Letters - 22 September 2010

PLP Convention Report Stirs Airport Workers

At the airport there was a short, multi-racial meeting after work with airport workers from El Salvador, Mexico and the U.S. (mostly black) who wanted to hear a report on the PLP convention. Many were pleased that Party comrades from
Colombia, El Salvador, and Mexico are leading the fight against fascism. On following days we had political discussions with Ethiopian airport workers who were also glad to know PLP revolutionaries are in Ethiopia and Tanzania working to destroy capitalism.

These reports emphasized the Party’s commitment to becoming an international, multi-racial, mass party, and our renewed efforts to fight the fascist bosses and racism even harder. It was also stressed at the airport how we industrial workers are a key force in the class struggle, along with our brother and sister workers in auto, mass transit, aerospace, etc. We will be able to destroy capitalism with communist revolution, since the bosses cannot run capitalist society without our labor.

On a personal note, the convention was a life-changing meeting. It was like May Day on steroids! I learned so much in the workshop for industrial workers and from meeting and talking with fellow comrades from around the world.

The convention truly opened up my eyes to the potential for communist revolution and the building of a communist future. I also liked how women comrades gave much inspiring political leadership. It was lots of fun making new friends and, most importantly, to know we all have a role to play as leaders in the Party to build PLP. into a multi-racial, working-class, mass Party for communist revolution to overthrow capitalism and establish communist society globally for billions of workers. From Los Angeles to Oaxaca, Mexico, to Ethiopia, the class struggle goes on!

Airport Red

‘Barbarism or Communism: I Choose Communism’

When I was 15 years old I joined PL. After about 10 years of organizing — some successful and some not — I moved away from PL.

It is difficult to explain why simply, so I won’t try. I will only say that my own cynicism and the imperatives of surviving in capitalist society moved me in a different direction.

I am now in middle age and, aside from some minor activity, have been outside of PL.

Recently, however, I was involved in the Party’s convention. Perhaps quantity has changed into quality.

I was not especially moved by any one great speech or speaker. I was also not excited by any specific single moment. I was, however, moved by the entire weekend.

I housed young militants at my house, an integrated group of marvelous young people that touched me. I was impressed by the number and types of faces that I did not recognize. I was affected by the international nature of the event, particularly the picture of Israeli and Palestinian Party members and friends, side by side, and singing the Internationale in Arabic and Hebrew.

Where else but in PLP could this happen?

The convention gave me something I have not had in a long time: a sense of possibilities. It is true, there is a long hard road ahead, but for the first time in a while I feel some potential.

I do not know exactly where this feeling will ultimately lead me, but I do know that I am willing to rejoin a Party club and find out.

A comrade at the convention quoted an old leftist who said that the world has only two choices: barbarism or communism.

I choose communism.

A “Returning” Red

Protest KKKops’ Racist Attacks

During the Summer Project, I took part in a sale and rally in the Port Richmond neighborhood of Staten Island, N.Y. As CHALLENGE has reported, this neighborhood was and is like an armed camp. There were squad cars passing every few minutes, a mobile command truck and a raised surveillance tower. The politicians say the KKKops stop the racist attacks on immigrants from continuing. The truth is that the KKKops function to terrorize this working-class neighborhood. As we sold CHALLENGE, many white, black and Latino workers beeped as they drove by in support of a sign that said “HONK if you hate racism!”Some workers also stopped to talk to us.

One of them was a Latino worker who was beaten by the cops. He was defending himself against an attacker when the KKKops came. Instead of helping, the KKKops beat the already-beaten worker severely, arrested him, and then released him without charge. This is racism!

Now, he is unable to lift his left arm and therefore unable to work. It is clear that the cops serve the bosses, not the workers. They only spread fear and attempt to disorganize the workers from uniting and fighting back against the fascist state! 

Project Volunteer