Vol. 78/No. 10      March 17, 2014

As part of this effort, communist workers have been visiting readers of the socialist paper and encouraging them to buy books on revolutionary working-class politics. This includes 10 titles on special for subscribers, including The Changing Face of U.S. Politics: Working-Class Politics and the Trade Unions; Malcolm X, Black Liberation, and the Road to Workers Power; Women and Revolution: The Living Example of the Cuban Revolution; and The Working Class and the Transformation of Learning: The Fraud of Education Reform Under Capitalism. (See ad on page 3.)

Hand in hand with this work, supporters of the Militant have been working with others to win new forces to the fight to free the Cuban Five by building exhibits of Antonio Guerrero’s watercolors collection and other activities. Two new books published by Pathfinder Press are strengthening these efforts — I Will Die the Way I’ve Lived, with Guerrero’s paintings and commentary, and Voices From Prison: The Cuban Five. (See ad on page 9.)

From Philadelphia, George Chalmers reported that a subscriber who recently moved there from Puerto Rico, decided to get three of the books on special — Malcolm X, Black Liberation, and the Road to Workers Power; Cuba and Angola: The Fight For Africa’s Freedom and Our Own; and The Cuban Five: Who They Are, Why They Were Framed, Why They Should Be Free, along with a six-month renewal to the paper.

“Since our first door-to-door visit, his companion arrived from Puerto Rico. She brought out a small stack of back issues that had a number of articles underlined with notes in the column,” Chalmers wrote.

Arlene Rubinstein, an aerospace worker in Los Angeles, sold three copies of I Will Die the Way I’ve Lived and four copies of Voices From Prison to co-workers as part of promoting a one-month exhibit of Guerrero’s paintings that opened March 2 there. In the process she learned that two of these workers, like the Five, had spent time in solitary confinement while in prison.

“I’m still studying the paintings by Antonio,” said another worker, Erick Vicari, who has read the Militant for a year and a half. “I consider myself a supporter of the Cuban Five. It’s a frame-up.” The fact that U.S. authorities handcuffed Fernando González until his plane landed in Cuba was “standard operating procedure, the same way they treat workers without papers as criminals.” González, one of the Five, was released from a U.S. prison Feb. 27 and flown to Cuba the following day. (See article on front page.)

While building the Los Angeles exhibit, Ellie García, who works at Triumph Vought Aerostructures in Hawthorne, Calif., sold three renewals and two copies of I Will Die the Way I’ve Lived to co-workers. “My brother was imprisoned at the age of 28 until his death at 59,” Arnold Kidd told her. “My parents didn’t have the money to pay for a good lawyer. They put you in the system and you’re gone. Every time I look at the book my brother comes up.”

García also sold five copies of the book at a meeting of the Latino Caucus of a Service Employees International Union local where she had been invited to give a presentation on the Five and Guerrero’s exhibit.

‘I can’t be without this paper’

Kelly renewed for six months and bought a copy of I Will Die the Way I’ve Lived. A showing of Guerrero’s watercolors is scheduled June 4-7 at Gallery 72 in the Vinton area in South Omaha.

“I’ll see if my mariachi band is available to play there,” said Reyna Barrales, an assistant teacher, when she signed up for her renewal the same day and volunteered to join in building the exhibit. She also helped her parents get a subscription and introduced them to the fight for the Cuban Five.

Supporters of the Militant have been joining demonstrations in solidarity with working people in Ukraine who overthrew the government of Viktor Yanukovych and to protest Moscow’s military intervention there. In New York March 2 protesters bought two subscriptions and 42 copies of the paper. In London that day supporters sold one subscription and 25 papers. (See articles on page 5.)

“I am impressed that workers meet weekly on different questions and I’m also impressed by the books,” said Geneviève Cloutier, a university student who drove into Montreal to attend a forum on the fight in Ukraine and renew her subscription.

“I’m with you. Keep up the work. But it’s too hard for me to read English, I have to use the dictionary all the time, so I won’t continue getting the paper,” Anne-Marie Isabel, a customer service worker for Hydro-Quebec, told François Bradette and Katy LeRougetel when they knocked on her door March 2. “But I’m part of the union and we try to get people to see what’s really happening and that we have to speak our mind to the boss. I like doing that. Things are moving in the world. I’m very happy about that. In Ukraine, they have the right to choose. It’s going to develop further.”

Isabel bought the French edition of The Cuban Five and reads the French-language Militant articles that are translated each week.

To renew, get a subscription or join the drive, contact a distributor listed on page 6 or the Militant at (212) 244-4899.
 
 
Related articles:
‘Militant’ Renewal Drive Feb. 8 – March 23 (week 3)
 
 
 
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