25, 50 and 75 Years Ago

December 20, 2021

December 23, 1996

Now is the time for working people to protest the wealthy rulers’ probes to privatize Social Security and gut other social entitlements. This is a crucial question for the labor movement. These gains are the fruits of the blood and sweat from decades of struggle — of the mighty class battles in the 1930s and the gigantic civil rights movement in the 1950s and ’60s.

In order to reverse the long-term decline in their average rate of profit, the employers need to increase the portion of value created by workers’ labor that goes into their pockets, not ours. As part of this they need to get rid of “welfare as we know it,” Social Security “as we know it,” unemployment compensation, student grants, Medicare, Medicaid, and all other entitlements.

The bosses can only accomplish their aims by waging a direct assault on the industrial working class.

December 24, 1971

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Over 1,200 Chicanos marched here Nov. 20 to protest the almost daily beatings Chicanos have been suffering at the hands of police. The march also protested the fact that 10 Chicanos have been murdered by police in 1971 alone. The marchers gathered strength as they marched five miles through the predominantly Chicano West Side of San Antonio to the Alamo.

The demonstration had a great impact on Chicano by-standers. Hundreds joined as the march progressed, including a number of Gls, who heard the shouts of “Raza Si, Guerra No!” and “Raza Si, Gringo No!” and joined the rally at the Alamo.

Chicanos were not the only ones affected by the march. G. L. Duarte, writing in El Sol de Texas, observed that an “Anglo lady was overheard to shout as the marchers arrived: ‘Good heavens! They’re coming to take the Alamo!’”

December 21, 1946

SAN JUAN — During the past few weeks hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans have been protesting against President Truman’s veto of a bill twice approved by the Island Legislature, establishing Spanish instead of English as the official language in Puerto Rico’s schools.

The Teachers Association is now fighting to have the presidential veto on the Spanish language nullified.

We ask our friends in the United States to support our fight for a prompt solution of our political status. We appeal to the American working class to take action in the United States in behalf of Puerto Rican independence. Long live free Puerto Rico! We demand immediate evacuation of American troops from our territory! Join our fight for freedom from the imperialist yoke!

s/Pedro Gonzalez Lopez, Julio Martinez Nunez, Jose Sanchez Berrios