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Jessica Marshall
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Dear Reader,
What do we want the next four years to look like?
If you haven’t already considered this question, this is exactly what you should be asking yourself as the November 2nd election draws near. Will we spend the next four years fighting to defend what rights and social programs remain after four years of right-wing attacks from the Republican-controlled Congress and White House? Or will we begin to hold politicians accountable and advance a people’s agenda - an agenda that will expand opportunities and rights in the US?
For the most part, young people on campuses and in communities around the country have already made the assessment that they won’t stand for four more years of a Bush administration. This fall, thousands of youth will be organizing youth voter blocs and educating themselves on the issues that matter most to our generation. They’ll be working at the grassroots level, going door-to-door to talk to other young people about why beating Bush is so important.
Still, there are some who will make the outrageous claim that if Bush wins it will help us to raise consciousness and “teach� people about the true nature of capitalism. This view is short-sighted and irresponsible. It is a view that is willing to endanger the lives of millions of people in our own country and around the world with another Bush term. This view leaves its proponents preaching from the sidelines of the huge anti-Bush upsurge, which keeps on marching forward even as they dismiss it.
This election isn’t about whether you prefer Kerry’s personality to Bush’s. No one is saying that electing Kerry will mean that all of our dreams for a new society will come true on November 3rd.
But let’s not go too far the other way and pretend that the similarities between the Democratic and Republican parties are so great that a war with Iraq would have been inevitable. Bush has been more destructive to our generation than Gore would have been ñ here at home, as well as in terms of war and peace.
Are we supposed to believe that just by beating Bush we will solve all of our problems? Of course not! As young people, we will have to continue to struggle for jobs, education, peace and an end to racism, sexism and homophobia for years to come. And with our sister organization, the Communist Party USA, we will continue to fight to build socialism. The fact remains, however, that under Kerry there will be more room for us to make real change and progress.
Some are worried about what happens on November 3rd. Will a Kerry victory mean that our movement will go to sleep or fall apart? The answer depends on us. The Young Communist League, USA is committed to revolutionary change in this country and we won’t stop until we’ve won. We must build a strong, broad and united youth and student movement in order to effectively exercise our power at the ballot box, on campuses and in the streets. Working in coalition with labor, women, people of color and the people’s movements, we can and will take back control of our country.
In struggle,
Jessica Marshall
Jessica Marshall is National Co-coordinator of the Young Communist League USA:
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