On January 20th we will welcome George W. Bush to Washington D.C. in the
only conscionable way - marching, speaking, chanting, screaming, and
taking the streets in opposition to all that he embodies. On that day
thousands will stand together to repudiate the new administration as soon
as it begins. There will be no 'honeymoon'. There will be no business as
usual.
On January 20th WE are determined to set the terms for the next four
years. In the past year, as political battles in society intensified, the
resistance movement has continued to grow: in the fight against the
racist death penalty, in the struggle to stop the execution of Mumia
Abu-Jamal, in the fight against police brutality, in the fight for women's
reproductive freedom, and among youth. Just as in this past year, in 2001
we will continue to fight back against the politics of cruelty in new and
bolder ways!
The 2000 election was marked by massive disenfranchisement of African
Americans taking place in the glare of a media spotlight, with no protest
from Al Gore or others in high office, and the stamp of approval by the
Supreme Court. Many other people were deprived of translation assistance.
And immediately after November 7th, Republican goons were sent to Florida
to ensure the outcome they wanted - they packed the streets in support for
Bush and threatened the vote counters. Candidates for Bush's Cabinet and
other top agencies are a markedly un-diverse group - all closely tied to
the Pentagon war-machine, big business and right-wing think tanks. All
this has exposed how much the politics of cruelty, racism, poverty and
punishment are setting the national agenda.
Today in the U.S., Clinton leaves office with more than 2 million human
beings in prison, thousands on death row, and Black people hugely
over-represented. Welfare and aid to the elderly has been slashed.
Affirmative action has been dismantled. Immigrants are denied education
and health services. Abortions have become more difficult for many women
to obtain and abortion providers are terrorized and murdered. Vigilantes
take heart in this official atmosphere and act on it a Black man dragged
to death, a gay man tortured and left to die. A Christian fascist,
fundamentalist morality infuses institutions, censoring books, music, art
and increasingly becoming the law of the land. We say it's all one attack!
It's now more important than ever to build a climate, culture and
community of resistance to defeat this whole reactionary agenda. And it
shows how critical the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal continues to be, focusing
up issues of the railroading of Black men onto death row and efforts to
silence dissent, especially the voices of those who speak for the
oppressed as Mumia does. Stopping Mumia's execution is critical for the
whole direction of society in coming years - whether the politically
powerful are able to continue their official program of murder and
repression or whether the people's movement will be able to put them on
the defensive and force them to back down.
On January 20th, George W. Bush inherits not only the keys to the White
House, but the full force of a movement determined to stop the entire
reactionary agenda he embodies. George W.Bush may speak of 'bridging the
divide' and of 'bringing people together', but we will never unite with
his attacks on the poor, on people of color, immigrants, women, youth, and
all who would stand in his way. The next four years must bring people
together - but it will be a union of repudiation, of resistance, and of
determination to change things.
Refuse & Resist! is the organization for everyone who refuses to go along
with today's national agenda of repression and cruelty, poverty and
punishment. It is an organization of people of diverse backgrounds and
walks of life who accept responsibility for the future. Join us!
If you're so smart, how come you're not rich?