Tonight, we continue our series of interviews with NYC- DSA’s 2024 slate of endorsed candidates and will be talking with Eon Tyrell Huntley, a retail worker, father and tenant running for Assembly District 56 in Bed Stuy and Crown Heights. 

We’ll talk to Eon about the beauty of Bed Stuy, fighting for affordable rent, standing in solidarity with Palestine despite facing AIPAC money and so much more.

To learn more about Eon: www.eonforassembly.com 

Whereas, and in line with Convention Resolutions #4 and #62 from 2019, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is an anti-imperialist organization;

Whereas, and in line with Convention Resolution #50 from 2019, the DSA is an anti-colonialist organization committed to advancing decolonization projects;

Whereas, and in line with Convention Resolutions #41 and #45 from 2017 and Resolutions #4 and #31 from 2021, the DSA is an anti-racist organization;

Whereas, and in line with Convention Resolutions #7&8 from 2017 and Resolution #35 from 2019, DSA National has publicly declared on numerous occasions in recent years that it “unapologetically stands in solidarity with Palestinian people everywhere;”

Whereas, Zionism – as popularized by Theodore Herzl and explicitly described by him as “something colonial,” meant to be “a wall of Europe against Asia… an outpost of [Western] civilization against [Eastern] barbarism” – is and has always been a racist, imperialist, settler-colonial project that has resulted in the ongoing death, displacement, and dehumanization of Palestinians everywhere (i.e., in Palestine and in diaspora around the world);

Whereas, the establishment of a Jewish ethnostate in Palestine (i.e., the so-called “state of Israel”) and its maintenance via ongoing and illegal occupation, apartheid and ethnic cleansing represent the culmination of Zionists’ century-long colonization of Palestine;

Whereas, and antithetical to the DSA’s contemporary principles and policies, DSA’s founding merger was heavily predicated on ensuring that the DSA would uphold DSOC’s position of supporting continued American aid for Israel’s Zionist settler-colonial project, as explicitly noted in our organization’s founding merger documents (e.g., Points of Political Unity) and by Michael Harrington himself in his autobiography;

Whereas, and antithetical to the DSA’s contemporary principles and policies, a number of DSA endorsed electeds (e.g., Jamaal Bowman & Nithya Raman) have consistently demonstrated a commitment to Zionism through their public opposition to BDS and/or support for legislation that harms Palestinians everywhere (e.g., public support for and votes in favor of U.S. financial aid to Israeli military, which forcefully advances the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestine through systematic tactics of abuse, forcible displacement, and murder of Palestinians; governmental adoption of definitions of antisemitism that conflate anti-Zionism and antisemitism, leading to the suppression of speech of Palestinians and those in solidarity with them);

Whereas, the DSA’s historic and contemporary association with and enablement of Zionism has jeopardized DSA rank-and-file membership’s confidence in the integrity of DSA’s overall politics, as well as our organization’s working relationships with major Palestinian-led grassroots organizations across North America;

Whereas, DSA membership has overwhelmingly denounced Zionism through its stated principles and convention mandates since 2017 but has yet to articulate these newfound principles into a more coherent praxis;

Whereas, the resolution “Make DSA an Anti-Zionist Organization in Principle and Praxis” (MSR #12), failed to be heard or deliberated on at the 2023 National Convention, and there is an urgent need to address this on a chapter level;

Whereas, in failing to pass an Anti-Zionist resolution in the spirit of MSR #12, DSA is not a safe space for Palestinians and those who organize for Palestinian liberation, as evidenced by the digital and physical threats against Palestine organizers at the 2023 convention;

Therefore, be it resolved, the Tampa DSA chapter denounces the organization’s Zionist roots and reaffirms its commitment to being an anti-racist, anti-imperialist organization by explicitly committing to being an anti-Zionist chapter– in both principle and praxis;

Be it resolved, Tampa DSA once again reaffirms our organization’s commitments to Palestinian liberation and the broad, international BDS movement by conveying our expectation that all of Tampa DSA’s endorsed candidates hold true to the following basic commitments:

1. Publicly support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement;
2. Refrain from any and all affiliation with the Israeli government or Zionist lobby groups, such as, but not limited to, AIPAC, J Street, or Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI), including participating in political junkets or any event sponsored by these entities;
3. Pledge to oppose legislation that harms Palestinians, such as…
   • Any official adoption of a redefinition of antisemitism to include opposition to Israel’s policies or legal system, or support for BDS (e.g., IHRA definition of antisemitism);
   • Legislative and executive efforts to penalize individuals, universities and entities that boycott Israel;
   • Legislative and executive efforts to send any military or economic resources to Israel;
4. Pledge to support legislation that supports Palestinian liberation, such as…
   • Legislative and executive efforts to end Israeli apartheid and ethnic cleansing against Palestinians and promote Palestinians’ rights to return to and live freely on the land (e.g., H.R. 2590);
   • Condemnation of Israeli apartheid and colonial practices  (e.g., H.Res. 751);
   • Attempts to end the spending of U.S. tax dollars on Israel and/or sanction Israel until it ceases its practices of apartheid and colonialism;

Be it resolved, our local chapter’s candidate questionnaires will continue to include a question that inquires about the candidate’s position on BDS;

Be it resolved, potential candidates who cannot commit to the aforementioned basic expectations will be disqualified from endorsement by the Tampa DSA at every level;

Be it resolved, the Tampa DSA, in collaboration with trusted Palestine Solidarity movement partners in the grassroots (e.g., Palestinian Youth Movement) and the DSA International Committee, will provide all endorsed candidates with anti-Zionist educational materials, 1-to-1 training opportunities and ongoing, open-door counsel as needed;

Be it resolved, upon receiving fair and ample opportunity for education about the Palestinian struggle for liberation, endorsed candidates who do not commit to the aforementioned basic expectations will have their Tampa DSA endorsements swiftly revoked;

Be it resolved, Tampa DSA members – regardless of endorsement status – who are credibly shown to:

1. have consistently and publicly opposed BDS and Palestine (e.g., denouncing the BDS movement in public interviews; writing public op-eds denouncing the BDS movement; drafting and voting in favor of legislation that suppresses BDS, such as legislation that suppresses speech rights around the right to freely criticize Zionism/Israel and/or the right to boycott), even after receiving fair and ample opportunity for education about the Palestinian struggle for liberation, 
2. be currently affiliated with the Israeli government or any Zionist lobby group(s) such as, but not limited to, AIPAC, J Street, or Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI), or
3. have provided material aid to Israel (e.g., Congresspeople voting to provide Israel with material aid; gave direct financial donations of any kind to Israel and/or settler NGOs who carry out the mission of Israeli settlement and Palestinian dispossession/displacement, such as the Jewish National Fund, the Israel Land Fund, the Hebron Fund, and Regavim)

will be considered in substantial disagreement with DSA’s principles and policies, and thus, the chapter will initiate the expulsion process in line with Article III, Section 3 of the Tampa DSA Bylaws;

Be it resolved, members expelled on these grounds may be reconsidered for membership reinstatement once per year provided they write a statement to chapter membership that 1.) demonstrates a basic understanding of Palestinian issues and Zionism and 2.) apologizes for past anti-solidaristic behaviors with a commitment to putting their new anti-Zionist principles into practice;

Be it resolved, membership reinstatement of reformed Zionists will require recommendation for reinstatement by their local chapter, followed by a majority vote in favor of reinstatement by the National Political Committee, as per the national Bylaws.

The post Resolution: For an Anti-Zionist Tampa DSA in both Principle and Practice appeared first on Tampa DSA.

Since October 7th, 2023, over 32,000 innocent people in Gaza have been martyred, of which over 40% are children. Those that are still alive have now been forced into famine. Throughout this campaign of genocide, the University of South Florida has maintained its investments in corporations that profiteer off this mass suffering.

On March 18th, in response to USF complicity in this evil, 19 USF students began a hunger strike to urge the university to divest from the genocide in Gaza. 

Their demands are as follows:

1. USF president Rhea Law call for a ceasefire and for humanitarian aid to be let into Gaza.

2. The USF investment portfolio from 2013-2023 and onwards is immediately made transparent and open to the public.

3. A Student Oversight Committee is established by Fall 2024, ensuring student input in future investments.

4. USF immediately divests from Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Hewlett Packard, and Caterpillar, for their complicity in genocide.

Instead of meeting these demands, instead of disinvesting from genocide, the University of South Florida chose to retaliate against students who are fighting for humanity. Instead of recognizing its position of complicity in these horrific acts, the University chose to mischaracterize its own investments as apolitical. We echo these brave students in acknowledging that the “starting point of investments are already political when you invest in a genocide.”

Ignoring their students’ calls for divestment is a tradition for the university. In 2013, a student referendum calling for the boycott and divestment of companies that profit from the Israeli occupation of Palestine passed with popular support. However, the university declared it “null and void” and was accused of violating the first amendment rights of students. The following year, Students for Justice in Palestine responded by collecting 10,000 signatures on a divestment petition. Still, the university ignored student voices. In 2016, the student senate voted overwhelmingly in support of a divestment resolution, still no commitment to divest. After more than a decade of student organizing, USF must listen to student voices.

Join us in our condemnation of the USF Foundation and USF administration by emailing USF President Rhea Law and the Board of Trustees to demand that they divest now! 

Tampa DSA

Follow the hunger strikers at their Instagram account

Call Rhea Law at (813) 974-2791 and the Board of Trustees at (813) 974-6442.

The post Tampa DSA Stands in Solidarity with the Hunger Strikers at USF appeared first on Tampa DSA.

Today in Albany, New York tenants numbering in the thousands descended onto our State’s Capitol Building in a Day of Mobilization, urging the New York Legislature to pass key legislation, such as Good Cause protections for tenants and greater rent support for low-income families facing eviction. Amidst the calls made by tenants and housing justice organizers for greater protections against the worst injustices of the current housing system, there also exists a new transformative vision of what housing could look like in our state. A new bill co-written by DSA-endorsed State Assembly member Emilly Gallagher representing North Brooklyn, would establish the New York Social Housing Development Authority and empower the state to build & maintain substantial new housing developments across the State that will be publicly funded, environmentally sustainable, permanently affordable by law, and democratically-controlled by tenants. If passed, the social housing authority would work to shift the balance of power over our whole housing system towards tenants and the state government and away from wealthy private developers that have no interest in building affordable housing, and the landlords that get rich from its scarcity. Tonight, we will hear from Renette, a DSA member and tenant organizer with HOPE Tenant Union, and Genevieve, a housing justice organizer with Ithaca DSA, on the importance of this new bill and the campaign to build beautiful, abundant, & affordable social housing for the whole working class of New York. 

In this special episode, we visit the Debs Museum in Terre Haute, IN to speak with museum director Allison Duerk about the life and vision of the pioneering socialist Eugene V. Debs. Visit the Debs Museum and follow them on social media for events and updates. https://debsfoundation.org https://www.facebook.com/EugeneVDebsFoundation https://www.instagram.com/debsmuseum

Today is day 158 of Israel’s genocidal assault on the Palestinian people in Gaza and also primary day for voters in Georgia, Mississippi and Washington.  

Over the last several weeks, hundreds of thousands of people across the country have voted "uncommitted" in the presidential primaries, to send a message to President Biden calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.  Tonight we’re joined by Ali and Tzara to talk about DSA’s role in the Vote Uncommitted campaign and what comes next to achieve a lasting ceasefire and the liberation of Palestine.  

To become a member of the Democratic Socialist America: https://www.dsausa.org/join

To follow Ali & Detroit DSA: @alihallalmi and @detroitdsa

Contact: info@columbusdsa.org

COLUMBUS — The Columbus chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) issues the following recommendations to residents of Central Ohio voting in the March 19, 2024, Democratic primary election.

1. In Delegates-at-Large and Alternates-at-Large to the National Convention, LEAVE BLANK.
   
2. In For U.S. Senator, LEAVE BLANK.
   
3. In For Representative to Congress (3rd District), LEAVE BLANK.
   
4. In For Representative to Congress (15th District), vote ZERQA ABID.
   
5. In For Justice of the Supreme Court (Unexpired term ending 12-31-2026), vote TERRI JAMISON.
   
6. In For State Representative (10th District), vote SARAH POMEROY.
   
7. In For Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, vote STEPHANIE HANNA.

A detailed rationale for each recommendation follows. Additionally, see our addendum about the race for Franklin County Prosecutor.

Disclaimer: No recommendations made here are endorsements. Columbus DSA has not endorsed any candidate in this upcoming election. To our knowledge, there is no candidate that comes close to sharing our vision of democratic socialism as will be necessary to establish a free and just society. These recommendations are tactical considerations meant to minimize the harm likely to occur to the working class here and abroad as a result of this election.

Do you lament the lack of socialist, abolitionist, and pro-BDS candidates running for office? You can be a part of changing that, whether by running for office yourself or helping us to discover and cultivate future socialists-in-office. To advance the democratic socialist movement in Central Ohio, join DSA today: www.columbusdsa.org/join/.

Recommendation 1

In Delegates-at-Large and Alternates-at-Large to the National Convention, LEAVE BLANK.

DSA’s National Political Committee (NPC), our elected leadership, alongside DSA-endorsed U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, supported an “Uncommitted” vote in the Michigan Democratic primary. The Listen to Michigan campaign to convince Democratic voters to vote “Uncommitted” was a remarkable success, earning over 100,000 “Uncommitted” votes in the primary. Campaigns in Hawaii, Minnesota, and other states have yielded similar successes.The Listen to Michigan campaign sent a clear message to President Biden: “Recant your support for Israel’s crimes, or you will lose reelection.” We stand by this message wholeheartedly. 

Show the Democratic Party that Biden’s support for Israel’s crimes will cost Democrats the presidency if he fails to reverse course and repair the harm he has aided and abetted.

Because our primaries lack the option to vote “Uncommitted,” we recommend that Columbus voters simply leave this field blank. Unfortunately, unlike in some states, blank votes are not counted in Ohio. Meaning, these votes will not be tallied for or against Biden.

We note that Dean Phillips, the only other candidate on the ballot, has suspended his campaign and endorsed Biden. Therefore, if voters would like their vote to be tallied against Biden, they can safely mark their ballot for Phillips without actually lending support to Phillips in the election.

Recommendation 2

In For U.S. Senator, LEAVE BLANK.

Sherrod Brown has a strong record of support for organized labor, LGBTQ+ rights, and other progressive causes. We commend his recent decision to voluntarily recognize his campaign staffers’ union.

At the same time, Sen. Brown also has a strong record of support for Israel. Brown opposes the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and supports the Israel Anti-Boycott Act, a proposed federal law that would make it easier for states to promulgate BDS bans. Further, he objected to UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which found that Israel’s settlements in the West Bank and the Golan Heights violated international law.

Brown will be the Democratic nominee for the general election. We recommend that voters not mark their ballots for him in this primary to demonstrate that his continuing support of Israel is unacceptable.

Recommendation 3

In For Representative to Congress (3rd District), LEAVE BLANK.

Joyce Beatty retracted her signature from a letter to President Biden calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, claiming it was added in error. At a joint session of Congress welcoming Isaac Herzog, President of Israel, on July 19, 2023, Beatty said: “We are proud to celebrate Israel’s 75th anniversary and strengthen the ironclad relationship between the U.S. & Israel.” The U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights gave Beatty a score of “F” in its 2024 scorecard tracking Congressional Democrats’ records on Palestine. For 2024, Beatty has been endorsed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and Democratic Majority for Israel.

Despite constant overtures from community organizers and members of her constituency over the past months and years, she has refused to recant her previous statements labeling Israel a U.S. ally, or to join the calls for a ceasefire led by DSA-endorsed Reps. Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib. While we recognize that Rep. Beatty has recently voted against new apportionments of aid to Israel, these votes are too little too late, and Rep. Beatty has not signaled any change in her stance on long-term political and financial support of Israel.

Beatty will be the Democratic nominee for the general election. We recommend that voters not mark their ballots for her in this primary to demonstrate that her continuing support of Israel is unacceptable.

Recommendation 4

In For Representative to Congress (15th District), vote ZERQA ABID.

Zerqa Abid is founder and president of MY Project USA, a non-profit organization providing youth-focused community services in Columbus. She is running to challenge the incumbent in this seat, Rep. Mike Carey, a Trump-endorsed former coal lobbyist and pro-Israel Republican.

Abid supports a $15 minimum wage, gun control, and abortion access. If elected, she has promised to vote to restrict U.S. military interventions and oppose funding any foreign government or other entity committing human rights abuses. She supports a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

Her primary opponent, Ohio Rep. Adam Miller, has been endorsed by the Franklin County Democratic Party. Abid will need all the help she can get to take on the Democratic establishment.

Recommendation 5

In For Justice of the Supreme Court (Unexpired term ending 12-31-2026), vote TERRI JAMISON.

Terri Jamison is a former Franklin County public defender and a supporter of the Ohio Sentencing Data Project, which will provide the public with detailed knowledge of the state of criminal sentencing in Ohio. Jamison, formerly a West Virginia coal miner, is a supporter of reproductive rights and bail reform. If elected, she would be the third Black woman to serve in the Supreme Court of Ohio. We see merit in Jamison’s blue-collar background, a more diverse state supreme court, and a supreme court more friendly to progressive positions on issues of criminal law.

Recommendation 6

In For State Representative (10th District), vote SARAH POMEROY.

Pomeroy is a Senior Assistant City Attorney in Columbus, working in the Nuisance Abatement division. Her work entails prosecuting out-of-state landlords that abuse tenants. Having witnessed the scale of Central Ohio’s housing crisis, Pomeroy is running on increasing the affordable housing supply, stopping property purchases by out-of-state private equity firms, and encouraging occupancy of vacant housing.

If elected, Pomeroy has promised to fight to overturn H.B. 68 and push back against attacks on reproductive healthcare. She supports automatic and same-day voter registration, and politician-free redistricting.

Pomeroy has been endorsed by Sheet Metal Workers Local 24, the Ohio Environmental Council, and Ohio Rep. Munira Abdullahi, among others.

Recommendation 7

In For Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, vote STEPHANIE HANNA.

If elected, Hanna has promised to establish a reentry docket to help individuals released from prison reintegrate into society. Her campaign has stated that Franklin County is the only large county in Ohio still lacking such a docket, and Hanna sees the need for one here. We agree.

Hanna, who has served on the boards of the Children’s Hunger Alliance, YWCA Columbus and Mental Health America of Ohio, would be the first Egyptian-American judge in Franklin County, and the second in Ohio. Noting that less than a third of Ohio judges are women, Hanna wishes to redress that inequality.

Hanna was registered as a Republican from 2014 to 2021, and ran as a Republican in the 2016 and 2020 judicial elections. She voted as a Democrat from 2010 to 2012 and re-registered as a Democrat in 2022. She also previously served as a prosecutor in Tiffin. Still, we see merit in voting for her over her primary opponent, Ohio Rep. Richard Brown, who opposes establishing a reentry docket, on this single issue.

Addendum

There is no candidate in the upcoming prosecutorial election that meets DSA’s standards for criminal legal reform. Rather than recommending a certain candidate to voters, we will simply state what we know about each.

Pierson

Pierson currently serves as deputy chief counsel in the office of Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack. He previously worked as an Assistant Attorney General under Dave Yost, where he oversaw the A.G.’s investigations into officer-involved critical incidents and shootings. Pierson has been endorsed by Tyack and Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin.

Writing in the Dispatch, Rev. Raymond Greene, Jr., executive director of Freedom BLOC, urged Columbus residents to vote against Pierson due to his failure to prosecute the officers who shot and killed 25-year-old Jayland Walker in 2022. Pierson oversaw the Attorney General’s investigation into that shooting. J.U.S.T. 614, a trusted community organization and core organizing partner of our chapter, has also called on residents to oppose Pierson’s candidacy. Pierson’s campaign is attempting to address concerns over lack of transparency in officer-involved shootings. If elected, Pierson has promised to mandate that the case file for any offer involved use-of-force case be posted publicly online within 48 hours of a grand jury’s failure to indict.

Pierson previously defended the Franklin County Prosecutor’s decision to recommend a bond of $400,000 for any defendant charged with possessing a firearm who was previously convicted of a first or second-degree felony for drug or violent offenses.

Given the grievances that members of our community have lodged against Pierson, we cannot recommend a vote for him.

Favor

We also cannot recommend Shayla Favor. Despite testimony before City Council by Columbus DSA’s Housing Campaign highlighting Blackstone’s abysmal housing practices and human rights record, Favor voted to permit the private equity firm and real estate developer to build in Columbus. Leaders within our chapter have continually expressed disappointment with Favor over the chasm between her behavior and rhetoric, as well as for her treatment of them in her capacity as a Councilmember, up to and including standing them up when they showed up for a pre-scheduled meeting.

When the Dispatch asked each of the prosecutorial candidates for comment following the mistrial in Jason Meade’s prosecution, Favor was the only candidate to decline to answer the question of whether she would retry the case. In lieu of an answer, Favor replied: “As an agent of change, I am committed to leading with transparency, prioritizing accountability, and honoring the dignity and respect of every Franklin County resident.” This vague moral posturing, rather than a conclusive response to questions posed by the community as to her positions, perfectly mirrors the way she has spoken on housing policy in her tenure as a Councilmember.

Favor supports death penalty abolition and opposes cash bail, calling it “the definition of an unjust and inequitable system.” Favor’s campaign website communicates pledges to not pursue incarceration for low-level offenses and to provide meaningful alternatives to incarceration. However, while these are remarkable promises, our previous experience indicates that she would fail to make good on them if elected.

Harris

The authors have little to say on Natalia Harris. Rather than taking political stances, her campaign has focused largely on highlighting her experience as the city attorney for Delaware, as well as her experience as a former prosecutor and Columbus city attorney. She has stated that her motivation for running is to address the backlog of unresolved murder cases in Franklin County, which she alleged in January to be at 251. Pierson, current deputy chief counsel for Prosecutor Gary Tyack, said that this number was “wildly” inaccurate, and that the backlog is actually at less than a third of that number.

Harris has said that she would be willing to seek the death penalty in a criminal prosecution, stating: “If there is a case that warrants it, then that is a tool that I will employ.”

###

The Las Vegas chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America announced their endorsement of Valerie Thomason, candidate for Assembly District 10. LVDSA played a significant part in Bernie Sanders’ sweep of the Nevada caucuses in 2020 and the election of the Progressive Slate that took over Nevada’s Democratic Party leadership in the spring of 2021. Thomason’s endorsement is the chapter’s first of its kind since its members adopted a more stringent endorsement process in the summer of 2021. LVDSA says it commits to turning out volunteers for Thomason’s campaign as it looks to lead a significant ground game for the Assembly District 10 seat.

Valerie Thomason is a Teamster, single mother, and organizer within the community. If elected, she would become Nevada’s first openly democratic socialist state legislator. Her campaign’s top priorities include rent control, universal childcare, and strengthening unions. She was an organizer for the Bernie Sanders’ 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, a Clark County Democratic Party Board Member from 2021-2023, and has served on the Steering Committee of LVDSA. Thomason has also earned endorsements from Run for Something and People’s Action PAC alongside Congress Members Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other left-wing legislators. Learn more about Valerie Thomason at valfornevada.com.

Quotes:

• LVDSA Co-chair Shaun Navarro: “From her work on the Bernie campaign, to leadership in LVDSA and now with the Teamsters, Val has proven her commitment to her community and fighting for the working class  in Las Vegas. She not only has our endorsement but she lives the values that LVDSA is all about.”
• LVDSA Co-chair Anthony Lambert: “Val is a fantastic organizer and a great representative of our values. She understands what the working class is going through, and she’s not going to bend to corporate lobbyists or toe a moderate line.”
• Candidate Valerie Thomason: “I’ve been a member of the Las Vegas DSA for a long time. I am incredibly proud of the work we’ve done together and of the things this organization has accomplished. I believe that this is another step towards building real power for working class people in Las Vegas and I am thrilled to not only be endorsed but to work together towards this future.”

Editorial note: The Las Vegas chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America may be short-handed as “LVDSA”, “Las Vegas DSA”, or “Las Vegas Democratic Socialists”.

In the early twentieth century the vast majority of mass production industries were unorganized in the United States. Efforts to replicate the success of the United Mine Workers, brewery workers, and the garment trades were largely unsuccessful until the 1930s when the Congress of Industrial Organizations changed everything. Fragile Juggernaut tells this story with a narrative that spans from the mid-nineteenth century to the 1950s. Andrew Elrod joins us to discuss why this history is important and what organizers can learn from it today.

On Sunday February 25, fellow peace activist and active-duty member of the US Air Force Aaron Bushnell self-immolated outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC. His last words echo in our ears: “I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest, but compared to what the people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it is not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.  Free Palestine! Free Palestine! Free Palestine!” He also stated that he would “no longer be complicit in genocide.”

Colorado Springs DSA recognizes Aaron’s sacrifice and the deeply empathetic pain that precipitated it. Aaron clearly held foremost in his thoughts the tens of thousands of civilians and children that have been murdered by Israel since October 7th. This death count continues to climb at an alarming rate, facilitated by American funding and weaponry, despite the fact that the majority of Americans – of all religions and ethnicities – support an immediate ceasefire. We hope that Aaron’s sacrifice will wake our elected officials up to the atrocity that most of them have been supporting and continue to support through allowing the United States to continuously veto U.N. ceasefire resolutions, allowing President Biden to bypass congress in sending weapons to Israel that make the genocide possible, and continuing to supply the Israeli apartheid government with billions of dollars in U.S. taxpayer money. We encourage all people of conscience to amplify Aaron’s message of peace and freedom as loudly as possible and call on all elected and unelected actors who are complicit in genocide to cease aiding and abetting the fascist colonial settler state of Israel.

We would also like to push back on the weaponization of psychological vocabulary as a cudgel against any message that is potentially disruptive to colonial and capitalist ideology. Despite the recurring tendency of the ruling class to pathologize people, actions, and ideas that threaten their hegemony, we have every reason to believe that Aaron was steadfastly principled, articulate, and clear-headed in his choice to use his dying act to communicate his message as powerfully as he knew how. He spoke with conviction and integrity, continuing a long history of nonviolent extreme protest in response to extreme circumstances. A genocide is an extreme circumstance, and all principled people who are paying attention can recognize what drove Aaron to martyr himself, even without taking that path themselves. All attempts to dismiss Aaron as “mentally ill” are rooted in a disagreement with his central message: stop the genocide and free the Palestinian people immediately. To be willing to die for others is an act of extreme love, not of insanity. Colorado Springs DSA will keep Aaron in our hearts and draw from his strength and solidarity with the Palestinian people in continuing to call for an immediate permanent ceasefire and a free Palestine.