What to say when people misinterpret/bad mouth Communism

I changed to a new history class, filled with people who ask "Isn't Socialism bad?" and today a kid claimed the teacher was brainwashing him because there were questions about Marxism on our test, then he kept saying "stupid marxists" every time a question he got to mentioned Karl Marx. As a fairly shy person, I don't know what to say. I'd appreciate any help, from Communists and Capitalists.

"Open a book"
What I do is I ask if they know what communism is. If they explain, then explain how its good. If they don't know, tell them to stop being so cool and actually learn what is before they go around shitting people.

hmm I don't like that they teach marxism but I like ignorant ppl even less just be a general dick and ask him WTF marxism is and keep telling him he'S wrong irregardless of wheather or not he is, do this all the time in school ppl won't even open there mouth to oppose what you say.

remember avoid giving him the advantage of history, convince ppl that the US was to blame and if the world was on it ould have been better DO NOT go into the details most ppl won't get them and those smart enuf ill see the holes.

Take a look at Revlefts highschool communism guide.
and marxism is very relevant, we learn marxism in our school, together with many other ideas too.

I correct my history teacher sometimes, and so did I with my previous one though suprisely they got a very objective explaination of communism what is great. But he did one time confused communism with state capitalism so I corrected him that was cool yay.

Anyways I really think bad mouthing communism or a invalid/untrue explaination of communism is a much bigger problem in the US.

we aren't even told about communism, there are no communists here last time the communist party ran in an election they got 0.3% wich is 900 ppl back then.

Yeah, Communism sucks! What with its mass industrialization that forced people into dirty, shanty tenements, that forced it to adjust people to the laborious practice of wage work and obedience to an employer, that forced people to both live and work in absolute squalor and grave danger, that subjected them to the rapid re-shaping of their cultures, societies, and lives that left many people behind, that motivated the conquest of foreign continents purely for the intent of resource plundering and labor exploiting with the added effect of the snuffing out of long-existing cultures, political institutions, and even groups of people, and that motivated every war of conquest and plunder that ever took place.

Oh, wait a minute.

EDIT: I should mention, because I'm not sure if any of you have attended university yet, but I will tell you that my experience towards Marxism in a university setting is basically that it's just another idea. Sure, it has its controversies and its ideological unmentionables, but it's just like any other idea out there: it should be understood properly, without bias. It's not really anything to be too frightened of. That's the general attitude towards it that I've seen so far.

Do the same as when people misuse a term - tell them to check its meaning and if it's a controversial topic, tell them to check or show them as much material on the subject as possible.

Some terms like "Democracy" and "Socialism" require more than just checking a dictionaire, a whole etymological research on them is recommended.

- Manual of the Dialectician.

Also I love Wei's post.