PPWC'S POSITION ON DISCRIMINATION

By Ali Khalid Abdullah

Discrimination is an aspect of a person's views about another, based on a set of "personal" beliefs or

beliefs accepted from a person's cultural, religious, ideological or philosophical experience. However,

discrimination resulting in denouncing, dehumanizing, abusing, hurting or depriving anyone is an act of

brutality and, in some cases, an act of declared war.

WHY PPWC DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE IN THE NEGATIVE

Discrimination applied to a person or persons practicing negative or social injustice is not only warranted in order to have fairness and civility, but recommended.

In the struggle for liberation, it is important to be conscious of the level of discrimination to be either given or withheld at a given time, place or situation. When PPWC says "We do not discriminate against any person because of race, gender preferences, sex, age, national or geographical origin, religious or non-religious beliefs" [Principles & Points #1), we are saying that we do not poison our minds or close our thinking towards people based on these orientations of thinking. We are not suggesting that we will accept anything or anybody. Of course we must use our wisdom and practical sense when dealing with any situation. However, we are stating that we find no reason to discriminate against anyone merely because of these orientations unless there is sound reason for doing so. To do otherwise is unprincipled and non-revolutionary. PPWC's objective is to build the support of "the people" and raise their level of consciousness, to win public opinion so that we can attack the main issues that have kept people divided and susceptible to manipulation. We work to change the way our lives are looked at and the ways we are treated by the career politicians and corporations that dominate and control the peoples of the world through kapitalism and imperialism. Which brings us to another point that must be discussed.

There has been much eyebrow raising and questions asked concerning homosexuals and their role in PPWC. Therefore, we will address this from a revolutionary position.

PPWC AND THE HOMOSEXUAL ISSUE

Within the PPWC Declaration, under the heading "Principles & Points, #8," are the following words: "[shunning] all discriminatory acts against the gay/lesbian/bi/trans communities." What we are stating here is that as human beings and as politically conscious people we refuse to deny the dignity owed to other human beings whose sexual preferences happen to be not only of their own choosing but different from mainstream choices. Further, we understand that one's sexuality does not make a person a revolutionary nor prevent him or her from being a revolutionary. Sexual preference has nothing to do with revolution. Revolution has everything to do with change. The changing of one set way of thinking, acting, being and seeing. It has everything to do with moving from one point of view and drastically into another, or changing a long-held wrong into a right. One's sexual preference does not preclude a person from supporting or contributing to the overall revolutionary struggle for actual and real social and political change. We must deal with the fact that it takes all peoples to wage war against kapitalism and imperialism. Anyone who draws lines in the sand to prohibit another's freedom (as long as that freedom isn't oppressing anyone) cannot be said to be for liberation if their actions contradict the facts.

When the issue of solidarity comes up, you can't claim to be anti-police-state but applaud police-state thinking, actions and oppressions against people because you happen to not agree with their alternative sexual preference. The two don't mix. We must learn to properly understand the dialectics of revolution and realize that to be revolutionaries isn't to exclude some of the people who are oppressed but to include them all, as long as they are for the righting the wrongs done to all people. A true revolutionary is a person who truly wants liberation and justice for all.

Many who have read the PPWC's Declaration (Principles & Points, #8] want to freeze their so-called revolutionary support or their fight for liberation because we refuse to denounce the rights of homosexuals or to be narrow-minded in the application of our struggle. So be it! We stand on solid ground in our defiance not to denounce any potential or actual liberator for justice. Liberation, justice and social change for the better cannot come with restrictions based on personal bias. Such bias only leads to furthering repression. If we aren't tolerant of someone else's alternative lifestyle, who then might say that "our" lifestyle is also intolerable to them? This same problem exists when we consider skin color. Why should a person think he is better than the next based upon the "color" of his thinking? Such prejudices are artificial. If we are to fight the evils of this world, we must be able to raise our thinking and start acting as revolutionaries. That means we must not act in counter-revolutionary ways.

RACES, GROUPS AND CULTURES

PPWC's objective isn't to preach nationalism or to support one group of people, race or culture over another. However, we do present the facts as they stand and state how Afrikan Amerikans, Latinos, First Nations (aka Native Americans) and Asians have been systematically used and oppressed by the majority white peoples of Amerikkka and abroad. Our intention is to bridge the prejudicial gaps that exist and change the thinking of people along the lines of revolutionary concepts so we can topple and dismantle the artificial thinking that has been instilled in the minds of people. We find this necessary if we are to advance a people's collective in Amerikkka and abroad by mutual association and networking. We also find it necessary to re-educate people politically, focusing on history as a way toward under- standing why racism, negative discrimination and ostracizing of others must no longer exist.

We must also focus on the need to dismantle and destroy even the seeds of negative thinking among whites, teaching them that the "white skin privilege myth" has done a lot of damage socially, economically and politically. Because we recognize this and recognize that Afrikan Amerikans are treated unfairly in the work place, in educational settings, in housing arrangements and in other modes of social living, we find it imperative that we advocate for equal social and economic justice for Afrikan Amerikans (as well as for Latinos, First Nation people and Asians - though Asians' standard of living is much better than that of the others on the average).

It is important that the conditions that exist today, i.e., racism, sexism, homophobia, anti-immigration policies and other intolerances be viewed for what they are and not be ignored. It is important that we focus on the fact that race is a major oppressive tool used in this country and elsewhere and that race is also used to dominate and control those who are discriminated against for purposes of acquiring land and resources. It is important that we speak of reparations for the Afrikan Amerikans who have been the most dehumanized in recorded history and who are still denied equality and fairness in a land where people have obtained their riches from the dark continents of the world and who continue to exploit racism at every turn for kapitalist gain. At the same time, we cannot say that all white people are guilty of racism. But we do recognize that all whites benefit from the "white skin privilege myth" either in their employment, housing, health care or in other social/political areas. Many have spoken up against these practices. More need to denounce them and fight against them in favor of justice and equality for all. What we are doing is merely exposing the truth as it should be exposed in hopes of re-educating in a constructive manner with open dialogue, thus aiding in the process of seeing the end of racial oppression and seeing, first of all, that kapitalism and imperialism must be destroyed. It is within these manipulated institutions that race and class structures are defined, set up and maintained.

Our aims are clear, our objectives are solid and our goals are correct. We stand by these positions and will continue to expand on them as necessary until justice has been established and liberation from all manner of oppression prevails.

In the trenches...

Ali Khalid Abdullah

#148130, Thumb Correctional, 3225 John Conley Drive, Lapeer, MI 48446 USA