CPUSA Memo

September 15, 2001

FR: National Board, Communist Party USA

Dear comrades,

Needless to say, the shock of Tuesday's terrible events hasn't worn off. Everyone is struggling with how to take it in personally, as well as respond politically.

This memo is to update all of you about what we have done in the national center, and what we are suggesting be done locally.

First, this week's People's Weekly World contains the Party statement we emailed to you on Wednesday, as well as a number of other articles. There will be no bundles, however, due to the delay in the production schedule. Wherever possible, we should find ways to distribute the statement, including electronically. Already comrades have reported an excellent response to it and to the fact that we are out there.

Next week's paper will have extensive coverage and analysis of the events. We think it will be an excellent edition, and are asking that every club and district make plans for large distributions. Clubs and districts should also consider special mailings and distributions to opinion makers, elected officials and our coalition partners in the people's movements. From the national office we are planning a mailing to organizations and activists, which includes a labor list and the members of Congress.

The paper will also contain an op-ed type piece by Sam, which we plan to send to local newspapers and to post on as many listservs as possible. All of the articles will be posted on our web site.

As before, we urge comrades to participate in whatever humanitarian aid efforts are going on in your area, including blood drives and collections, and to attend vigils and services for those who died. Where possible, we should try to help shape the character of those events, to promote peaceful solutions and uphold democratic rights. This can be done by suggesting speakers and broadening the outreach, among other things. Especially important are efforts to prevent anti-Arab and anti-immigrant attacks and
rhetoric.

Influencing public opinion on these terrible events and their meaning is not a simple matter; it will be a long term and complex process, influenced of course by day to day developments. However, we shouldn't feel helpless; there's much that we can do to point the discussion in the right direction, little by little, starting with the most basic steps.

Although at this moment elected officials are lining up behind the Bush administration, we should assume that there are differences and that these will become clearer as days go by. Voices of reason, calls for peaceful, political solutions, the sentiment that violence will only beget more violence -- all of these are present, although somewhat muted by the circumstances. We should find any and all ways to help influence our elected officials and public opinion with those sentiments.

There is a danger that people feel paralyzed by the scope of the death and destruction, and by the national mood of sorrow and calls for a military response. We need to show that there are things that can be done to calm the atmosphere and promote peace. Although clearly the political situation in our country has been profoundly affected by Tuesday's catastrophe, the possibilities for struggle haven't been eliminated. As we have said already, we must have a thoughtful, careful, approach to everything we do and say; to the timing of events, their scope, etc.

As we said in our first memo, in addition to conversations with neighbors and co-workers, we should be talking with those we work with in the labor and people's movements. We need to be tuned in to and part of that discussion, and in a position to help shape practical steps that are taken, whether in response to the terrorist attacks or around ongoing struggles and issues which are all affected by this national emergency.

Many districts have already planned meetings, and an article on what the Party is calling for and organizing will be in this week's paper. We are also setting up a new page on our website which will include the suggestions we are making from here, as well as experiences from the clubs and districts. Please send us reports of what you and others are doing (email to Elena at emora@cpusa.org).