Letters of July 30

PLP Summer Project 2014

Powerful. This is the word that most describes my experience of today’s march. Seeing our whole group, all different ages and races together, was beautiful. But when we started waving our red communist flags and chanting was when I felt like we could really make a change in the world. I loved talking to people and giving them hope for the kind of world that is possible. A lot of people thanked us for standing up against the racist deportations happening in Murrieta. I was also inspired by how quickly people got right into reading CHALLENGE. They really wanted to know what our group had to say.
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It was my first rally.  At times, it is discouraging to think of all the close-minded racists. I ask myself, “how on earth are we going to get them to think differently and join us?” However, by participating in this rally, it was encouraging to see the other working-class people come out of the shadows, mouthing the chants by our sides. The rally has inspired me. I am going to go back home to reach out to those still oppressed by the bosses.
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Being a part of the protest definitely exposed me to an entirely new perspective. I’ve always been that person who would peek from the window in a car and wonder why people would act so crazy. It was today where I answered my own question. Being that person people look at wondering “why?” made me feel so powerful — weird at first, but by the end of the protest, I knew my voice was heard. Literally, because I lost my voice.
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Today we marched against the fascists terrorizing the immigrant community in Murrieta. Unlike many other marches I’ve been to, this march was well organized and militant. Seeing all my comrades fighting for the working class taught me not to be timid when others are suffering. Although the march was relatively small in quantity, the quality of the people was like no other organization. I am proud to be a part of such a great communist movement. I will definitely do more in the future to organize the working class and have a communist movement.
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This summer project is teaching me why it’s important to build relationships with my comrades. We want communism for a lot of reasons, one of them being that communism enables people to have the best relationships possible. Capitalist culture breeds the “me first” mentality in every aspect of our lives. Communists, not being immune, must combat these ideas daily.
 In our Party, we strive to build communist relationships and lasting struggle. One way to build unity among our comrades is to fight these racists. There is no greater feeling knowing your comrade has your back when you are entering a possibly hostile situation.
The racists who terrorize buses of child and women migrants make me angry. But these border cops and Obama who are deporting these kids back to their deaths make my blood boil!
I want a world where kids don’t live in conditions that force them to risk their lives fleeing from one inhumane place to another. I want a world where kids, no matter where they were born, are treated like the precious potential they are, not as commodities or useless labor. Maybe I am getting too romantic because I enjoyed all the red diaper kids running around, but the youth really are our future.
Let’s continue to strengthen our organization with these fightbacks. Murrieta reminded me that PLP is a party that fights racism and sexism — not just with words, but with flags, signs, a bullhorn, and the disciplined determination to win. I can’t wait to brainstorm with my friends when I get back home about what we can do locally to fight mass deportations and link it with mass incarceration.
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This is my second summer project since joining the Party. Being around different people, old and young and from many different ethnic groups, was nothing new to me as a communist. But this was definitely new to the community of Murrieta, as we rallied in the town where the fascists turned around the bus with immigrant children from Central America. Too often, the media only shows racists and fascists that give the false impression of Murrieta as a racist place. However, we saw otherwise. Seeing the response gave me so much more confidence. There was a real sense of local black and Latin, and white working class people who were happy we were there! PLP gave me tools and I won’t hold back. I will use them!
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Another summer project, another great experience! And it was made all the better as this is my first one in LA. In previous years, the summer projects I participated in did not make immigration the main focal point. Good thing this one did.
I got to learn more about how the racist ICE is creating a hate culture around working class immigrants. We marched in Murrieta, a center of this obscenely shameful, xenophobic ideology. It felt great giving scared residents a reminder they have friends in the antiracist fight!
In addition, I spent much time combating my own sexism. We held a study group where  we all discussed sexism both in society and in ourselves. Though, I still have a ways to go, I’m glad I’ve come this far in that area.
I also became more involved in assisting comrades’ babies. Capitalism teaches us that women are supposed to bear the brunt of child work. It isn’t “natural” to men. I say, to hell with that! We helped make them. We need to start sharing the burden more. I will admit I had a sexist paranoia that the women comrades wouldn’t want the male comrades caring for the kids. I am happy to be have been proven wrong. I am happy that I came out to beautiful LA! Here’s to future summer projects!
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Today I was proud to be a member of PLP and glad to see a new generation of anti-racist fighters joining the struggle. A friend of mine who came to the rally was very inspired! This summer project will help us to organize the struggle in our area.
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Stop racism and join the fight,
Stop being silent and speak out on what is right.
Being racist is not right
Regardless what nationality you may be.