BY ALARIC DIRMEYER
This column is written and edited by the Young Socialists (YS), an international organization of young workers, students, and other youth fighting for socialism. For more information about the YS write to: Young Socialists, 1573 N. Milwaukee, P.O. Box #478, Chicago, Ill. 60622. Tel: (773) 772-0551. Compuserve: 105162,605

SEATTLE - The Seattle chapter of the Young Socialists is taking steps to lay a solid political foundation for its work and reach out to other young fighters. A major campaign of the organization is the current fight to defend free speech and the demand that the Seattle Ethics and Election Commission (SEEC) reverse its decision to deny the 1997 Socialist Workers campaign an exemption from giving the names of campaign contributors. As part of this attack on democratic rights, the SEEC has fined the campaign $6,040 for not disclosing the names.

The first organizing meeting of the Seattle Committee to Defend Free Speech was held November 1. Autumn Knowlton of the Young Socialists is a co-chair of the committee, along with Scott Breen, the Socialist Workers 1997 candidate for mayor of Seattle. The initial meeting decided on the committee's two purposes: to publicize the fight to regain the Socialist Workers exemption and to raise funds for publicity and legal defense. A lawyer from the American Civil Liberties Union will be representing the Socialist Workers Campaign in this case.

As part of the publicity work for this campaign, members of the Seattle Committee to Defend Free Speech, and supporters of the fight from around the country, spent time talking to unionists at the Coalition of Labor Union Women conference held in Seattle November 6-9. Dozens of trade unionists discussed the case with committee members and took literature about it.

The Young Socialists' work with the Seattle Committee to Defend Free Speech has strengthened the chapter's ties with democratic rights activists at Seattle area schools.

A leader of the Students for Democracy at Shorecrest High School, Jason Welling, has joined the committee and helped in getting endorsements for the committee at a recent rally for gay rights in Seattle. A month ago a Young Socialists member spoke at a meeting of the Students for Democracy in a talk entitled "Imperialism versus Internationalism," which was an explanation of the dynamics of the worldwide struggle between workers and bosses.

An important part of this talk was explaining that the only way forward for humanity is international, working- class solidarity in all struggles against capitalism. Besides furthering ties between the Young Socialists and the Students for Democracy, this meeting put the YS in contact with the Black Student Union, a new student group at Shorecrest. A YS member will be speaking at one of their upcoming meetings about the legacy of Malcolm X and the relevance of his ideas for fighters today.

Another activity of the Young Socialists is holding weekly classes on topics like the revolutionary potential of the working class, abortion rights, Stalinism vs. Bolshevism, and the ideas of Malcolm X. The classes have been a good way for the chapter to reach out to young activists involved in student groups, as well as young workers.

On October 29 the YS held a class on "The F.B.I.'s War on Political Freedom," using the reading, "Washington's 50- year Domestic Contra Operation" from New International no. 6. Nan Bailey of the Socialist Workers Party kicked off a discussion about the history of government harassment against fighting workers, against Blacks fighting for desegregation, and against revolutionary organizations like the SWP and the Young Socialist Alliance.

Another aspect of the YS's work in Seattle was building a November 8-9 socialist educational weekend featuring a forum and class by Martín Koppel, who just returned from a month-long reporting trip in Cuba for the Militant and Perspectiva Mundial. Koppel's forum, "Che Guevara, the Cuban Revolution, and the Twenty-First Century," related current strengthening of the socialist course of the revolution, which remains strong in the face of U.S. imperialism.

Koppel also led a class, "Marxism & Terrorism," which drew an audience of many young fighters into a discussion about the class nature of individual terrorism, as opposed to the collective effort to defeat capitalism. The educational weekend ended with a "Meet the Young Socialists" session featuring a report-back by YS members from Vancouver, British Columbia, on the recent founding convention of the Young Socialists in Canada. Seattle YS members gave reports about their participation in various fights, including defense of the Cuban revolution and the free speech case.

The YS chapter has taken a goal of $500 towards the national fund drive. The chapter plans to raise this money through an educational weekend in December, movie showings, pledges by YS members, an auction, and a raffle. The raffle, which was held on November 8-9 as part of the events around Koppel's visit, featured items from Cuba, as well as a few items picked up by a supporter on a recent trip to Ireland. The Seattle YS raised $100 at this event. The chapter will use the fund drive as a way to explain the politics of the YS to young people who are interested in a socialist alternative.

Send letters of protest:

The latest development in the free speech fight is the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission's scheduling of a December 10 hearing where the Socialist Workers Campaign's appeal of the $6,040 fine will be heard. The fine was issued October 21 to penalize the campaign for not disclosing the names of its financial contributors and vendors.

Letters and statements protesting the SEEC's decision and fine are urgently needed between now and the December 10 hearing. Letters can be sent to the Seattle Ethics and Election Commission, 226 Municipal Building, 600 Fourth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104, or fax: (206) 684-8590.  
 
 
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