>Florida State Sen. James E. King Jr., a Republican, told the >New York Times Nov. 22. "People saying the Democrats are >stealing the election. I've never seen such an outpouring of >rage like this toward the Democrats and the Supreme Court." > >The day after the Florida Supreme Court ruling, the Bush >forces sent several hundred goons to Miami-Dade County, the >largest county scheduled to recount. Miami's counter- >revolutionary Cuban groups, who broadcast repeated calls >over the radio to demonstrate against the recount, joined >them. > >These forces assembled at the downtown office where the >recount was taking place. According to Paul Gigot, reporting >in the Nov. 24 Wall Street Journal, New York Republican Rep. >John Sweeney gave the order to "shut it down." The right- >wing mob then charged the counting room. The pro-Bush mob >surrounded Miami-Dade Democratic Party Chair Joe Geller. > >Sweeney was aided by Elizabeth Ross, a staffer for Senate >Majority Leader Trent Lott, and Thomas Pyle, an aide to >House Majority Whip Tom Delay. (Salon Magazine, Nov. 28) >Thus the assault was masterminded from above. > >The canvassing board, consisting of two Democrats and an >independent, had voted that morning to manually count the >10,750 ballots that did not register a vote for president >when passed through the machines. Under duress they reversed >themselves, basically sealing the certification of the >Florida election for Bush. > >DEMOCRATS NURTURED ANTI-CUBA FORCES > >It is important to know that two of the canvassing board >members, county judges Lawrence King, a Democrat, and Myriam >Lehr, an independent, were elected with the support of >Armando Gutierrez, who represented Elian Gonzalez's right- >wing Miami relatives. > >According to the Miami Herald, Gutierrez collected $351,000 >in "consulting fees" for representing judges in this >election cycle, including King and Lehr. > >This criminal conflict of interest was covered up by the >Democratic Party leadership. It is part of the ruling class >establishment that has nurtured these anti-communist forces >against the Cuban Revolution for 40 years. Gore even tried >to appease them during Elian's captivity by breaking with >Bill Clinton and opposing the child's repatriation to Cuba. >But to no avail. > >Nor has the Democratic leadership brought out the real >issues in the struggle between the Florida State Legislature >and the Florida Supreme Court. It is not only that the >reactionary Republican majority wants Bush as president. >They want revenge on the court. > >The court overruled their attempt to push through school >vouchers. It overruled their law requiring parental consent >for young women seeking abortions. It has repeatedly tried >to slow the rate of executions. It has two Black members and >two women members. They are Democratic appointees. > >Florida House Speaker Tom Sweeney was honored by the >Christian Coalition and the Florida Conservative Union. He >campaigned with Gov. Jeb Bush against abortion rights and >for school prayer. He was described as "the most >ideologically conservative legislative leader we've seen >around here in years" by Lance DeHaven-Smith, a political >scientist at Florida State University. (New York Times, Nov. >23) > >If the Gore forces were motivated by anything other than a >desire to get their hands on the White House, they would >take every opportunity to expose this right-wing cabal. They >would appeal to every progressive force in society to mount >a counteroffensive against this den of reactionary gangsters >bent on intimidation--and operating on the instructions of >the Bush campaign and the highest echelons of the Republican >leadership. > >GORE SILENT AS RACIST SCANDALS MOUNT > >What about the ever-mounting scandal of racism and exclusion >at the polls? The NAACP has so far collected affidavits from >10,000 people affirming that their voting rights were denied >in one way or another--by police harassment and >intimidation, confusion at the polls, being turned away and >countless other grievances. > >Gore was asked about discrimination at the polls against >African Americans on CNBC Nov. 28. He said he'd heard >something about the NAACP compiling complaints, but that he >really didn't know much about it. In any case, Gore said, >that was not part of his election complaint. > >When the Rev. Jesse Jackson came to Miami and organized a >multinational rally and march for a recount, a crowd of Bush >goons menaced the protesters. It got to the point where >Jackson and another speaker, a rabbi, had to be taken away >under police protection. > >Did the Democratic leaders come charging down to Miami to >denounce these racist threats? No. Instead they told Jackson >to leave town and stop stirring things up. > >The Rev. Al Sharpton visited Florida to document voting >rights violations and lay the groundwork for a counterattack >based on the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The national >Democratic leadership has largely ignored his efforts. > >Of course, the Gore leadership hasn't raised the issue of >the 647,000 would-be voters who are permanently >disenfranchised under Florida's reactionary "felon" laws. Of >those, 204,000 are Black. > >In fact, the "felon" laws disenfranchised 31.2 percent of >the state's Black males. > >Rather than risk opening up a genuine struggle against >racism, Gore has cast aside even the modest efforts of the >moderate bourgeois Black leadership to rectify the racist >exclusion of African American and Haitian voters. > >DEMOCRATS CAUGHT IN CONTRADICTION > >The only thing that could have overcome the right-wing >offensive was a genuine mobilization of the masses in the >streets. This would have made the ruling class think twice >about allowing the Bush forces to push their weight around. > >The ruling class knows that Gore won the national popular >vote and that, in all probability, he won the vote in >Florida too. But the Republicans have let the bourgeoisie >know they won't be denied the White House without going down >in flames. The right wing in capitalist society is always >more aggressive and unyielding than the moderates and >liberals. > >The Democratic Party is caught in a contradiction. Its >political cowardice flows from its role in society. Its >leaders are bought and paid for by the ruling class and >serve the interests of big business. > >At the same time, the Democrats' mass base is heavily >grounded in the working class, oppressed peoples, women and >lesbian, gay, bi and trans people, who are the most >exploited and oppressed by big business. > >The Democratic leadership's job is to gain "the consent of >the governed" to continue capitalist exploitation and >oppression. > >When forced to choose between appealing to the masses, at >the risk of destabilizing the system, or possibly losing the >election, their allegiance is firmly with preserving the >system. > >This is a good time to remember that Gore, like Bush, >supports the racist death penalty, the mass incarceration of >Black and Latino youths, the destruction of welfare, the >imposition of NAFTA, the massive Pentagon build-up, efforts >to overthrow the Cuban Revolution and many other crimes >against the world's workers and poor. > >It's a fact that Bush and the Republicans stand to the right >of Gore and the Democrats. But the Democrats consistently >cave in to the right on every issue of concern to the masses- >-as their conduct in this election struggle demonstrates. >When they're not caving in, they're crafting other programs >to keep the masses harnessed to capitalist exploitation and >the oppression, war and intervention that come with it. > >If Bush and the Republicans have a more right-wing program >up their sleeves and are waiting to unleash it on the >masses, as some progressives fear, then the only reliable >way to oppose it is by building an independent struggle of >the masses through their organizations--unions, community, >women's and environmental organizations, and all the >activist and revolutionary groups--that want to unleash a >genuine offensive against the reactionary policies of both >parties. > >Under these circumstances, the workers and oppressed have no >choice but to strike out on an independent road of >organization and struggle. They must build their own party >and have their own class political perspective. That means >getting rid of the bosses and their political parties. It >means establishing a society in which those who are now >"governed" by the bosses' parties become the rulers. > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > > >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 20:54:18 -0500 >Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII >Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT >Subject: [WW] Native Leaders Demand: "Free Leonard Peltier" >Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Dec. 7, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >HUNDREDS MARK 31ST DAY OF MOURNING: NATIVE LEADERS >DEMAND FREEDOM FOR LEONARD PELTIER > >Special to Workers World >Plymouth, Mass. > >About 700 people braved the cold and came to Plymouth, >Mass., to join the United American Indians of New England in >the 31st annual National Day of Mourning Nov. 23. > >Members of many different Native nations were present. The >crowd was very multinational and included many youths. > >National Day of Mourning has been commemorated in Plymouth >on "thanksgiving Thursday" every year since 1970. "Why >should we as Native people give thanks for the Pilgrims for >coming here, stealing our land and killing our people?" >asked Moonanum James, co-leader of UAINE. > >"For us, it is a day of mourning, not a day to give thanks." > >The emphasis of this year's program was to demand freedom >for Native political prisoner Leonard Peltier. Peltier sent >a statement of support that was read to the crowd. The >American Indian Movement warrior asked everyone to call the >White House daily and demand that President Bill Clinton >grant him executive clemency. > >The White House comments line is (202) 456-1111. Then press >0 to bypass the recorded message. > >Mahtowin Munro, co-leader of UAINE, said: "It's time to >bring Leonard home. It's time to wipe away his tears. Let's >get him out of Leavenworth so that he can stand here with us >in Plymouth next year!" > >The crowd roared its approval when James expressed support >for the Palestinian uprising and for the people of Vieques, >Puerto Rico. > >Other struggles that were raised included the fight against >the death penalty and to free Mumia Abu-Jamal, and the >battle of the U'Wa Indians of Colombia to prevent Occidental >Petroleum from destroying their land and way of life. > >Sam Sapiel, a Penobscot elder, offered a traditional prayer >before the speakers began. Later he spoke of the need for >unity among all Native people. > >Raul Ruiz, a medical student, spoke of the terrible health >and economic conditions of Native people in the United >States. He called for the crowd to march through the streets >of Plymouth. > >The march was led by Danza Azteca Cuauhtemoc. Some of that >group's members traveled all the way from California to >attend Day of Mourning. > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > > > >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 20:54:19 -0500 >Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 >Content-transfer-encoding: Quoted-printable >Subject: [WW] Baltimore: No "Thanksgiving" for Cop Victims >Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Dec. 7, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >BALTIMORE: PROTEST, NOT "THANKSGIVING," FOR FAMILIES >OF COP VICTIMS > >By Jeff Bigelow >Baltimore > >President Bill Clinton took the opportunity of the official >"thanksgiving" holiday to pardon former Baltimore City >Council President Walter Orlinsky, who has admitted stealing >$10,000. > >On same day, Nov. 23, some 150 people here demonstrated in >memory of Eli McCoy--an unarmed African American youth who >was killed by Baltimore police on the suspicion that he had >stolen $20. > >This is a tale of two systems of justice. One for African >Americans, other people of color, and poor and working >people, and another for the wealthy and powerful who rule >Baltimore. > >The protest against the system that killed Eli McCoy took >place on the National Day of Mourning--a day when Native >people tell the real story about the arrival of colonialism >on these shores. > >Eric Easton, organizer of the demonstration here, opened the >protest by acknowledging the Day of Mourning and struggles >of Native peoples on this continent. > >People across the United States and around the world have >demanded that Clinton pardon Native political prisoner >Leonard Peltier before he leaves office. But so far the >president has not lifted a finger to do so. > >Peltier was charged with shooting two FBI agents who had >invaded Native land. People all around the world have >insisted that Peltier is a political prisoner who was jailed >because he is a leader in resistance to oppression. Even >though the government admits it cannot prove Peltier shot >the agents, this Native prisoner languishes behind bars. > >Yet Clinton was moved to pardon an admittedly guilty white >politician. > >Two systems of justice. > >Uniformed killing machine > >The strong turnout at the demonstration here was swelled by >impressive numbers from the anti-addiction group "I Can't, >We Can." > >The protest focused on the police killing of Eli McCoy a >year ago. At the rally, McCoy's father said his son was >murdered because he was Black and assumed to be armed and >assumed to be guilty of stealing $20. > >Yet McCoy was unarmed. And he will never be able to tell his >side of the story about the $20. > >Debra Carr joined the protest. Police killed her son Larry >Hubbard only a month before McCoy. Renee Washington, an All- >Peoples Congress organizer whose fianc=E9 was murdered by the >police, also took part. > >Their combined presence at the rally was testament to the >fact that McCoy's killing was no accident. It's just the way >that poor people--and especially nationally oppressed people- >-are treated in Baltimore. > >Contrast this with the treatment of Orlinsky. He admitted >stealing $10,000 and using his position as City Council >president to extort money from city contractors. > >No cops cornered him or assumed he carried a gun. No cops >gunned him down. He served less than five months in very >pampered conditions and was then released. > >Orlinsky's presidential pardon was the result of calls of >support from senators and judges and all the other powerful >people who intervened for him--those who recoil and shudder >every time a homeless person extends a hand for pennies. > >But the lives of demonstrators at the Day of Mourning here >are torn with grief. The people they love have been killed >in cold blood. These protesters are outraged that the >killers in uniform--the police--always go free. > > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
