October 5: Bring Your
Spirit and Determination Into the Struggle to Drive Out the Bush Regime
The effects of globalization have forced millions of
immigrants here from all over the world.
They are made to leave behind what is dear to them — families, friends
and way of life — in order to struggle for a way to earn a living. They must live in a hostile environment,
attacked, vilified and made to accept a subhuman status.
Immigrants began to break out of these shadows during the recent
upsurge of immigrant rights protests across the country against the
Sensenbrenner bill. It took daring and
courage to step out into the light of day.
This had an electrifying effect on people here and around the world.
On October 5, this same kind of daring spirit and
determination must be infused into the developing movement to drive out the Bush regime. This is a government
that let thousands of its own people die in Katrina, that is waging wars for
global domination, institutionalizing repression and torture, and moving daily
closer to a theocracy. Think of the effect if millions of people
of all nationalities in this country were taking action like millions are in
Mexico: surrounding government buildings, taking over the downtown streets,
bringing business as usual to a halt, camping out in the streets, and refusing
to stop until this hated regime was driven from power. We must work to create “a political situation where the Bush regime’s program is
repudiated, where Bush himself is driven from office, and where the whole
direction he has been taking society is reversed. We, in our millions, must and
can take responsibility to change the course of history.”
For immigrants and other outcasts in society to enter into
the forbidden territory outside the boundaries of relying on one or the other
political parties and to repudiate the legitimacy of the Bush regime, calling
for it to COME TO A HALT, would greatly inspire and challenge other forces in
society. People would have to take note
that there are those willing to go up against great odds to make this clear
statement.
Will there be obstacles to overcome to do this? Yes. We need to confront them and find ways to
overcome these barriers. One counter
argument is that taking this kind of stand of stepping is too risky, dangerous
and none of our business. Is there a
basis for this fear? Yes.
We must tell
people the truth. What will happen if we
fail to act in this way? Immigrants are
in the crosshairs of the Bush regime.
From Sensenbrenner to Specter to Hegal and Martinez to McCain and Kennedy, the debate in
Congress for so-called comprehensive immigration reform is only over HOW to
greatly step up the repression of immigrants with horrific consequences for
millions. President Bush has posed as the “moderate”. But what is his program? Setting loose the
military on immigrants inside the U.S. and at the border, beefing up the “show
me your papers” police, massive expansion of detention centers, mandatory
deportation, biometric identification cards, legalized apartheid, and thousands
of starving people driven to their deaths at the border. This is what millions of immigrants face in
2006.
All of this is
very much at the heart of the Bush regime’s agenda for the world: illegitimate,
immoral wars; massive domestic spying; legalized torture; indefinite detention
without charges; moves to outlaw abortion and birth control; and the list goes on.
This is why the “Call for the World Can’t Wait, Drive Out the Bush
Regime!” says:
“People look at all this and think of Hitler – and they
are right to do so. The Bush regime is setting out to radically remake society
very quickly, in a fascist way, and for generations to come. We must act now;
the future is in the balance.”
No matter who you are or where you are born, you need to
confront this squarely. People have risked their lives trying to get here just
to earn a living. Immigrants face the threat of being swept up and locked up
just walking down the street. It is getting worse daily.
We are talking about going into the streets with a clear
call, BRING ALL THIS TO A HALT, and calling out to others to join this. THIS is worth risking EVERYTHING. To put it
bluntly, those who know what the real dangers are in allowing the Bush regime
to continue on this destructive path, but remain silent hoping to carve out a
“safe” place are suffering under a dangerous illusion. And if you
know what’s going on but don’t act, this makes you complicit in what this
regime to doing to people here and around the world.
Think about what it would mean if we fought against these
tremendous odds and were victorious!
Now is the time to step out in a big way and take up
organizing seriously for Oct 5. National organizing meetings will [happen] on
September 7 to involve many more people in planning and organizing for the
day. Go to worldcantwait.org or call
866-973-4463 to find out where and when they are happening in your city.