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July 4th Demonstration Formed: Let's Get Them Off Our Backs!

By VVAW

(In the last issue of The Veteran, VVAW printed a call to action, asking people to come to Philadelphia on July 4th, 1976. Since that time, a July 4th Coalition has been formed to build for that Bicentennial Demonstration; the following is a statement from the Coalition.)

As all know, the bosses and the politicians are having a big Bicentennial celebration and want everybody to come out July 4 to celebrate the first 200 years of life in this country.

The owning class and their politicians all have a thousand things to say why we working people should go. They page through the history books (the ones they wrote) and say how great things have been, how Washington defeated the British, how Lincoln freed the slaves, how Roosevelt gave us unemployment benefits and unions and "economic security" and on and on. They point to all that's been built in this country--the buildings, cars, railways, planes, bridges--and claim that it's been the Rockefellers and the Fords who've created the wealth of this country.

And then they take a look at the country now and "Of course, unemployment is high and everything is falling apart, but at least you are free." Constantly, the "common interests" we have in the system is drummed out as they call on us to "rekindle the spirit of '76, make sacrifices, bit the bullet and produce more, so we can all get out of the present crisis."

Fellow workers, to all this we say No, No, a thousand times No! Everything right and decent that has ever been done in this country has been done by us, the working people, who in fact make up the real backbone and the majority of society. Yes, we working people fought the battles and sacrificed our lives to both defeat the British and end slavery. It has been our hard work and labor that has built up all the wealth in this country. And if we accomplished the conditions of their crazy, dog-eat-dog set up, imagine what we workers could accomplish now if we were free of all that.

But we've been robbed of all the fruits of labor by that class of parasites that runs the government and all of society for their profits and their luxury. And even the gains of our struggle, like our unions, they try to turn against us. What is this "common interest" between us and the owners? For 200 years our hard work and all it has produced has carried a small handful of bosses and enabled them to live in riches and luxury, while this constant drive for profit has held back our labor from being used to meet the needs of millions. Nothing has ever been handed to us by them. Everything we ever go we had to fight for, even in so-called "good times."

What is Our Lot?

Yes, fellow workers, we have worked and struggled hard for 200 years and what is our lot? Increasing crisis, in which want and misery lie heavily on our shoulders, unemployment is our constant companion, and once again the threat of war, yes, even world war, hangs menacingly over our heads. Now in this 200th year the bosses and politicians are hoping they can cool off our anger and our struggle against these conditions by trying to play off our genuine feelings of pride in our hard work and it accomplishments. This is what's really the point of the Bicentennial blitz and the calls for us to come to July 4th festival in Philadelphia to celebrate life under this system which enables them to live like kings.

We will be in Philly on July 4th, but not to celebrate this system that keeps us locked in their chains of profits. For on this day of their glorious celebration, the so-called high and mighty will be confronted by those they role and rule. Thousands of workers employed and unemployed, veterans, youth, students and many others will be coming together to unite their struggles against the common enemy. Coming out of different struggles we wage every day throughout the country--in factories, unemployment centers and the communities, to unite a around the slogan and banner that truly reflects the sentiments of the American people toward the bosses and the politicians, "We've carried the rich for 200 years. Let's get them off our backs."

It is in this spirit that the Vietnam Veterans Against the War put out the original call for a nationwide march and rally on July 4th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Unemployed Workers Organizing Committee has since endorsed the rally, along with many other fighting workers' organizations. Now a July 4th Coalition has formed, made up of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Unemployed Workers Organizing Committee, Revolutionary Community Party, Revolutionary Student Brigade and others--to build for a rally and demonstration that will unite thousands of people from all parts of the country to take on the rulers on their supposed day of glory and celebration. The two key demands to be raised at the rally are "Job or Income Now!" and "We Won't Fight Another Rich Man's War!"

Regional Conferences

As an important first step in building for the rally, the Coalition is calling regional conferences in Philadelphia and Cincinnati. Conferences that will unite workers from many cities, industries and different battlefronts. Coming out of the many battles we wage day after day, we can discuss and sum up how to build a powerful July 4th rally that will bring out thousands of working people and truly reflect the hatred and anger of the millions of American people for these rotten rulers. These will be working conferences, organized mainly into workshops to come up with concrete plans for building struggle among unemployed workers, employed workers, veterans, and youth--summing up our experiences in building these battles and how we can build for the rally as part of continuing to move these struggles forward. Throughout the discussions, workshops and the entire conference we'll seek to forge the unity necessary to go back to develop further battles in the factories, mines, and unemployment centers throughout the country while building towards a powerful rally and action in Philly on July 4th. A rally that will further develop the unity and common struggle of the working class throughout the country so we can continue to move forward or movement and struggle against the bloodsuckers who rule over us.

Fellow workers, these demands are just demands, our fight is a just fight.

We are the only ones who can push things forward, and we are determined to break through.

"We've Carried the Rich for 200 Year. Let's Get Them Off Our Backs."

(The Regional Conferences were being held at the time the paper went to press. For more information about local activities and building actions, contract your local VVAW chapter or the VVAW National Office.)