Socialist campaigners plan to collect well over the 3,320 signatures required by the Board of Elections by the August 15 deadline.

Fresh from a campaign rally in New York City launching the national presidential ticket, Washington supporters began their efforts June 28 at a rally in front of the White House to protest the U.S. government's resumption of bombing practice on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques. A small crowd gathered in the light rain holding signs and chanting their opposition to the bombing. Five demonstrators signed the petitions; three people purchased the Militant and two others Perspectiva Mundial, the Socialist Workers campaign publications in English and Spanish, respectively.

The petitioners then moved to campaign on a public sidewalk near a working-class neighborhood known as Mt. Pleasant where many Spanish-speaking workers live. A sign in front of the campaign literature table urged passersby to sign to place a socialist worker on the ballot.

Juan Ortiz, a young Mexican-American, approached the table and said he has been looking for a communist organization, commenting that he admires Cuban revolutionary leaders Fidel Castro and Ernesto Che Guevara. He purchased the book Capitalism's World Disorder by Jack Barnes and a subscription to the Militant. He took a petition and some campaign literature to circulate among his co-workers and friends.

The next day, petitioners went to a public transportation center that workers use to get to and from work, where almost 200 people signed petitions. Anita Bradley, a clerical worker at the Board of Education didn't sign the petition right away, but first took time to read the flyer. She decided to sign but asked, "Why should the U.S. get out of Sierra Leone?"

She agreed when petitioner Sam Manuel explained that the same government that brutalizes working people in the United States to protect big-business interests is responsible for brutalizing and enforcing the exploitation of fellow working people in countries such as Sierra Leone. Manuel is the socialist candidate for delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives; his campaign supporters will begin petitioning for a ballot spot July 7.

Xavier Lucky, wearing his army fatigues, stopped to sign. He read the flyer and said in reaction to the slogan for the right to abortion, "Women should make the decisions that affect their bodies."

Clarence Atkins, a young construction worker, recently moved to this area and got his first union job. After clarifying the pro-union stance of the campaign he readily signed. He explained that he now works with workers who hail from Eritrea. "I didn't know how bad things are around the world," he said. "But this is not a free country. A working person here doesn't get anything without the blood and sweat of our work. And the companies are pushing to drive down wages and downsize."

On the third day, petitioners set up a campaign literature table in a working-class district at midday and returned to the transportation center in the late afternoon. Sabur Rubas didn't sign right away but took a leaflet to read while waiting for his bus to come. He came back and said he agreed with the program but had a question on the socialist position that workers should pay no taxes. He said he believed rich people didn't pay "their share" of taxes, but thought everyone should contribute to society's needs.

The socialist campaign supporters replied that capitalism is a system based on a handful of parasitic billionaire families exploiting the labor power of working people, who produce all wealth. The regressive tax setup is one aspect of how the employers through their government extract as much as they can from the value produced by working people, and it shows that workers and the wealthy rulers have opposing class interests.

Socialist campaigners met every evening to turn in the petitions, discuss the day's experience, and make plans for the following day. During the five days, socialists sold 25 copies of the Militant, 5 copies of Perspectiva Mundial, 1 Militant subscription, and 2 Pathfinder titles.

Janice Lynn contributed to this article.  
 
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