Features

Join Us at Tomorrow’s General Meeting –Brodie L

Good morning, comrades! Tomorrow’s July General Membership meeting is a packed one! Come early for coffee at 11:30!

New Business includes confirming Troy W as our second Harms and Grievance Officer (HGO) and two resolutions: 1) The creation of an EcoSocialist Working Group (EcoSoc) to organize around food sovereignty, land justice, and ecological resistance; and 2) Establishing a Sober Section to support our sober comrades with an inviting space. The creation of these groups and confirmation of another HGO shows just how much our chapter is growing and creating spaces for all comrades of all experiences.

We will also have a presentation from national Democracy Commission member Kristian H. This presentation is the perfect opportunity to gain perspective about this important topic that can help shape the future of the chapter.

The next portion of the meeting will be dedicated to discussion about the Lauren Jewett Endorsement. This conversation started at Convention, continued onto Discord, and culminated in an online Q&A with the candidate last night.

Finally, our Political Education Committee will deliver a Red Talk about the Prairieland 8, a group draconically sentenced to a combined 450 years in prison for their involvement in a noise demonstration outside of a Texas ICE detention facility. This presentation is germane to us all as we fight against a legal system that is more interested in preserving the status quo than doing right by the people.

Directly after this we will have a social at a location close to our office. Stay and hang for a bit with your comrades!

On Power: Child Abuse –Dan A

In our culture, the private dwelling is the one institutionalized sphere of power that can easily be autocratic and fascistic.

Exposed as dysfunctional more often than not, as a place of emotional chaos, neglect, and abuse, only those in denial continue to insist that (the patriarchal nuclear family) is the best environment for raising children.

-Bell Hooks

*Trigger warning*

It is difficult sometimes to talk about child abuse in a place like the one where I live, where child abuse is a cultural norm. A lot of folks whoop their kids; the rationale being that corporal discipline curbs bad behavior. But is that in fact the case?

Numerous longitudinal studies have shown that corporal punishment heightens erroneous threat detection, stifles social-emotional development, causes emotional dysregulation, leads to increased anxiety and depression in adulthood, and diminishes the quality of the child’s relationships. Children do not learn why their behavior was wrong from a whooping. Instead, they learn to fear the individual who is punishing them. They may often internalize a might-makes-right mentality, in which they see violence as a legitimate way to deal with behaviors they don’t like in others. This only reproduces abuse.

This has massive social implications beyond interpersonal relationships. Harsh discipline of children can lead to the development of an “authoritarian personality.” There is evidence to suggest a direct line between systemic abusive childrearing and imperialistic cultural norms and practices (think British boarding schools). Violence, the threat of violence, and justifications of violence lead to the emergence of rigidly enforced social hierarchies which concentrate power and rationalize the paternalistic extension of empire over more egalitarian “uncivilized” societies.

Children are people, too. In order for them to fully understand their authentic power, they must be empowered to live and grow authentically.

All power to all people. Solidarity.

Their Lies, Our Challenge –Andy L

An old joke goes, “How can you tell when a politician is lying? His lips are moving.” There’s a whole lot of lying coming from the White House right now. It’s almost as if they’re trying to drown us in nonsense. They are, but we can exploit their desperation in our conversations with our families, friends, and neighbors.

Trump recently commented that “with communism, everything turns to shit.” The Soviet Union defeated Nazi Germany. Communist China doubled life expectancy from 35 years to 70 years in a single generation. Cuba has been able to withstand six decades of economic pummelling from our government. If you’re looking for a what have you done for me lately? example, let’s look at the closing of the Strait of Hormuz and how “Communist” China saved the world’s bacon. The largest importer of oil cut its imports by 40% overnight, which kept the price of oil from going through the roof. Their competent leaders saw the trouble coming and built up a huge oil reserve to stabilize the impact of our recklessness.

Rubio recently spouted off typical red-baiting, talking about incompetent leaders and a society without ambition. Every accusation is an admission with these jokers. They are lying about the war, the economy, and about socialism. We’re fighting for a world of equality and diversity. We want a full life and prosperity for everyone, not a world of human dragons lying atop piles of gold that they’ll never be able to spend. We’re fighting to free everyone to be able determine all aspects of their lives to the greatest extent possible. Talk to people about what a society like that might look like and what’s keeping that future at bay. Every one of their lies is an invitation for us to turn the tables.

Bulletins

Monthly Membership Status Updates After a Failed Payment Change

National DSA announced a change in lapsing membership for monthly dues payers. Your monthly dues expiration date updates each month as you pay dues. Previously, it updated to one year from the day your dues were paid, and if your card stopped paying, the expiration date remained one year in the future, giving you 12 months to renew before your membership lapsed. Now, your expiration date is set one month in the future—if your card doesn’t pay when it’s scheduled, your dues expire in one month rather than one year. As always, check proof.dsausa.org to check your national dues status, and be on alert for texts and emails asking to renew your dues. You can’t vote on DSA business or use our member discord while you are lapsed.

Direct Service & Health Justice Updates

Fork & Knife Club delivered over 225 meals last week with just under 20 volunteers! It was even a few new members’ first event—thank you all! The Northshore Brake Light Clinic is Sunday, August 2, at 2238 First St in Slidell, from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm; no sign up necessary to help. Our next New Orleans Brake Light Clinic is Saturday, August 15, at AP Tureaud Park; volunteer here.

DS+HJ always welcomes donations for food and supplies.

Our next Meeting is Tuesday, August 25, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm online.

Political Education Committee Restructure

The next Poli-Ed planning meeting is August 2 at 5:00 pm at the Healing Center, and we are creating new bylaws for the committee! This is a complete restructuring of the Political Education Committee. We’d like as many people to show up as possible to get as much buy-in as possible. If YOU have ever attended or wanted to attend a Poli-Ed meeting, if YOU are an educator or a student or just a curious person, then come to this next meeting and get in on the ground floor of this restructuring. The two main focuses will be a) to create subcommittees for accomplishing specific ongoing projects (e.g. Red Talks, Book Club, Zines, etc.) and b) designating liaisons from each committee, working group, and section so that we can readily spread your lessons to the rest of the chapter. Mark your calendar! See you there!

Community Calendar

Friday, July 24

Solidarity Tech Training
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Virtual

Saturday, July 25

New Orleans DSA General Meeting
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Av #258 and online – RSVP

Vigil to Demand Justice for Lorenzo. Justice for Johan. Justice for All. ICE Out.
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Griffith Park, 333 Erlanger Av, Slidell

Sunday, July 26

DnD Meetup
3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Ave #258

Comms Meeting
6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Av #258 – Meet

Chapter Orientation
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Meet

Sober Socialists
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Discord

Monday, July 27

Immigration Advocacy Working Group
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Av #258 & Discord

Tuesday, July 28

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Wednesday, July 29

Cohort 3 Session 2
5:30 pm – 6:45 pm
Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Av #258 & Discord – RSVP

Electoral Committee Co-Work & Talk
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm (every Wednesday)
Morning Call, 5101 Canal Blvd (cash only)

Thursday, July 30

Local Council Meeting
8:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Meet

Friday, July 31

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Saturday, August 1

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Sunday, August 2

Coffee With Comrades
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Coffee Science, 410 S Broad St

Northshore Brake Light Clinic
11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Green Oaks Apothecary, 2238 First St, Slidell

Poli-Ed Committee Meeting
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Ave #258 & Online

Chapter Orientation
8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Meet

Sober Socialists

8:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Discord

Down the Road

August 3 Northshore Reading Group

August 15 Brake Light Clinic: AP Tureaud Park
August 16 Poli-Ed Reading Group: Settler Colonialism is the Disaster
August 22 New Orleans DSA General Meeting
September 6 Coffee With Comrades