[speech given at national organizers conference, 11/19 evening panel] 
The
Beginning of the End
-Pat,
WCW student organizer in CT
‘There
is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so
sick at heart, that you can’t take part; and you’ve got to put your bodies upon
the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus and you’ve got to make it stop. And you’ve got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own
it, that unless you’re free, the machine will be prevented from working at all.’
–
Mario Savio, Berkeley
Free Speech Movement, 1964
It is appropriate
we are here at Columbia School of Law ( to try and bring down an administration
that shows such disrespect for the laws that make it possible for us to even be
here. A place where one learns to respect and defend the laws of this nation (
and yet the laws that protect our rights are being destroyed by the actions of
the Bush Administration as we speak.
Last September I was walking thru Union
Square with a friend, when I received a flyer that
read ‘The World Can’t Wait: Drive Out The Bush Regime’. After reading it ( I
was unsure as to the possibility of achieving such a bold idea) how would we do
it? What would replace the Bush Regime? It was then that I realized the idea
behind the call was not to provide
an immediate answer on how or what would come after ( but to provide people
with an understanding of the urgency
of these issues. That we need to pull the US War Machine out of the Middle
East, that we need to drive recruiters out of our schools, that we need to end
the erosion of civil rights, that we need to end the destruction of the
environment, and that we ( the people, especially the young people of the
United States must drive these fascists out of the White House, and take back
the power that is rightfully ours. If the majority of this nation can rise
above the oppression of the Bush Administration, then we can remake society
through a truly democratic effort. We need to put aside our differences and
unite under this common goal: to drive
bush out! Through a coalition, we can finally make this nation live up to
its promises of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness ( that no
individual will be denied these rights – that we will dissolve the hierarchal
order, redistributing power back into the hands of the people. This movement is
showing us what we are capable of as individuals ( that we can go out into our
communities, organize, and rally people under a common goal ( to drive Bush
out. You must educate yourself, educate your community, and help to build a
movement that is capable of ending the oppressive rule of the United
States.
After returning
from Union Square, I made
the decision to organize for November 2nd. I gathered students from Stonington
High School to help organize) and come
the 2nd when we assembled at Dixon Square
in Westerly, Rhode
Island ( adjacent to Stonington,
CT. ( we did not know what to expect. Would
the police even allow us to assemble? But to my surprise, we received
overwhelming support from the community. People were glad to finally see action
being taken ( to see young people out in the streets demanding for Bush to step
down. We were swarmed by people showing their support ( and it wasn’t just
teenagers ( it was a broad spectrum of people ( ranging from kids on their way
home from school, to parents and grandparents walking with their children, to
middle aged businessmen, to college students, to working class youth. Our supporters
were open and willing to talk. People driving by were stopping in the middle of
the road, holding up traffic to give us their support. We had people demanding
for us to give them flyers. We had people giving thumbs up, car horns blaring,
and people yelling ‘Fuck Bush! It’s about time we drive him out!’ We were able
to tell that even some supporters of the Right Wing knew deep down that what
our country is doing is wrong. People wanted to talk ( people needed to talk.
We unleashed something ( we opened something up that has been waiting to be
opened for a long time: something that has been building up inside of people. A
man stated, ‘It’s about time ( where have you people been?’
Although we
received overwhelming support, how is a group of 20 kids standing at a traffic
circle with pickets and leaflets, chanting ‘the world can’t wait ( drive out
the bush regime!’ in Westerly, Rhode Island going to change society? How are we
making a difference? ) We are making a difference by bringing it home. We are
making the truth unavoidable. We are throwing it into the faces of every person
in our community – if you live in this nation, and your government is
committing such atrocities, whether it be Abu-Ghraib, or Guantanamo Bay, or
secret cells in Eastern Europe, or the murder of thousands of innocent people (
it is YOUR responsibility to let them know that if they don’t stop, then YOU
will stop them.
The
Democratic Party is not going to stand up for us ( so we must stand up for
ourselves. The Republican Party is spitting out shit and lies day after
day, and people are buying it ( but no one is taking action. Every once in a
while, a democrat will speak out against the Bush Regime, and a few days later,
quietly fade away. We must remember – dissent is not un-patriotic ( but
to question and fight for the common good of the people is true patriotism. If
you’re looking for an answer to the problems that plague not only this nation,
but this world, look no further ( we are the answer. We, the young people of this country will inherit this world of
inequality and violence, and it is our job to change it. We must question everything. To Bush and his cronies, we are your
worst enemy, because we know the truth and we will speak the truth.
Now
we must act quickly upon the energy created on November 2nd. As much
good as this movement has done and although it has taught us so much about
ourselves ( IT IS NOT ENOUGH. Too many people in this country are blinded by
pride, blinded by hate, and blinded by lies. Too many people simply do not know
what is going on in our nation, let alone the world. The public educational
system does not make it a priority to teach young people of the effects the
actions our government takes has on our communities, or the nation as a whole.
In school, we are not taught of the constitutional violations of the Patriot
Act. In school, we are not taught of the use of white phosphorous in Iraq,
or the detainment of innocent people ( denying them the right to due process.
The media does not accurately portray national or world events. Many feel that
as individuals they cannot make a difference. But my experience in Westerly on
November 2nd has helped me to overcome this belief, and I have made
it my goal to make others in my community understand that for political and
social change to ever occur, everyone can and must play an active role in
bringing about this change through community organizing and direct struggle (
and it is our job to help liberate the minds of the American people. The people
of America are
not lost ( but we must present them with the necessary information to make the
correct choice. We have been brainwashed into thinking that life cannot get any
better than this ( that there is no better system of government, and that there
is no better way of living. But there is still hope for the people; especially
the young people of this nation, to rise above the cesspool of violence,
ignorance, lies, and oppression we have been raised in.
People of all ages
are looking for a vehicle to express their rage. People are looking for
leadership, but it is not leadership we
need. What we need is to direct people to the power instilled within their
hearts and minds. That we need to create a society where all will partake in
the decision making process. Where the voice of every person in this nation can
be heard, and that never again will a single voice be drowned out by hatred,
bigotry, or violence. We have entrusted our fate in the hands of leaders for
far too long ( it is time for everyone to become a leader, for every single
person to take control over their own lives, and for the individual to become
part of the collective. Let the Bush regime know that we will never kneel
before their law. That we will never bow down. This is urgent ( too many lives
have been lost already, and thousands more hang in the balance. Our civil rights
hang in the balance) our future hangs in
the balance.
This system of American injustice must be
stopped!
George
W. Bush ( we are the people of the United States
( and we are your worst enemy. We
will take back what you stole!
(Let’s
make some noise.)