图为以1989年天安门广场民主女神像为原型的华盛顿共产主义受难者纪念碑。（美国之音）
1917年11月7日，俄国的〝十月革命〞催生了世界上第一个共产党政权。在去年〝十月革命〞百年之际，川普（特朗普）政府宣布这一天为〝全国纪念共产主义受害者日〞。今年是白宫第二次就〝全国纪念共产主义受害者日〞发表总统声明。
声明全文翻译如下：
〝在‘全国共产主义受害者纪念日’这一天，我们铭记一亿多被共产主义极权政权杀害和迫害的人。我们还重申坚定支持那些为世界各地的和平、繁荣与自由而奋斗的人。
自从1917年俄罗斯布尔什维克革命以来，我们目睹了共产主义暴政意识形态所造成的后果——痛苦、压迫和死亡。共产主义把与生俱来的人权置于所谓的全体幸福之下，其结果是消灭宗教自由、私有财产、言论自由和过于经常发生的消灭生命。这些恐怖包括在‘大饥荒’中蓄意让乌克兰人挨饿，在‘大恐怖’中清洗俄罗斯人，在‘杀人场’谋杀柬埔寨人，还有枪杀试图投奔自由的柏林人。这些以及其它很多暴行的受害者默默地见证着无可否认的事实，那就是，共产主义以及对共产主义的追求对人类精神和人类繁荣将永远具有破坏性。
今天，我们缅怀所有那些在压迫性的共产主义政权下被剥夺了生命、自由和追求幸福的美好祝福的人。我们一道哀痛在共产主义下如此之多的人所蒙受的难以忍受的损失，并重申我们的誓言，继续推动自由事业并为所有人争取机会。〞
以下是白宫发表的总统声明原文：
On the National Day for the Victims of Communism, we honor the memory of the more than 100 million people who have been killed and persecuted by communist totalitarian regimes. We also reaffirm our steadfast support for those who strive for peace, prosperity, and freedom around the world.
Since the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, we have witnessed the effects of the tyrannical communist ideology—anguish, repression, and death. Communism subordinates inherent human rights to the purported well-being of all, resulting in the extermination of religious freedom, private property, free speech, and, far too often, life. These horrors have included Ukrainians deliberately starved in the Holodomor, Russians purged in the Great Terror, Cambodians murdered in the killing fields, and Berliners shot as they tried to escape to freedom. The victims of these and many other atrocities bear silent testimony to the undeniable fact that communism, and the pursuit of it, will forever be destructive to the human spirit and to the prosperity of mankind.
Today, we remember all who have been denied the great blessings of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness under oppressive communist regimes. Together, we mourn the unbearable losses so many have endured under communism, and we renew our pledge to continue advancing the cause of freedom and opportunity for all.