Youth Gear Up to Fight Bush

Are we going to allow George Bush to rule our country for another four years?� asked Jarvis Tyner, executive vice-chair of Communist Party USA.

“No!� the crowd roared back...

Are we going to allow George Bush to rule our country for another four years?� asked Jarvis Tyner, executive vice-chair of Communist Party USA.

“No!� the crowd roared back.

“Are we going to let him steal the elections again, to turn back the clock on civil rights and civil liberties, to continue to wage war and to occupy Iraq?� Tyner asked.

“No!� was the thunderous reply.

On January31st the Communist Party (CPUSA) and the Young Communist League (YCLUSA) jointly held a daylong national conference, titled “Build unity to take back our country in 2004 – Defeat Bush and the Ultra Right.� With almost 300 people in attendance, including nearly 50 young people from all over the country, the conference was an inspiring kickoff for this coming year’s elections work.
“This is no ordinary election,� said Joelle Fishman, chair of the CPUSA’s Political Action Commission, in her opening remarks. Noting that more than 3 million jobs have been lost since Bush was elected, that over 43 million people lack health insurance, that racism and discrimination have intensified, and that the Bush doctrine of preemptive war is endangering all of humanity, Fishman called for “a truth crusade on the ground.� She urged maximum “unity, outreach and mobilization.�
Panelists from Philadelphia, California, and Texas outlined the ultra-right’s attack on their communities and how they were able to start fighting back. A discussion on ‘What It Takes to Win’ included leaders from the NAACP, the National Organization of Women (NOW), and the Working Families Party. Each of the panel members gave riveting speeches on what it is going to take to win our country back from Bush and his cronies. Diallo Shabazz, Northeast regional director of the NAACP Youth, later articulated the importance of the conference when he said that “all grassroots organizations need to work together. Sometimes we forget that there are other organizations working on different issues. We cannot do it all by ourselves.�

The highlights of the day were the two youth workshops. In the morning, 55 new and old YCL members and friends got together to talk about how youth are affected by Bush administration policies. The room overflowed with high school and college student activists, workers in all types of jobs, community organizers, artists, musicians and writers. The discussion turned to how best to contribute to creating a movement that not only gets this president out of office, but also uses the election to build for the future.

We talked about why getting out the youth vote is crucial for the future of the struggles against racism and war, and about the difficulties and successes we’ve encountered in getting youth involved in the fight to defeat Bush. YCL clubs reported on action plans for the year, including voter registration in high schools and building connections between local groups with common interests. Another workshop focused on sharing creative ways to mobilize youth in high schools, colleges, workplaces, and neighborhoods.

Many YCLers reported that the overall energy and excitement of the conference provided the direction and inspiration needed to tackle the project of defeating Bush.

Adam Tenney is a teacher in New York City and a member of the National Council of the YCL.