of a certain age and ancestry who remember May Day fondly as the tradition of May baskets. The Old Farmers Almanac writes:
Welcome May! Which branches in your area are flowering?
In some regions, May Day is celebrated today. The custom of “bringing in the May” involves gathering budding branches–or, filling a basket with flowers and other goodies to celebrate spring.
Not so very long ago women and children would craft pretty baskets of simple materials as gifts for neighbors and relatives. For many of us this day represents the celebration of Beltane. In my memory the day is one of baskets of flowers and Morris dancing or other folk dances around a May pole, not one in which shops and banks are damaged and employees are possibly exposed to anthrax or other life-threatening risks.
See how Communism destroys absolutely everything that is joyful and beautiful?
Update: Homeland Security Official Praises Socialist Holiday: “Happy May Day! #solidarity’”
