MSM All But Ignores Dedication of Memorial to Victims of Communism

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Editor's Note: See related June 13 NewsBusters post here.

Did you know that a monument to the many millions of victims who died during the Cold War as a result of communist oppression was dedicated in Washington DC on June 12th? You would be excused if you didn't know anything about it if the coverage of the event by the MSM is any measure because they all but ignored the unveiling of this moving monument.

The dedication was attended by many notables with President Bush saying a few appropriate words during the ceremony and the monument seems an appropriate design for a change, unlike so many of our other so-called monuments of late. As described by Helle Dale on FOX News:

The memorial stands on the edge of Washington D.C., greeting motorists on the corner of Massachusetts and New Jersey avenues, just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol. The 10-foot-tall bronze statue is a highly appropriate memorial. It was created by California sculptor Thomas Marsh and is a replica of the papier-maché sculpture of "The Goddess of Democracy" erected by Chinese students in Tiananmen Square in 1989, before their peaceful demonstration for freedom and democracy was brutally crushed by the Chinese military. And, of course, "The Goddess" herself was inspired by the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor.

Naturally, the AP didn't seem to be in a celebratory mood with the unveiling, but instead ran a story on how the Chinese are complaining about the monument.

China criticized the United States' "Cold War" thinking Wednesday after President Bush attended the opening of a Washington memorial for those killed in communist regimes.

Shocking that a communist nation would complain about a memorial to their victims, isn't it?

In fact, there are more Google hits from Chinese sources than any other. Naturally they all denounce the existence of the memorial.

A Google review of some of the reports shows scant coverage of the event in the western media, however. The L.A. Times has a very short report on their website. The same AP story on China's complaints mentioned above appeared on the Boston Globe's website as well as the Kansas City Star's site. The Washington Post has two stories on it. (Here and a really good report here) And Cal Thomas had a nice column on the unveiling. These, among a few others, report about it but few make much of the event.

Bush's comments were sobering and brought the suffering and injustice wrought by communist oppression to the fore. "The sacrifices of these individuals haunt history," he said, "and behind them are millions more who were killed in anonymity by Communism's brutal hand." He went on with, "We dedicate this memorial because we have an obligation to those who died, to acknowledge their lives and honor their memory." (You can see the President's remarks here)

Other than that, there isn't a whole lot of coverage, really, which is a shame because this monument is an important reminder of the hell on earth that is socialism and communism. In a day when so many are pretending that communism has been defeated and as too many are trying to forget the struggles of the Cold War, we need this reminder of what a world of oppression and fanaticism can create. And we still face that danger today. As representative Tom Lantos (D, Calif.) said during the ceremonies, "It was my privilege to fight against Nazism and it was my privilege t to fight against communism.And now it is my privilege to fight against Islamist terrorism determined to take us back 13 centuries."

We might have won the Cold War, but a similar world of oppression threatens us still in the form of radical Islamofascism. A memorial like this should remind us that we are not yet safe from such enemies to liberty and freedom everywhere.

And, most likely, that is why the MSM didn't go too far out of their way to report the unveiling of this memorial.