Palestinians snap up 'Militant' subs at political events
BY MAURICE WILLIAMS
"We sold 10 subscriptions to the socialist press at protests during the week of October 7-14," reports Cindy Jacquith from Miami. "At a demonstration in front of the Israeli consulate October 7, activists bought three subscriptions to the Militant and one to Perspectiva Mundial. One man purchased the Pathfinder book Che Guevara Talks to Young People, and two people bought the pamphlet Palestine and the Arabs' Fight for Liberation.
Jacquith said that at a Militant Labor Forum in Miami on the Palestinian struggle for self-determination, two Palestinians bought Militant subscriptions.
"The next day, at another protest in front of the Israeli consulate here, four demonstrators bought Militant subscriptions," she said. "We also sold copies of the Join the Young Socialists brochure, and several Pathfinder titles, including The Jewish Question, two copies each of The Working Class and the Transformation of Learning, and How Can the Jews Survive?, New International no. 7, and issue 5 of the French-language Nouvelle Internationale. Our supply of these books is almost zero now--they have been snapped up every time we have set up a table at a demonstration against Israeli repression."
Jacquith said the Socialist Workers candidate for U.S. Senate, Argiris Malapanis, who is a meat packer, joined the demonstration. A number of demonstrators came up to his campaign table to ask about the socialist candidates in the election, having heard that they advocate ending all U.S. aid to Israel and support Palestinian self-determination.
Mike Italie from Miami wrote a quick note to the Militant. "Today I sold a subscription to the PM combined with the new Pathfinder pamphlet to one of my co-workers in a garment plant where I work. He was very interested in the pamphlet. He had participated in the literacy campaign in the early years of the Nicaraguan revolution. He promised to show me some literature he has from the time of the literacy campaign."
The October 15 World March of Women in Washington was a good opportunity to meet defenders of women's rights who are open to discussing broad political questions.
Supporters of the Militant and PM who staffed a literature table at the event report they sold 13 subscriptions to the Militant, 81 copies of the paper, and 23 copies of The Working Class and the Transformation of Learning. Demonstrators also purchased more than $100 worth of Pathfinder books and pamphlets.
Step up daily sales for next four weeks
With four weeks remaining in the drive, campaigners for the Militant and Perspectiva Mundial need to sell a weekly average of almost 140 Militant subscriptions, in addition to Perspectiva Mundial subscriptions and copies of the new Pathfinder pamphlet, to make the international goals.
While the circulation drive has fallen somewhat behind, a big push by all--areas that are doing well and those fighting to catch up--can put the campaign over the top. What is necessary in every local area is a carefully organized plan--day by day--that can take advantage of every supporter of the socialist publications, organizing them to go out and get this literature into the hands of those who need it.
They can take advantage of the heightened public attention on the November elections to use the Militant and PM to campaign aggressively for the socialist alternative. In this way they can join the class issues involved in the wide-ranging debates that are taking place among working people on everything from bilingual education to the toppling of the Milosevic regime by workers and farmers in Yugoslavia.
Feature on Palestinian struggle
Many workers and young people coming into politics will want to subscribe to the Militant after reading this week's centerspread featuring documents from the working-class political arsenal that explain the character of the colonial-settler state of Israel, the role of imperialism in creating and sustaining it, the need to oppose Zionism as well as anti-Semitism, and why in today's world being a revolutionary means more and more being a communist.
"We are receiving more response to the Militant on campuses in this area," said Kathie Fitzgerald from Pittsburgh. "Last week we sold five subs after setting up literature tables on two campuses. We sold a paper to a young man on his way to hear capitalist politician Ralph Nader. He never made it inside but did come to hear SWP vice-presidential candidate Margaret Trowe the next evening. He and another student came to a class organized by the Young Socialists, and both bought subscriptions to the Militant."
Fitzgerald said another sales team of socialist workers met a student who also bought a copy of the paper and then came with a friend to a Militant Labor Forum on the Palestinian fight for national rights. "She decided to buy a Militant sub and the pamphlet, and her friend is planning to pick up a subscription when they come back for the next forum on Yugoslavia," she said.
|