The Political Education Newsletter

September 28, 2019

Published on our Blog

Police Riot at Straight Pride Parade
Joey P provides a first-hand account of how the police attempted to turn a peaceful protest against “Straight Pride” into a riot, and the police riot that followed when these attempts failed.

Big Brother's Little Brother
George T. Summers assessed the police response to the Straight Pride Parade and argues that “Cops and Klan go hand in hand” isn't merely a catchy chant but a succinct commentary on how through history state violence has acted as fascism's mentor and enabler, and it's happening now in "liberal" Boston.

Unafraid Educators in Boston Build Sanctuary Schools from the Ground Up
The Blog had the opportunity to interview members of Unafraid Educators, a dedicated group within the Boston Teachers Union who actively organize to build Sanctuary schools from the bottom-up.

Reflections on the First National Gathering of DSA Elected Officials
Boston DSA member and Somerville alderman Ben Ewen-Campen reported back on the August gathering of 28 DSA members who hold elected office to strategize on how to use electoral politics not only to improve people’s lives, but to continue growing the movement.

Articles from the Web

Bulldoze the Business School
“Within the business school, capitalism is assumed to be the end of history, an economic model that has trumped all the others, and is now taught as science, rather than ideology.” Business school professor Martin Parker makes a case for the destruction of this despotic institution.

A Podcast to Listen to

The Mythical Bygone Glory Days of Free Speech
In this episode of Citations Needed, Adam Johnson and Nima Shirazi deconstruct the “attack on free speech” narrative of the right, it origins, and if there even really is a concept of “free speech” worth discussing. They are joined by journalist P.E. Moskowitz and Princeton Professor Carolyn Rouse to discuss the issue.

Worst Take of the Week

Climate Worship is Nothing More than Rebranded Paganism

This is truly a work of art. In the esteemed pages of The Federalist, Sumantra Maitra argues how climate “hysteria” is turning the pagan and sorcerous ways of old into new hip trends the teens are getting behind. Who can forget the brujas who vexxed Bret Kavanaugh? Or the witches using a ouija board to bring the spirit of Karl Marx back? The piece even includes a weird tidbit about throwing climate “fanatics” into siberian gulags. The article is a wild ride through the mind of the conservative intellectuals wrestling match with the climate reality.

TL:DR Greta Thunburg is the Joan of Arc of druids and fairies or something.

Some Subversive Literature

Political Prisoners, Prisons and Black Liberation: Angela Davis
In “Political Prisoners, Prisons and Black Liberation”, Angela Davis articulates the links between various areas of organizing, from Black resistance to abor to anti-war protesting to supporting political prisoners to opposing police surveillance, ending with this powerful proclamation: “No potential victim of the fascist terror should be without the knowledge that the greatest menace to racism and fascism is unity!”