STRUGGLING AGAINST MADNESS (cont)
Peoples’ Anti-War Mobilization Rally Washington, D.C.
May 3, 1981
Will the madness destroy itself and us?
Will the gods having allowed this madness, now permit the destruction? Is there no hope? Is there no Balm in Gilead? Shall we lay our sword and shield down by the riverside and study war no more? Are we to do nothing but weep, complain, and leave this madness to crash the ship of state at mid-sea or among the breakers of farther shores?
No, no, no a thousand times no, we will not quit! Let our “No” ring out till it reaches every corner of the White House, every crack in the Pentagon, every crevice on Capitol Hill, every hole in Corporate America.
No, we will not throw in the towel!
No, we will not grow weary!
No, we will not be discouraged!
And, no we will not be deceived!
Our hands are on the plow and we cannot turn back.
Let them send the F.B.I.
Let them send the C.I.A.
Let them send the K.K.K., but we will not quit.
Let them take our jobs, take our Bank Books, threaten our Union, yes - let them take our lives, but we will not give up!!
We have the awesome responsibility to struggle with the people until sanity prevails. Who knows, but that we have been called to this hour to save the people and also these madmen.
This struggle must not only concentrate on El Salvador, the draft, nuclear testing, and militarism in general, but it must also look to the Caribbean, where a small nation, Grenada, a nation which is only 10 by 21 miles with a population of 110,000, is striving to develop its own land according to its own plan and choose its own friends and allies. The People’s Revolutionary Government in Grenada extended a friendly hand to the U.S. Rulers. But, the response has been hostile. In a high handed imperialist fashion, the U.S. Government has sought to impose humiliating conditions for friendly relations. There are good reasons to suspect that the U.S. Government is attempting to sabotage the Government of Grenada. We must support the Peoples’ Revolutionary Government of Grenada!
Our struggle must encompass concern for Southern Africa, including Angola, Mozambique, and Namibia. The present policies of the Reagan administration to destabilize the government of angola and Mozambique must be denounced with all the emphasis we can command. The love affair into which Reagan and Haig have entered with the abominable regime of South Africa must be attacked as a relationship with the devil and affiliation with Hell.
A few days ago in the Security Council, the U.S. with Britain and France (strange bedfellows) vetoed sanctions against South Africa.
On May 14, 1981, Roelof Botha, the South African Foreign Minister, came to this country. Can you imagine such a thing? A government whose wickedness is comparable to any in human history, with a leadership whose hands are dripping with the blood of millions of men, women, and children coming to this country to meet with U.S. rulers who, but a few days ago bemoan the Holocaust in Germany. What Hypocrites!!! There is a continuing Holocaust in South Africa, and do they weep for Africa’s dead? Do they damn the murders? No, they invite them to this country to be wined and dined and to express sympathy and support their evil policies. We must show our outrage!
The National Black United Front is calling for a mass demonstration across the country in opposition to Botha’s visit. The New York Black United Front will be having a Rally at the United Nations on May 13, 1981, from 12:00 to 2:00 PM, with a March to the South African Embassy. We are demanding that Botha stay home, Kirkpatrick resign, and the end of support for South Africa. We are inviting all of you to join us in this effort. Come to New York on the 13th and join us at the United Nations. Contact the Black United Front in your city for planned activities.
We must move beyond words, beyond verbal condemnation, we must act!!
We must march, demonstrate and confront our public representatives.
We must do whatever necessary to end U.S. support for South Africa.
Namibia must be free!
Our struggle must not only have an international focus, but let us “Look Homeward Angels”. We must build a people’s movement that will put people first.
In this connection it is important that we note two considerations; we should emphasize that Reagan is bad news for everybody but the rich and powerful. I know that there are good middle class white folk who are rejoicing that poor people, especially Black poor, are being put down. But, mark you well, Reagan got your number too. We urge middle class whites to get in the movement too, for after they have finished off the poor in the morning they will be for them at noon time.
The second consideration we must note derives from the Vietnam Days. During that time the Peace Movement poured its energy into stopping the war in Vietnam. Racism was left to run rampant with little or no response from the Peace Movement.
When the Vietnam War was over whites, many of you here today, went back home, back to school, back to the status quo, back to the system, back to business as usual! And we were left to carry the battle alone. Let us not make the same mistakes. It is true many of us have had differences, but we say today “if your heart is as our hearts give us your hand”; to Gentiles and Jews, to Protestants and Catholics, to Blacks and Whites, to every religion, creed, nationality, we say “if your heart is as our hearts give us your hand”.
If you long as we do for a world wherein dwelleth peace, justice, and equality in all things among all people; and if you believe as we do that it is possible to shape that kind of world, we say “Let us close ranks put our shoulders together and get on with the task”. Let us not end our solidarity here, but let us go back to the places from whence we came inspired by what we have seen and felt here today, and let us organize.
Let us build a People’s Movement that will not end with the defeat of the military junta in El Salvador, but let’s build a People’s Movement that will struggle until Namibia is free!,
South Africa is free!
Until the U.S. foreign policy reflects the wishes of the people and not of the few rulers.
Until support for reactionary, fascist, racist governments cease.
Let us struggle on until the resources of the land are turned away from war making and individual aggrandizement to service and program for the people.
Until slums and ghettos are eradicated, poverty and unemployment are removed from the land.
Let us struggle until the social order has been transformed into democratic and economic fairness.
And we will win, we will win.
Because madness is of short duration; because it is predicated upon a distorted perception of reality. It calls evil good, good evil; friends enemies, enemies friends; it calls light darkness, and darkness light; it calls backwardness progress, progress backwardness.
We will win because the budding future is stronger than the withering past.
We will win because the wretched down trodden of the world are on the move.
Long live the People’s Anti-War Mobilization.
Long live the Democratic Revolutionary Front in El Salvador.
Long live the Sandinista Liberation Front in Nicaragua.
Long live the Peoples’ Revolutionary Government in Grenada.
Long live the African National Congress, Pan Africanist Congress of Azania, and the South West African Peoples’ Organization, in South Africa.
Long live the National Black United Front.
Long live Peoples’ Progressive and Liberation Movements, and Governments of the people, by the people, and for the people.
FORWARD TOGETHER!! BACKWARDS NEVER!!
The End.