This week feedback was strong for “Why I’ll Be At The Women’s March On The Pentagon This Weekend,” “You Can’t Separate Violence and the Police,” and “Theory 101: Historical Materialism and the Legacy of Columbus.” Readers shared their experiences with organizing against war, solutions to police violence, and historical reflections.
In “Why I’ll Be At The Women’s March On The Pentagon This Weekend” Bruce Dixon discusses the importance of attending the first march on the Pentagon in 50 years during a midterm election season where no candidates are taking a position for peace in foreign policy.
Jack Gilroy, who reports serving jail time for non-violent protesting against war, writes:
“I had done a lot of lobbying in Congress over the years before and after my six months in jail and you're right on. So few Democrats are willing to speak the truth on foreign policy. We're trapped. Knowing that is not enough to stop what you and I are doing. Please carry on, Brother. I'll be outside of the UN in a couple of weeks making a point of our terror in Yemen, one of many areas of terror. 'The greatest purveyor of violence in the world is my own country.' Remember who said that in 1967 just a short distance from the UN? Remember he was killed one year to the day after saying that by forces proven in court to be the US government? I've also done prison time for nonviolent actions in response to drone killing from satellite bases in the USA. No support from the Democratic Party progressive leadership. of course, from our state of NY. It's a good economic boost to have the 174th Attack Squadron in Syracuse. Drone building is something that Schumer pushes for NYS… jobs don't you know… morality out the door”
In radio segment “You Can’t Separate Violence and the Police” Micol Seigel, author of Violence Work: State Power and the Limits of Police, discusses the foundational role of racism and violence in the existence of the police as an institution.
Marc Solomon grapples with alternatives:
“This is why we need to envision a community-based public safety function where the first point of contact for law enforcement and dispute resolution is not an armed agent of the state. I think we need to shrink the police to the absolute minimum required to deal with the actual violent threats that are a tiny percentage of incidents to which the police are deployed. I would like to see a complete reconceptualization of the police into some other armed, trained formation that dealt with violent threat but is not a paramilitary organization operating in civil society.”
In “Theory 101: Historical Materialism and the Legacy of Columbus” Danny Haiphong presents a historical materialist analysis of the importance of Columbus Day in the cultural life of the United States.
Tommy Caputo writes:
“For centuries, the leading capitalist countries have been waging wars of aggression to acquire resources and expand their markets. That went on under the guise of spreading Christianity and civilization. Today it’s called spreading democracy. Margaret Thatcher said socialism works by using other peoples’ money. Capitalism works by using other peoples’ lives.”
Our politically active and movement-oriented readership is an asset to BAR. We want to keep seeing more letters and comments reflecting our readers’ knowledge, experiences, and visions for the future.
Jahan Choudhry is Comments Editor for Black Agenda Report. He is an organizer with the Saturday Free School based in Philadelphia, PA. Join the conversation at comments@blackagendareport.com.
Each year in January as King is honored in the eyes of the public, there is little mention of the demands of the man and his mission: his fight for economic justice.
The drive at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama marks one of the few times in the company's history that workers will have the opportunity to vote in a union election.
Between 500,000 and 1.5 million Algerians died in the war for independence, but the French don’t like to talk about it.
NYPD officers continue to use chokeholds on civilians without any meaningful punishment.
El Negro de WhatsApp outgrew the category of prank to become “the biggest meme produced by social media culture in our country.”
