The Militant(logo) 
    Vol.61/No.19           May 12, 1997 
 
 
Letters  
Why vote for UK Labour?
"UK gov't announces May 1 election" is an excellent article by Jonathan Silberman that appeared in the issue number 14 of Militant. He explains how "broader sections of the ruling class have looked to the Labour Party under Anthony Blair to provide temporary respite from the Tory crisis." He continues to explain that "over the last few years, Blair has taken advantage of the retreat of the labor movement to shift the Labour Party significantly to the right" with some facts that the Labour "government will stick to the limits on public spending decided by the Conservative Party..."

It is very encouraging that the Communist League in Britain is going "to launch an election campaign that would provide an independent working-class voice" with two candidates who are industrial workers. The article concludes "the League urged people in British constituencies where no Communist League candidate is standing to nonetheless involve themselves in the League's campaigning; on election day it advised them to vote Labour."

The conclusion seems to contradict the general line of the article. I am confident that the Communist League has a good reason why working people should vote Labour. However, it is very important that the Communist League in Britain explain this.

Without an explanation it appears the league is contradicting itself, which could bring confusion among working people and militant fighters around the world.

Ahmad Haghighat

Toronto, Ontario

Iowa farmers rally
On March 20, National Agriculture Day, a rally was held in Clive, Iowa, a suburb of Des Moines, by supporters of family farms. The rally included a performance by country music star Willie Nelson, and grilled meat produced by small independent farmers. The event was sponsored by a consortium of farm groups opposed to "factory farms," the large scale agribusiness methods of hog and egg production.

Nelson responded to a letter from Alice Ginter, a Rhodes, Iowa, farmer in her 80s, which explained the purpose of the protest and asked Nelson to speak and sing at the rally. Ginter's son, Larry, is a leader of the movement to defend family farmers and oppose the environmental devastation created by factory farms.

A protest was held at the National Pork Producers' headquarters, where a list of demands was presented. A sign was mockingly planted in front of the "National Pork Producers" sign, reading "National Factory Farms Council." The sign more accurately highlights their real agenda, according to rally organizers.

The spirited crowd demanded first that the National Pork Producers stop spying on family farm groups. In a scandal that received national attention in the agriculture world recently, the Pork Producers Council reportedly hired an independent firm to spy on the activities of pro-family farm groups such as Missouri Rural Crisis Center and others.

The rally demanded the Pork Producers stop supporting policies favorable to large agribusiness operators, such as the notorious De Coster Farms (recently fined by Iowa authorities for environmental abuses), over small to medium sized family farms. Another demand included ending the mandatory Pork Producers "checkoff," making it voluntary instead. Now, each time a small pork producer sells a hog, a portion of the money goes to the Pork Producers Council, whose policies, rally organizers claim, are helping put small farmers out of business.

Bob Peters

Des Moines, Iowa

City officials attack rights
In the aftermath of the successful anti-Klan action held here on April 5, the city administration has continued its attacks on democratic rights.

City Councilwoman Valerie McDonald, who is Black, proposed that the Ku Klux Klan be billed for the tens of thousands of dollars it cost the city to close parts of downtown, erect fences, and pay for the hundreds of heavily armed police it used to "protect" the Klan. When Mayor Thomas Murphy agreed to pursue this idea, the head of the Klan responded that his group didn't request the fencing and police, and if anyone should pay it should be the anti-Klan demonstrators.

In a related development, the American Civil Liberties Union is challenging the city's policy of charging groups for police patrols at special events.

The Three Rivers Pride Committee was charged $1,900 for police services for annual gay pride events in 1995 and 1996 and want to do a similar event this June without being charged.

On April 18, as a result of police being assigned to a "Take Back the Night" demonstration in downtown Pittsburgh, the city charged the sponsoring organization, "Pittsburgh Action Against Rape," $25 per hour per police officer.

Edwin Fruit

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The letters column is an open forum for all viewpoints on subjects of general interest to our readers. Please keep your letters brief. Where necessary they will be abridged. Please indicate if you prefer that your initials be used rather than your full name.  
 
 
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