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July1998
The Orlando Local of the Socialist Party of Florida has much to report this month. We are continuing our efforts to help put an amendment to Florida's Constitution on the 2000 ballot that, if passed, would decriminalize marijuana use for medical purposes. Comrades are gathering signatures for this purpose regularly in downtown Orlando. The amendment is sponsored by Citizens Advocating Medicinal Marijuana and Floridians for Medical Rights.
We had an information table at the Interdependence Day Picnic held on July 4th at Orlando's First Unitarian Church. This event, sponsored by Voices for Justice--a local peace and social justice group, was designed to offer a progressive alternative to the promotion of chauvinism, nationalism and militarism that typically characterizes celebrations on the Fourth.
The local (along with Voices for Justice, Food Not Bombs-Orlando, the Orlando Anarchist Black Cross Branch Group and Eco-Rollins/Revolution at Rollins [based at Rollins College in Winter Park]) has issued a joint statement expressing our solidarity with the indigenous people of Chiapas, Mexico in their struggle for self-determination. Our statement also condemns the Mexican government's use of force to resolve the situation there. In the next few months, the local and the other groups hope to co-sponsor events to educate Central Floridians about what is happening in Chiapas.
Comrades in the local have recently established fraternal relations with our comrades in the Orlando Anarchist Black Cross-Branch Group, and are working on two projects with them: a joint study group for leftist literature and Copwatch 407, an organization to monitor and work to stop police abuse of citizens. The Anarchist Black Cross Federation provides assistance to American political prisoners (those jailed on trumped-up charges because of their political beliefs) and prisoners of war (such as Puerto Rican independentistas jailed for using force to advance their struggle).
In addition, members of the local are participating in the newly formed Friends of MOVE group, which is affiliated with OABC-BG. MOVE is a revolutionary organization in Philadelphia that has long been persecuted by the local police and other authorities. Its most noted member is imprisoned journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal.
The local's webpage has traded its first link--with the website of the Orange County Libertarian Party. Although we don't share that party's almost messianic faith in capitalism, we applaud it for being willing to establish friendly relations with us. Over the next few months the local intends to undertake informational efforts in support of Revision 11 to Florida's Constitution, which our comrades in Tampa worked to get on this November's ballot.
A different version of this report appeared in The Florida Socialist, the newsletter of the Socialist Party of Florida. [Back to Main Page]