The featured speaker was Michael Italie, the recent Socialist Workers candidate for mayor of Miami. He was fired from his job as a sewing machine operator by Goodwill Industries October 22 after speaking out against the U.S. war against Afghanistan and in defense of the Cuban Revolution at a televised debate with other mayoral candidates.

Among those also on the platform were Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in Florida; attorney John Due, a veteran civil rights activist and NAACP representative; Altaf Ali, director of the Council for American Islamic Relations in Florida; and Leroy Jones, a founder of Brothers of the Same Mind, an organization based in the Black Community here that defends the rights of prisoners and former inmates.

The Committee to Defend Freedom of Speech and the Bill of Rights, formed to organize a nationwide fight to demand Italie's reinstatement, sponsored the December 8 program. Sheri Bevel and Chris Hoeppner, members of this group, co-chaired the event. Bevel is also coordinator of the Philosophy Club at Florida International University South campus.

In opening the program Hoeppner quoted from a December 5 Miami Herald column by Robert Steinback. "South Florida has long been a focal point of the clash over liberty. Frankly we're pretty confused over the concept," Steinback wrote.

"Since the Sept. 11 attacks, two men were fired from their jobs solely for expressing unpopular opinions. The University of Miami fired Iranian-born medical technician Mohammad Rahat for criticizing U.S. policy in Israel and Afghanistan.

"Former Miami mayoral candidate Michael Italie was fired from his job for speaking in support of the Cuban revolution and against U.S. bombing in Afghanistan.

"There has been no groundswell of indignation over these unjustified and outrageous firings," said Steinback.

"We are here to say no!" Hoeppner stated. "These 'unjustified and outrageous firings' and the current dragnet targeting thousands of immigrants and others will not go unanswered. We will speak out. The Bush administration has overreached itself in its assault on civil liberties. This panel is testimony to that fact."  
 
Violation of IRS tax exempt status?
Co-chairperson Sheri Bevel reported on the results of some research she had done. Goodwill is tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code, Bevel said. IRS rules state that private companies or individuals that qualify for this exemption "may not participate at all in campaign activity for or against political candidates.... A 501(c)(3) organization may not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.... The motivation of an organization is not relevant in determining whether the political campaign prohibition has been violated. Activities that encourage people to vote for or against a particular candidate, even on the basis of nonpartisan criteria, violate the political campaign prohibition of 501(c)(3)."

In a statement to the Miami Herald published in its October 30 issue, Goodwill CEO Dennis Pastrana said he fired Italie because "We cannot have anyone who is attempting to subvert the United States of America. His political beliefs are those of a communist who would like to destroy private ownership of American enterprises and install a communist regime in the United States."

The day of a news conference to protest the firing, held by Italie outside the plant where he worked, Goodwill bosses sent all 400 workers home early, with pay, to prevent them from talking with Italie or the press. Several workers told Italie that the bosses told them to punch out early because "Mike the communist would be out there talking to the media." The next day when Italie and his supporters returned, some 70 workers took information on his fight.

"I am not a lawyer," Bevel said, "but it seems to me Goodwill has violated these rules by firing Mike. I will work with others to determine how far we can take this as part of the fight for reinstatement."

Bevel also noted other messages of support sent to the meeting--including from the Orlando chapter of the Boricua Human Rights Network, civil rights veteran fighter Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, and Maggie Becker, spokesperson for the defense of the Miami Five--Cubans framed-up here by the FBI on "spying" charges. New endorsers of the Committee to Defend Freedom of Speech and the Bill of Rights in Miami include Jobs with Justice, J. W. Johnson and Jeffrey W. Mitchell from the Transport Workers Union, and Sherman Henry, president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1184.  
 
'Outrageous firings must be protested'
Florida ACLU director Howard Simon pointed to the arrogant defense by U.S. attorney general John Ashcroft of the Bush administration's executive order to establish military tribunals to try suspected "terrorists" and other antidemocratic steps like the indefinite and secretive detentions of hundreds of immigrants. Citing Ashcroft's charge that opponents of these measures are "aiding the terrorists," Simon said: "To brand critics of the government as accomplices of terrorists, to equate dissent with disloyalty, is going too far. We can't permit this administration to turn the clock back 50 years to the era of Joseph McCarthy."

There is a wide perception that Miami has had a history of violations of the First Amendment and freedom of speech, Simon noted. "These used to be so routine here that a number of us in the ACLU joked about the 'Miami exception to the First Amendment.'" Simon cited a number of examples, including efforts, such as occurred when the Cuban band Los Van Van played in October 1999, to prevent Cuban artists from performing in the city. Pointing to how 19th century Virginia slaveholders outlawed any advocacy of the abolition of slavery, Simon said, "For the ACLU, freedom of speech is not an abstract principle. No struggle for social justice can be effective without First Amendment rights."

Italie and Rahat's firing are "outrageous acts that must be protested," Simon said. Just because some of these practices may not be explicitly prohibited by law, it doesn't mean that they are not reprehensible, the ACLU representative stated. "Censorship is wrong whether it's carried out by the government or private individuals and institutions."

In his presentation, John Due said, "I don't consider myself a civil rights lawyer when a man like Ashcroft claims that the U.S. government stands for civil rights. I prefer to be called a human rights lawyer." Those like Italie standing up to such political firings today are setting an example similar to that set by Rosa Parks when she refused to give up her seat on the segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955, Due noted. "We may have to do the Rosa Parks thing again in these cases."

Mike Italie reported on some of the highlights from the first stops on his national speaking tour.  
 
Support from striking workers
"Workers, farmers, and young people fighting for their rights are the people we need to see as key in winning battles in defense of workers' rights and civil liberties," stated Italie. This was demonstrated when he joined picket lines of Fashion 21 garment workers in Los Angeles fighting for back wages and sanitary working conditions, striking Catholic school teachers in New York, and Pratt and Whitney workers on strike in Connecticut. Italie said he offered solidarity for these struggles and won support for his fight.

Italie noted that Miami has recently been classified as the poorest large city in the United States and that workers at Goodwill receive poverty wages. Pointing out that he had joined co-workers at protests in defense of immigrant workers' rights and against police brutality, Italie stressed that "Employers like Goodwill Industries, and its CEO Dennis Pastrana want to intimidate and silence any workers who speak up against the conditions we face on or off the job or in support of organizing unions."

The meeting marks the beginning of the broadening of the fight, Italie said. "We are in a stronger position now to speak out to college and high school classes, unions, churches, and other organizations. I ask you to join this fight to win back my job and that of Mohammad Rahat, and to make Goodwill and the University of Miami pay the highest price for their attacks on freedom of speech."  
 
'I thought Muslims were isolated'
Altaf Ali of the Council on American-Islamic Relations spoke about the ongoing government attacks on people of Middle Eastern background. "Before I came here I thought the Muslim community was isolated," said Ali. "I am very happy to see so many different people came out tonight. What happened to Mike and Mohammad really shocked us in the Muslim community."

Ali sparked laughter when he said he was surprised to hear of Italie's firing "because he is a handsome man with his beard." Part of the anti-Arab, anti-Muslim propaganda in the media, he said, included pressure for Middle Eastern men to shave their beards and reject the struggles of Arab and Muslim peoples for their liberation. He added that justice can only be won against these firings by putting pressure on the companies that carry out attacks on freedom of speech, and suggested that an effort be waged to brand Goodwill in public opinion as "Badwill."

Yvonne Hayes, assistant vice president of United Transportation Union Local 1138 in Miami, gave the fund pitch. She read a portion of a letter of support from Bill Pearson, president of UFCW Local 789 in St. Paul, Minnesota (see below).

Participants contributed $1,141 to aid the work of the free speech committee.  
 
Link with struggle against racism
In expressing his support for the fight to reinstate Italie and Rahat, Leroy Jones of Brothers of the Same Mind recounted his most recent experience with mistreatment by the police while protesting racism in hiring at a construction site in Miami. Jones was arrested a few days before the December 8 forum by cops on the pretext his organization had violated its permit for the affirmative action protest. He was quickly released as other Brothers of the Same Mind leaders came to the police station to spotlight the racist conduct of the cops. "If the police decide to press charges, I tell them I welcome the fight," he said.

Sandra Collado, representing the Miami Coalition To End the U.S. Embargo of Cuba, and Max Rameau, of the Miami Antiwar Coalition, also addressed the meeting. Rameau said that "if the firings of Mike and Mohammad are legal, we need to make them illegal. We need to fight to change the law."

During the discussion, Anjali Sardeshmukh said she had read in the media that the president of the Miami ACLU chapter stated the ACLU would not take Italie's case and made a statement that aided the bosses' side. When did the ACLU change its position? she asked.

Simon responded that the ACLU has not decided to take up a legal case for Italie. The law in Florida is written in such a way that gives employers wide legal leeway for such firings, Simon stated. He said he concurred with Rameau's statement about the need to change the law. This firing must be fought politically, Simon added.

Participants in the meeting included members and supporters of the NAACP, the Green Party and Workers World Party, Food Not Bombs, and Alianza Martiana. A number discussed how to broaden support for this fight--from collecting thousands of signatures on petitions, to organizing similar meetings on campuses, to getting publicity in the media, and raising funds.

More than a dozen youth took part, including three high school students. "Most young people in my school oppose these attacks on democratic rights," Eddy Alpizar, 15, told Militant reporters. "I was glad to hear at the meeting that if you can fire someone for expressing their political beliefs, it means you can fire someone for advocating Black rights or women's rights. I am against this. We are part of this fight."

To join the campaign contact The Committee to Defend Freedom of Speech and the Bill of Rights at P.O. Box 510127, Miami, FL, 33151-0127. Tel: (305) 724-5965. E-mail: DefendFreeSpeech@yahoo.com

Argiris Malapanis is a meat packer in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
 

The following is a message from Bill Pearson, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 789 in Minnesota, in support of the reinstatement of Michael Italie and Mohammad Rahat.

Shortly after September 11, 2001, I called a conservative talk show host in the Twin Cities. My comments were brief and pointed: "Bomb the Bastards." It was easy, it was the popular opinion.

Having said that, I read with horror of the decisions to terminate Michael Italie and Mohammad Rahat. Their opinions weren't the popular ones. Nonetheless, their statements reflected their viewpoints. While I don't agree with them, I find it inconceivable to fire workers simply because they don't think the way we do.

Let's cut to the chase. If the actions taken by Goodwill and the University of Miami are allowed to stand, then the events of September 11th will have been wildly successful. We will have let the terrorists take away the most important component of our freedom: the right to dissent, the right to speak our minds without fear of reprisal.

It's always been a divergence of ideas that has given us our greatness. We've grown as a nation because we have been able to accept our differences. The terrorists have stripped Afghanistan of those freedoms, and now we're about to let them do it here. That's the real tragedy.

Reinstate Michael and Mohammad, or we become a country much closer to the old Afghanistan than the United States that we all love.
 
 
Related articles:
Garment worker fired for political views wins unemployment benefit in Florida
Fired garment worker wins support from strikers, students in Northeast
 
 
 
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