[link removed]


On Thu, Apr 9, 2020 at 9:36 AM John Prusinski <[email protected]>
wrote:

> Hi Bill & David,
>
> I hear your concerns, but a couple of points:
> 1. To younger people, the issues you raise are not meaningful, and they
> are by far the majority of the DSA membership and prospective membership.
> 2. That ship has long sailed. I doubt you’ll find a DSA chapter in the
> country in which the most common form of address is not “comrade”. It’s
> like advocating for double-spacing after a period; there are some good
> arguments in favor of it, but it’s just not the way it’s done anymore, and
> putting them in simply marks a writer as being of an older generation.
>
> John.
>
>
> On Apr 9, 2020, at 9:25 AM, Bill Cooke <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> I would think “friends* would work as well, but I’ll admit, I was alive in
> the 50s and 60s.
>
> I believe in everything the DSA stands for, but I agree with David,
> "comrades" harkens back to a failed system and totalitarian states — not
> Democratic Socialism as it exists today.
>
> Comrades also has more of the feel of an insular group, whereas “friends”
> seems much more open and inviting. "Us against them" or "everybody on the
> bus.” Words have consequences.
>
> — Bill
>
> On Apr 8, 2020, at 7:14 PM, John Prusinski <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> Only if you were alive in the ‘60s! ;-)
>
> The connotation now is that it’s a useful, non-gendered way to refer to a
> group of people, particularly if they’re part of a socialist organization.
>
> On Apr 8, 2020, at 7:06 PM, David Fowle <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> “Comrades” sounds so 60’s communist - is that really what this group is
> going for?
>
> On Wed, Apr 8, 2020 at 6:18 PM John Prusinski <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>> Thanks, comrades, it’s inspiring to be part of a chapter that takes
>> setbacks as an opportunity to renew our organizing for a better world.
>>
>> See you next Thursday!
>>
>> Solidarity,
>> John.
>>
>>
>> On Apr 8, 2020, at 5:55 PM, Berkshires DSA Executive Committee <
>> [email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> Comrades:
>>
>>
>> We hope this finds you and your family healthy and safe.
>>
>>
>> The news today that Bernie Sanders has dropped out of the Presidential
>> primary is a gut-wrenching reminder of the obstacles we face. This is not
>> the first time we have been confronted with considerable setbacks, but this
>> time, we have come further. Our numbers have grown as we mobilized over the
>> past months, we have built broader connections across our community, and we
>> have constructed a resilient organization committed to the fight for
>> democratic socialism. Now is the time to maintain that momentum.
>>
>>
>> Please join us at our next Chapter Meeting on Thursday, April 16, at 7p,
>> via Zoom
>> <[link removed]> (call
>> info to follow).
>>
>> Our members have been checking in on each other throughout the crisis --
>> you may have received a call or voicemail from us recently -- and we want
>> to continue those conversations at the upcoming meeting, particularly
>> around how to extend Berkshires DSA’s ongoing response to the COVID crisis.
>>
>> So far, we have been reaching out to other organizations in the area,
>> including the NAACP and the Elizabeth Freeman Center, as well as our
>> comrades in Pioneer Valley DSA. We endorsed a bill currently being
>> considered in the Mass legislature to put a moratorium on evictions and
>> foreclosures <[link removed]>. We’ve also
>> been active in other areas, such as reaching out to comrades in Cape Cod
>> DSA to support the Mashpee Wampanoag
>> <[link removed]>
>> in defending against being removed from their land.
>>
>>
>> These are just first steps; as a chapter, we need to discuss strategies
>> for addressing both the immediate and long-term consequences of COVID. One
>> path we will discuss is founding a Labor Working Group, and coordinating
>> closely with the Restaurant Worker Project
>> <[link removed]>
>> of the Democratic Socialist Labor Commission. Please join us at the meeting
>> on Thursday, April 16, at 7p, to discuss these ideas and more. Bring
>> suggestions!
>>
>>
>> With Bernie’s departure from the primary, and the ongoing COVID crisis,
>> there has never been a better time to renew your commitment to organizing
>> at the local level. This is also a time of renewal for our chapter, as a
>> new Executive Committee comes in. Our new Co-Chairs, Christian Kennedy and
>> Sidney Rothstein, along with Jessica Cappelli as Treasurer/Secretary and
>> Amillie Coster continuing as Communications Coordinator, are excited to
>> build on the strong foundations provided by Dan Raftery, John Prusinski,
>> and Brian Hunt.
>>
>>
>> Keep an eye out for an email from us with call info for our upcoming
>> meeting. We’re looking forward to seeing you next week!
>>
>>
>> In solidarity,
>>
>>
>> Christian Kennedy
>> Sidney Rothstein
>> Co-Chairs, Executive Committee
>> Berkshires DSA
>> Berkshiresdsa.org <[link removed]>
>>
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--
__________________
Christian Kennedy
Sidney Rothstein
Co-Chairs, Executive Committee
Berkshires DSA
berkshiresdsa.org

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