Seniors at a New Mexico high school voted last week for “prom-munism,” or a Communist-themed prom. Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School will hold its inappropriately-themed prom on April 25.
Whether the seniors hold a favorable view of communism or chose the theme to mock communists, the choice shows ignorance of communism’s victims.
Would any student body approve of a genocide or slavery-themed prom? What about a prom modeled around the oppression of free speech?
Over 100 million people have lost their lives to communism throughout history, more than the death toll from World War II.
It is ironic that seniors voted for communism as a theme, given the rarity of free and fair elections in communist nations. In the Soviet Union, millions of political opponents were sent to Gulag labor camps. Over a million were worked to death.
Off-color jokes about communism and genocide are not uncommon in daily life, but a communist prom is shameful, even if done in jest. It would be unacceptable for a high school to hold a Nazi-themed prom where students wore swastikas, even if this was done to mock Nazi ideals.
The only way communism is viable as a prom theme is if the event is meant to memorialize communism’s victims. Such an event would be highly educational, but the typical grandeur and joy of a high school prom would be lost.
The theme should not only be viewed as problematic by conservatives who oppose the socialist economic policies that communists pursue. Liberals should be equally outraged by the lack of free speech and basic human rights for those living under communist rule.
Cottonwood Classical’s executive director, Sam Obenshain, planned to discuss the theme with students on Tuesday. The Albuquerque Journal reports that Obenshain has the power to veto the theme. Obenshain said, technically, only the word “prom-munism” was voted on and blamed the media for assuming it was related to communism. But students told local news the name implies communism.
Cottonwood Classical is a public charter school, so taxpayer dollars may be used to fund “prom-munism,” depending on whether the school fully funds the event or if students must raise all necessary funds.
Next year, Cottonwood Classical’s social studies teachers may want to spend more time focusing on the horrors wrought by Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Kim Jong-il, and other communist leaders.
Even more ironic than students voting for “prom-munism” would be for Obenshain to veto the theme. After the backlash over “prom-munism,” seniors should re-vote on their prom theme. Hopefully they have learned more about communism in the past week and will opt for a more sensible one.
