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Vol. 73/No. 6      February 16, 2009

 
Political interest boosts
‘Militant’ renewal effort
(front page)
 
BY ANGEL LARISCY  
Supporters of the Militant worldwide are deepening political relationships with the paper’s readers during the January 24 through February 24 campaign to win 400 long-term subscribers. At the same time, on tables and sales teams in working-class communities and on campuses, many are finding increased interest in the paper because of the political situation today.

In the first week of the campaign 86 readers have renewed their subscriptions, putting the drive behind schedule for the 100 needed each week. But initial reports on callings and meetings with subscribers point to the interest there is in reading the paper and revolutionary books. In the past week distributors have sent in 19 introductory subscriptions.

Supporters of the socialist newsweekly in Newark, New Jersey, met with three subscribers over the weekend who renewed, two of whom began reading the paper for the first time in the fall. One woman came to the Socialist Workers campaign headquarters to sign up for a renewal and purchased three Pathfinder books.

On the same day, two campaigners went to central New Jersey to meet with a leader of a day laborers organization who renewed his subscription and bought the Spanish editions of New International no. 14 and the new edition of Is Socialist Revolution in the U.S. Possible?

In addition to setting up meetings and talking with readers about renewing their subscriptions, a team to Rutgers University in Newark sold 20 copies of the Militant and five books in just over an hour, reports Nancy Rosenstock. “A number of students there commented they wanted to learn more about socialist ideas because of the current state of the capitalist economic crisis and growing wars,” she said.

“Last Wednesday I was staffing a table at Florida International University when a student came up and asked if he could get a subscription to the Militant,” writes Maggie Trowe of Miami. “He explained he had bought an introductory subscription when Alyson Kennedy, Socialist Workers candidate for vice president, and campaign supporters were at FIU last fall,” Trowe said. He decided to renew for a year and also bought Is Socialist Revolution in the U.S. Possible? and New International no. 14.

Supporters of the paper from Twin Cities, Minnesota, traveled to Faribault and Albert Lea and signed up three workers who wanted to renew. Twin Cities supporters are planning other teams in the region to places where they sold subscriptions in the fall, reports Rollande Girard.

Over the next three weeks, supporters of the Militant will be trying to reach everyone who subscribes to the paper to discuss politics with them. If you’d like to meet distributors of the socialist press in your area, please see the directory on page 6. Renew your subscription today and help convince others you know to subscribe.

2009 'Militant' Subscription Renewal Drive: January 24 - February 24 (chart)

 
 
 
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