"The Revolution Needs You"

To My Sisters and Brothers Behind The Prison Walls:

The revolution needs YOU. Needs you to consciously and actively join the struggle to initiate a new wave of communist revolution in the world that is being led by Bob Avakian, the Chairman of the Revolutionary Communist Party.

Many of you probably know that the RCP has recently issued a major statement: The Revolution We Need...The Leadership We Have.

This statement is the focus and pivot of our Party’s efforts over many months, reaching and enlisting many, many people, in a campaign with many parts and dimensions.

It has 3 inter-related aims:

First, we intend to really put revolution out there on the map in this society so that millions here and around the world know about THIS revolution.

Second, we intend to make Bob Avakian a “household word,” someone known throughout society, with growing numbers checking out, getting into and supporting his work, his thinking and his leadership.

And third, we aim to draw forward a core of people who see it as their mission, and are guided by the Party’s vision and line, to go out and actually fight for this line, win people to it, organize them into the revolutionary movement and struggle for them to become communists and then to join the Party once they’ve made that leap to being communists.

Here’s how you can contribute to this major revolutionary effort under the conditions you are in.

You are in a “special” position to struggle with—make the case with—deeply move, inspire, and win many, many to act for the cause of revolution. Think about it...

Young people who today are trapped, double trapped—whether in middle school, high school, or no school—especially in the inner cities of this society—nonetheless, trapped in the dog-eat-dog ways of thinking and acting, the human rat race that this system imposes on people here and all over the world—literally feeding off of all this—these youths need and can get the fuck up out of that shit and get into THIS revolution. But they can’t do it alone. They need leadership. And as a part of that, they very importantly...need to hear from YOU.

It would be very powerful and inspiring to receive letters from you that would be printed in Revolution, posted on its website, and/or read as part of cultural/artistic performances, read in the schools or the street corners—speaking to the youth about what their lives should be about—challenging a whole generation about what they should live and die for...revolution. YOU going on a mission to wake up and shake up these youth to this liberating reality.

* * *

We have the leadership we need for this revolution. That leadership is Bob Avakian, Chairman of the Revolutionary Communist Party.

It is rare in history when an individual comes along who understands how to navigate the revolution from beginning to end. All the way to total human emancipation. Who understands this clearly and scientifically.

The last time in history an individual like this existed it was Mao.

Personally, I was in a lot of turmoil, spent many sleepless nights, after Mao died and the counter-revolutionaries were able to reverse the revolution.

Why so much turmoil? Why so many sleepless nights? I worried and agonized over whether the masses would have the leadership we need to remake the world. This is what Mao had provided the masses over the world with—enabling us to consciously and scientifically understand things as they really are—so that we could go about making sweeping, world historic revolutionary change.

I scanned the globe in search of this. Determined to go wherever in the world and directly follow such leadership once out of the pen. Ironically I saw this leadership potential come through my cell bars in a pamphlet from RCP Publications written by Avakian. It was called Revolutionary Work in a Non-Revolutionary Situation—and “my mind was blown” with how Avakian understood and could apply the communist method of dialectical materialism. Which is captured in the title.

Even then it was clear to me—though at the time I considered Avakian a “youngster” in the communist movement—that Avakian was developing the ability to provide communist leadership in the way of Mao.

The fact that he has continued and continues to develop in this way—going beyond Mao—Mao had discovered and developed the understanding that the revolution had to continue under socialism, under the dictatorship of the proletariat to reach communism—Avakian has recast the best of Mao’s understanding of this—dusting it off where it needed dusting off—where it would not have led to emancipation—he has put THIS revolution on a clearer, more emancipatory, and more scientific basis.

This is the reason why it is now more possible than it has ever been in history... for the masses of people here and throughout the world to understand, see, and fight for total revolution. For communism. For the complete emancipation of humanity.

We have a special, rare, unique, precious leader. A great champion of revolution and a great resource for people here and all over the world as the RCP statement says.

Yet there’s a contradiction. An irony. Especially in U.S. society people do not know of this great champion. This great resource.

But many, many of you do. Once again YOU have a very, very important role in changing this. You can contribute to this especially by writing us at Revolution on your insights and thoughts on the need for revolution, the importance of the leadership of Bob Avakian, and connecting all this with the new generation.

Also by corresponding with your families and friends about this. Spreading the word on the grapevine so others can do the same.

We want to get these letters out and about right away. Some of these will be published in a special issue on prisons which is coming out early this fall. Send your ideas and contributions for that as well. Let us know when to expect them.

Lastly, even though circumstances put confining restrictions on you—you speaking out in the ways I’m talking about will/does inspire others—including many, many from the middle strata. What you understand about the importance of Bob Avakian and the need for revolution can be a means for all kinds of people getting into THIS revolution.

Continue with your revolutionary transformations as you continue to deepen your ability to understand and fight against the even larger circumstances (your situation is part of) the capitalist/imperialist system and not be crushed by it.

Continue your study of Revolution and the writings of Bob Avakian. Get to know him more deeply. As a revolutionary thinker, leader and person. And get to know what turned him into such a leader. Read his truly moving life story in the book: From Ike to Mao and Beyond: My Journey from Mainstream America to Revolutionary Communist.

Become part of the initiators of the movement to bring on a new wave of revolution to emancipate humanity.

With a Communist Embrace,

Joe Veale

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