Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 18:54:14 -0500 To: •••@••.•••, •••@••.••• From: Mark Douglas Whitaker <•••@••.•••> Subject: People's Tribune on the Campus Democracy Convention The two items below are from the September 1998 edition of the People's Tribune, a monthly national newspaper published in Chicago by the League of Revolutionaries for a New America. (The LRNA is one of the co-sponsors of the Democracy Teach-Ins.) The first item is an article about the Campus Democracy Convention. The second is a statement from the LRNA in support of the Convention. (The LRNA statement is from General Baker, the chair of the LRNA Steering Committee.) Neither item is copyrighted. Please feel free to forward them on to other people, to quote from them, or to reprint them in any publication. We want to help get the word out about the Convention and to help make it a success. Thanks! Chris Mahin LRNA •••@••.••• P.S. If anyone on this listserv would like to receive a bundle of this issue of the People's Tribune to distribute, just let me know. ------------------------------------------------------------------- >Date: Tue, 8 Sep 98 09:07 GMT >From: •••@••.••• (Chris Mahin) >Subject: People's Tribune on the Campus Democracy Convention > >>Date: Mon, 7 Sep 98 21:49 GMT >>From: •••@••.••• (Jim Davis) >>Subject: 09-98 The Campus Democracy Convention >> >>****************************************************************** >> People's Tribune (Online Edition) >> Vol. 25 No. 9/ September, 1998 >> >> P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL 60654 >> http://www.mcs.com/~league >> >>****************************************************************** >> >>4. THE CAMPUS DEMOCRACY CONVENTION: FORMATION OF NEW STUDENT GROUP >>TO BE DISCUSSED IN MADISON >> >>By Chris Mahin >> >>In November, 2,000 activists will converge on Madison, Wisconsin >>to take up the question of forming a new national student >>organization. They will also plan teach-ins on corporate power >>which will be held on campuses all over the country in 1999. >> >>The "Campus Democracy Convention" will take place from November >>5-9 at the University of Wisconsin. It has been called by the >>Democracy Teach-In Council, a group which has spent more than two >>years organizing against corporate dominance on dozens of >>campuses. >> >>"We will share stories and skills, hear speakers and make music, >>take action and build plans," the Convention's sponsors promised >>in a statement. "We will make proposals for a new national student >>organization, discuss them in small groups and large meetings, and >>hopefully, adopt a structure and a plan that will unite our >>energies and carry us forward," the statement declared. >> >>The People's Tribune welcomes the call for the Campus Democracy >>Convention. The drive to establish a national student organization >>is one of several signs that a new student movement is getting >>underway in the United States. >> >>It is fitting that the Campus Democracy Convention will be held at >>the University of Wisconsin at Madison. A recent court ruling >>involving that campus dramatically illustrated how important >>student organizations are (and how far the ruling class will go to >>destroy them). >> >>On August 10, a three-judge panel of the 7th Circuit Court of >>Appeals ruled that the University of Wisconsin at Madison could >>not use student fees to fund "political" or "ideological" groups >>on campus. The ruling did not define "political" or "ideological" >>and ignored the important role which campus groups active in >>society play in a student's education. >> >>This ruling is part of a concerted attack on both public education >>and freedom of expression. If it stands, it could set an ominous >>legal precedent and pave the way for the destruction of student >>groups all over the country. >> >>It is precisely because of attacks on student activism like the >>case in Madison that the effort to build a national student >>organization is so important. We urge our readers to do whatever >>they can to help make the Campus Democracy Convention a success. >> >>+----------------------------------------------------------------+ >> >>LRNA WELCOMES CAMPUS DEMOCRACY CONVENTION >> >>[Editor's note: Below we reprint the full text of a statement sent >>by the League of Revolutionaries for a New America to the >>Democracy Teach-In Council, the group which has called the >>upcoming Campus Democracy Convention.] >> >> >>August 30, 1998 >> >>To: The Democracy Teach-In Council >> >>Congratulations on the calling of the Campus Democracy Convention. >>With your upcoming meeting to consider founding a new national >>student organization and to plan a third round of campus teach-ins >>on corporate power, you are undertaking an ambitious and >>important mission. >> >>The obscene and brutal polarization of wealth and poverty threaten >>democracy, equality, and every other ideal that the American >>people hold close to their hearts. A government that is becoming >>less and less responsive to the survival needs of poor America is >>becoming more and more responsive to the profit needs of corporate >>America. Such a dangerous situation calls out for organizations >>and actions like yours. >> >>We wish the Campus Democracy Convention well in its proceedings. >>We offer to you the pages of our newspapers, the People's Tribune >>and the Tribuno del Pueblo, to publicize your activities and to >>reach out to our diverse audience with your message. >> >> >>General Baker >>Chair, Steering Committee >>League of Revolutionaries for a New America >> >>+----------------------------------------------------------------+ >> >> >>****************************************************************** >>This article originated in the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE (Online Edition), >>Vol. 25 No. 9/ September, 1998; P.O. Box 3524, Chicago, IL >>60654; Email: •••@••.•••; http://www.mcs.com/~league >>Feel free to reproduce and use unless marked as copyrighted. The >>PEOPLE'S TRIBUNE depends on donations from its readers. >>******************************************************************