Free Troy Davis! The Whole Damn System is Guilty

What does it say that a man for whom there is no physical evidence of his guilt is about to be executed?

What does it say that despite 7 out of 9 witnesses recanting, the system is pushing ahead with his execution?

What does it say that it has come out that police pressured witnesses to identify Troy Davis in the first place?

What does it say that over a million people have signed a petition worldwide to get him a stay of execution and this is being ignored?

What does it say that so many of the Black people pouring out among the protesters are so familiar with being wrongly criminalized that they are taking up the slogan, "I am Troy Davis"?

What does it say that the Supreme Court of the land is letting this go down?

What does it say that the "first Black President" is totally fucking silent and COMPLICIT!?

THE WHOLE DAMN SYSTEM IS GUILTY.

THE DEATH PENALTY IS ILLEGITIMATE -- TRUE, BUT ITS DEEPER THAN THAT. THE WHOLE DAMN SYSTEM IS GUILTY.

JOIN THE PROTESTS HAPPENING IN GEORGIA. JOIN THE PROTESTS IN HARLEM NEW YORK. GET IN THE STREETS WHEREVER YOU ARE. TWEET ABOUT IT. CALL IN TO THE PRESIDENT. MAKE SOME FUCKING NOISE AND DON'T STOP.

My Thoughts on the Secular Student Alliance Conference

Last weekend I got to spend a couple days at the http://www.secularstudents.org/ conference. Anyone who has checked out the Constitution for the New Socialist Republic (Draft Proposal) from the Revolutionary Communist Party – with its emphasis on really promoting science, intellectual ferment, atheism, and the unfettered search for the truth (as part of an overall economic and social system that is meeting people's most basic needs and overcoming past oppression and inequalities) – should get pretty readily why communists would value a group of critically-thinking, religion-bucking, science-promoting students like this. Add to that the fact that Christian fascism is a real and growing force in this society right now and it seemed especially important to be in the midst of this secular gathering.

Challenging the authority of religion, exposing the non-existence of god(s), creating a community where atheists are not shamed or isolated or bullied, taking on the encroachment of religion into the state, defending and fighting for the scientific understanding of evolution, thinking critically and enabling others to learn how to do the same... these are but a few of the things that the SSA is involved in that are both significant in their own right and have significant implications for the success of any revolution worth making.

One of the main things I did at the conference was promote Bob Avakian's new book, Basics. Not surprisingly, there were many misconceptions about communism but also much concern about the state of the world, the environment, and whether there could be a better future. Shout out to everyone who got a copy. We do not have to accept a world in which the vast majority of humanity is locked in ignorance and squalor! But whether or not we get out of this world depends in no small part in whether or not people get into BAsics; You can't change the world if you don't know the BAsics!” To lift just one quote from BA that is particularly relevant to the question of religion:

“The notion of a god, or gods, was created by humanity, in its infancy, out of ignorance. This has been perpetuated by the ruling classes, for thousands of years since then, to serve their interests in exploiting and dominating the majority of people and keeping them enslaved to ignorance and irrationality.

“Bringing about a new, and far better, world and future for humanity means overthrowing such exploiting classes and breaking free of and leaving behind forever such enslaving ignorance and irrationality.”

WHO ATTENDED?

The students who turned out were from all across the country, but it was particularly interesting how many of them came from more isolated areas – small towns and campuses in Kansas or Ohio or Alabama or Minnesota. They are sticking their necks out to publicly disclaim belief in god. Many of the students told stories of tremendous bigotry they have encountered not only from other students but also teachers and administrators. Some are estranged from their families.

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