Jerry, Thanks for the suggestion but I don't think it is worth the battle from the outside so you need not do anything. On the inside, there are chapters who are concerned and a Chapters' Bulletin is coming out soon which will address it and that will get the word out more (I didn't write that). It's clearly the case the Buffalo issue has received withspread recognition inside the Labor Party and has helped open some eyes. Who said, "in every defeat there is victory"? There is a political reason why other chapters have not been more active on the issue. Many of the most progressive in the Party are the most anti-Democratic Party. When they hear the Buffalo case, their initial reaction in some cases is hesitation. Others see more clearly the importance of solidarity around constitutional violations. The Buffalo situation is also a bit difficult for some to see. Tom Fricano, the UAW leader opposing Paxon, is first and foremost a unionist, not a Democrat. Maybe people see "white" (bourgeois) when the hear Democrat, and more or less ignore or are not interested in his union work. Actually, I am very supportive of forming a new political party in the U.S. based on workers, but it is not so obvious to me that the best way to get there is to have such party turn its back on unionists who have yet broken from Democrats. In any case, what the LP leadership did to the Buffalo Chapter is a very clear message how they want to run the show. Paul On Mon, 9 Sep 1996, Gerald Levy wrote: > Paul: I am appalled by the treatment you and the Buffalo Chapter received > from the Labor Party national leadership. To put it mildly, such > undemocratic and bureaucratic fiats do not help the LP realize the > potential that it has to challenge the bourgeois political parties. I am > also dismayed that *you* had to be the one to tell us about this action -- > I would have hoped that chapters across the country would have protested > this action and publicized your case. > > Is there anything that you would suggest for those of us who wish to > protest the Labor Party leadership's decision? > > In PEN-L Solidarity, > > Jerry >
