Inaccurate title
The title "Child-care workers walk out in British Columbia"
chosen for my article in issue 21 of the Militant on the
social service workers strike is inaccurate. It leaves the
impression that only child-care workers are involved in this
fight and creates the impression that the Militant is not
knowledgeable or on top of this important strike. For example,
the first sentence claiming that some 10,000 child-care
workers are on strike is misleading. It will be important to
explain to people that this is an editorial error and not the
error of the unionist writing the item, who has been involved
in picket line activity, gone to rallies, and interviewed
several strikers. Ten thousand social service workers are on
strike in British Columbia. A small proportion of these
workers are child-care workers. The workers on strike are in
four unions and work in transition houses, homes for battered
women, in infant development programs, 24-hour live-in homes,
homes for mentally and physically disabled, in juvenile
services, etc. One of the key issues that sparked the strike
is the fact that the employers had no money for child care and
because of this all the workers decided to strike in
solidarity. Other issues such as pensions, benefits, 24-hour
live-in allowances are unresolved.
Ned Dmytryshyn
British Colombia, Vancouver
Another correction
The article I wrote in the May 24, 1999, issue of the
Militant [U.S. federal court threatens deportation of Irish
nationalist] contains a factual error. In it I stated that
Noel Cassidy, who is facing deportation, was a hunger striker
while in Long Kesh prison. This is not the case. While Noel
was a part of the blanket protest during his imprisonment he
was not one of the men on the hunger strike.
The blanket protest and the hunger strike were an important part of Irish resistance to British rule. All the blanketmen were nationalists tried by juryless courts and sentenced to long prison terms. Countering the incessant abuse and beatings at the hands of guards and fighting for their recognition as political prisoners were the immediate demands. Bobby Sands best articulated their approach to the fight:
"I am dying not just to end the barbarity of the H-Blocks, or to gain rightful recognition as a political prisoner, but primarily because what is lost in here is lost for the Republic and those wretched oppressed whom I am proud to know as the `risen people.' "
Prisoners, as well as their supporters outside Long Kesh, worked for months to carefully preparations the campaign. Participants in the hunger strike were carefully selected from among the more than 500 blanketmen by the prisoners' leadership. Seven fighters in the H-Blocks began the protest on Oct. 27, 1980. On December 1, they were joined by three women prisoners in Armagh, and two weeks later by another 30 Long Kesh men.
The first strike ended Dec. 18, 1980, after 53 days when promises were made by the British government to implement a formula to end the hunger strike and blanket protest. After months of double-talk from London, a second hunger strike began on March 1, 1981. It was during this strike that British colonial policy led directly to the deaths of Bobby Sands and nine other republican fighters.
Their resistance and sacrifice in the face of overwhelming forces, which sought to break them, will always stand as an inspiration to fighters the world over. I urge readers to learn more about this important chapter in history. An excellent book is Nor Meekly Serve My Time by Brian Campbell (Beyond the Pale Publications, Brian Campbell, et al, Belfast, 1998, $20). This is the record of the struggle in the H-Blocks from 1976-81 in the form of excerpts from accounts by prisoners. It is available from Home Front Library, Irish Northern Aid, 363 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001.
Steve Warshell
Cleveland, Ohio
Confused about the war
Please place my name on your list for a subscription, so I
may learn what the war in Kosovo is all about. Both of my
brothers are officers in the U.S. Marine Corps and both are
presently sent to the war in Kosovo. One is in charge of
commandos in Kosovo of locating targets and helping the U.S.
Air Force to bomb those targets while not being detected. I'm
confused and don't understand why they are there. I thought
the Militant would help in letting me know.
A prisoner
Beaumont, Texas
Newsweekly is shared
I direct this letter to your office to request renewal of my
prisoner's subscription to the Militant. I am indigent,
however, my hope is that my subscription can be renewed
without interruption. Your newsweekly is shared among many men
here, we look forward to receiving it.
A prisoner
Hagerstown, Maryland
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