Revolution #171, August 2, 2009
Snapshot #1
The revolutionaries are hard to miss when they roll into the neighborhoods and the festivals. Dressed in black t-shirts with the Revolution masthead on front and back; sound systems playing the Ghetto re-mix while revolutionaries challenge people to grab hold of the call and spread it to every corner of society. Threefoot high enlargements of sections of the call combined with powerful photos from the newspaper, provoke questions - “where is the country the little girl in battery acid is from?” ”Communism? I thought that was long gone.” “What kind of revolution are you talking about?”
The week has ranged all over. Green Day’s concert at a major arena. The police kept up a presence while the revolutionaries challenged the many concert goers to not turn away from the reality of the world, the crimes of the system and that the world doesn’t have to be this way.M any are IGNOREant and a small section of fans were what Green Day calls out as American Idiots. Debates broke out over Communism in contrast to other ideas of what revolution is needed (Obama’s revolution of course; revolution inside you; Ron Paul’s revolution to name a few).Interesting possibilities especially for campuses in the fall. A few people rushed up to us to get the paper saying “Communism!Awesome! and “Revolutionary Communist Party, give me that.”
During the week—the revolutionaries rolled through some of the poorest, overwhelmingly Black neighborhoods in this major city. The truck decorated with displays and banners—while the revolutionaries fan out to talk to everyone. We went to one area where the police recently murdered a youth in cold blood and people took to the streets. In the wake of this, the call has been going out very widely in the area and a few (not enough yet!) immediately stepped forward to get it out everywhere ... the woman who distributes while selling sno-cones...the pizza truck driver who sells at the schools and in the neighborhood...more good ideas like taking it out to a regular sickle cell group. In the wake of standing up around the police murder and as the revolution calls people to be part of it—a very hated notorious P.I.G. swims like a shark around the area. The DVD has been shown on front porches and once on the side of a wall after dark to a small group.
Out to another of the poorest Black neighborhoods in the city... and out to a bustling neighborhood of Mexican and Central American immigrants, then back to downtown and creating a scene that can’t be missed.
One thing that stands out is the depth of hatred of the oppression of women—there is a lot of speaking bitterness among some women when the revolutionaries hit the ground and we need to figure out how to tap this even more as a key to the potential for revolution. This was also reflected at the store discussion of the statement, “The Revolution We Need, the Leadership We Have”.
Back out to the major transportation hubs at rush hour. On the weekend, more leaflets and newspapers change hands.Word of the revolution and Bob Avakian spreads.
Youth from across the country attending a weekend anti-military recruitment conference debated the statement and what is the problem and the solution to the horrors the world is facing.
Sunday at the bookstore was crackling with discussions over the statement—debate over whether and how to take out Communism straight up, why the role and leadership of Bob Avakian is such a positive factor for revolution. New volunteers for the store, the PRLF, taking out the statement to upcoming neighborhood festivals in the city. How to draw many more into building a rev movement, urgently. People stayed and talked long after the meeting was over, meeting and talking to each other about building a movement for revolution. It was palpable that something new is happening with this call and statement.
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