In July, State Rep. Tommy Hanes (R-Bryant) announced he intended to introduce a bill in the 2021 regular session that would ban Confucius Institutes from operating on publicly funded college campuses within the state.
Hanes has since picked up a key ally, in addition to U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville), in this effort in State Rep. Wes Allen (R-Troy), whose district includes one of the two Confucius Institutes operating in the state at Troy University.
During an appearance on FM Talk 106.5 in Mobile on Thursday, Allen spoke about the Confucius Institutes. According to the Pike County lawmaker, those institutes offer a “softened” view of communism, and they needed to be removed from publicly funded campuses.
“The Confucius Institute in Troy was established in 2007,” he said. “I think there’s about 170 Confucius Institutes currently in the United States. And of course, Jeff, I think you’ve probably seen Secretary of State [Mike] Pompeo raised concerns about the Confucius Institutes in the Trump administration as well. And of course, Mo Brooks has been talking about it. Representative Tommy Hanes has got a bill he is going to put forth the coming regular session beginning in February 2021.”
“[T]hese Confucius Institutes need to be removed from publicly funded colleges,” Allen continued. “I think maybe the thing they are doing is giving a softened view of communism. We don’t really need that in my mind. I saw a recent study where the younger generation — 18-24, 18-30 year-olds — are really more open to socialism than we are, an older generation. You don’t really need a softened view or an institution to give a softened view of communism. Communism is oppressive and is evil. Instead, we need to really be focused on educating our kids about Alabama history, U.S. history, the Constitution, about capitalism — how capitalism is the best form [of economics] to take care of people and move the world forward. And I think that’s what we need to be focused on.”
In addition to the facility at Troy University, there is a Confucius Institute also at Alabama A&M University in Huntsville.
@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly, and host of Mobile’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on FM Talk 106.5.
