January 15, 1971
NEW YORK - In a landmark decision Dec. 21, the U.S.
Supreme Court extended the right to vote in federal
elections to approximately 22 million Americans who are
presently disenfranchised. It did so by upholding the
constitutionality of the law passed by Congress last June
and signed into law by President Nixon on June 22.
The three provisions of the voting rights amendments of 1970 which the Court upheld were to 1) lower the voting age to 18; 2) abolish residency requirements of longer than 30 days; and 3) outlaw literacy tests for voting.
This was an important decision. Above all, it reflects the impact of the growing radicalization of young people.
The actual outcome of each election is, however, far from the only - or even necessarily the main - factor. Whatever the outcome, this law opens up many new possibilities for revolutionary socialists.
Their campaigns are more apt to appeal to young people than most, for example. "To be eligible to vote and to be qualified to vote means little if there is no one on the ballot worth voting for," the New York Times editorialized Dec. 26. Not only are revolutionary-socialist candidates worth voting for, they are worth working for. This law will facilitate their efforts to reach young people with a program for revolutionary change.
The right to vote without the right to hear all candidates - including revolutionary candidates - is also meaningless. Adoption of this law will make it easier for college and high school students to force their administrations to provide a platform for all political points of view.
January 12, 1946
STAMFORD, Conn., Jan. 3 - In an inspiring and dramatic
demonstration of labor solidarity, the entire union
movement here, both AFL and CIO, joined forces today to
bring this industrial city of 65,000 population to a
standstill in a city-wide strike. This mighty one-day
general strike, beginning at 12 noon, was called by the
Stamford Combined Labor Organizations, representing some
30 local unions.
A united working class thus demonstrated its awe- inspiring power to aid the 3,000 embattled AFL Machinists in their bitter two-months' strike against the labor- hating Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company. They protested against the strike-breaking use of state troops sent last week by Governor Baldwin to help Yale & Towne President W. Gibson Carey, Jr., the "Sewell Avery of Stamford."
During the strike demonstration, practically everything was shut down tight. Transportation came virtually to a dead stop. Even workers from movies, bars, bakeries and stores flocked to the town square to join the demonstrators. Firm and serious in tone, the singing, shouting workers nevertheless gave the town a gay, holiday spirit. Their self-confidence and militancy pervaded the atmosphere.