Inoculating Your Children from Socialism

Welcome to Breakpoint, a daily look at an ever-changing culture through the lens of unchanging truth for the Colson Center on John Stone Street. According to a 2025 survey, 62% of Americans under 40 have a positive view of socialism or communism. Where did that come from and what should be done? That's the question we asked Eric Patterson, president of the Victims of Communism Museum and Memorial Foundation. Here's Dr.

Patterson. We have a problem with both practical socialism and ideological socialism. We've raised a generation of practical socialists, meaning their every need and desire has been provided for by an external authority. with apparently no personal cost. Why shouldn't this support extend into one's twenties and beyond?

On the ideological side, many of us were not paying attention when the media and public education radically changed the fundamental narrative taught in our schools. No more the hard fought American dream. Instead? They were taught that our history is one of oppressors. usually white and Christian or Jewish.

GRINDING THE OPPRESSED And therefore, today we need a radical restructuring. of American institutions. Ideas do have consequences. Good ideas have good consequences. And so recentering on gratitude.

work and value creation. rifle patriotism, and other key themes can help. The first step is to cultivate gratitude rather than entitlement. in the next generation. This begins at home with how we teach our children to say thank you, show respect to teachers and elders.

And recognize the blessings of daily life in America: food on the table, safety. freedom to fully practice our faith. and opportunity for advancement. These are privileges that millions around the world are denied. and we should not take them for granted.

Tied to this. is a generation that deeply distrusts authority.

Some of this is the result of failures by older generations. Broken Homes. Public scandals, and a culture that too often mocks or dismisses the role of public officials. police. and even parents.

Think for a moment, how many times have our kids heard that All politicians are corrupt. or the police mocked as Popo. or donut lovers. when legitimate authority and public service is undermined in the home, and in the public square, It leaves a vacuum that radical ideologies are all too ready to fill. By the time these young people arrive in college, They are primed to see America's story not as one of opportunity and progress.

but as a litany of oppression. and injustice. How we model gratitude and respect for authority, both in word and deed. matters more than ever. We must also be mindful of what our children and teenagers consume.

Not just in the form of traditional books. but also through the boundless content found online. Today content Spans everything from school textbooks and Wikipedia articles. to viral TikTok videos and Instagram feeds. Much of this material shapes the world view more powerfully than any classroom lesson.

Limiting exposure to harmful or heated in stick material is only part of the equation. We must also provide access to uplifting stories and ideas. that reinforce the values we hope to see flourish. For instance, Carmen Agradides. the rooster who would not be quiet.

and Carina Felina. are children's books. that are obvious analogies of the communism that has decimated her native Cuba. At my work at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, We've created a curated Amazon page of appropriate materials for different age groups, as well as curricula for elementary and middle school families and schools that tells stories of courage, honesty, and sacrifice. in contrast with the evils of communism.

Some examples are Mia's first potato chip. Red Scarf Girl Learning Liberty Through Freedom Movements. and many others. Another vital element is the cultivation of rightful patriotism. which C.

S. Lewis says in The Four Loves, stems from an appropriate love of home. Patriotism does not mean ignoring our nation's shortcomings. Rather, it means an honest pride in the American story, a story that, while imperfect, is remarkable for its steady march towards greater freedom and equality. One of the best ways to cultivate a love of America is by speaking with recent immigrants.

My family has heard me quiz taxi drivers, Afghans, Ethiopians, Ukrainians, Pakistanis, Somalis, and others. who fled the devastation of their homelands. and who deeply appreciate the freedoms. and opportunities. U.S.

offers. A fourth element that deserves attention is the value of work. For too many young people today, the experience of holding a job Earning a paycheck. and learning to manage money is delayed or missing entirely. Just a few years ago, it was common for teenagers to take on summer jobs, molans, babysit.

or work in local stores. Their work created value. and they were compensated for that value. learning the value of a dollar. Saving up for something special, and making decisions about spending and giving.

are all part of growing into a responsible citizen. Finally. We must not neglect the role of religious faith in the shaping of young people's character. Martin Luther King Jr. rightly observed that communism is incompatible with Christianity.

because it is secular. Atheistic. and materialistic. Our Judeo-Christian heritage teaches the opposite. It instils a sense of human worth.

Dignity. and responsibility for family and neighbors. It teaches that every person is created in the image of God. deserving of respect. and of compassion.

By teaching children about faith. Gratitude rightful patriotism and the value of work. we instill in them a sense of purpose and reality. That can withstand. the destructive ideologies.

of this civilizational moment. That was Eric Patterson, president of the Victims of Communism Museum and Memorial Foundation. Learn more about their work at vocmuseum.org. That's vocmuseum.org. For the Colson Center, I'm John Stone Street with Breakpoint.

If you're a fan of Breakpoint, please leave us a review wherever you download podcasts. And you can always find more resources and share this commentary with other people by visiting breakpoint.org.