Labour Party reflects some of the major reformist ideas in the labour both LUW and in the past.
For this reason we see the place to argue against reformism and for socialism to be in the Labour Party itself. The battle for democracy is a major step on that road. We may yet be defeated, but nevertheless would continue to try to win support for our ideas within the party.
Socialist Challenge's positon clear. you believe in forming a Vulside the Labour Party we disagree but respect your posion If you believe in joining the for DaLlic democracy within the Wally. then at the moment you are standing as the JUSCIVIS struggle If you intend to join the party after the struggle for democracy has been won hoping to find an easier ground to preSCIL VOur politics. then you would be as welcome as the cavalry that arrived ten minutes after the D HUGHES, Bermondsey LPYS (personal capacity)
state, as the Labour left THE letters from patrick and Judith Connor (29 Jan) on sexual violence contain some dangerous lines of argu ment.
To equate the question of handrawa from the e orto hanging 'Ripper' link the penalties for rape to Conceol patriarchy •are misleading.
Hanging has the last line of defence for the British ruling class against the oppressed, poor certainly protected women murder, , nor anyone else.
Of 106 murderers
between 1949-56 Kalee own family and 23 had killed lovers or giritriends. Forty-nine had definite records of insanity.
Remember Derek Bentley, a 19-vear-old mentalv retarded epileptic, hanged because his 16-year-old accomplice shot a policeman.
handed for a murder commit.
Remember Ruth Ellis, hanged for shooting her lover. At the trial she described as 'hysterically and emotionally immature' 20th child of a family of 22.
transexual who killed lover in a quarrel ... hanged.
The list is endless.
It's no accident that the lyn.
ching or judicial hanging of Shah-oppressed, tortured Iranians? Resisters in El Salvador?
Has the voice of these thrashed people ever been so loudly heard? Written at dawn the day the US hostages in Iran were released •21.1.81. Denny Fitzhaven of sexual liberation. There that psychopathic death penalty. press covelaue suem of equally kill. always been such apparently murders, such Starkweather, film Badlands never Hickock of In Cold Blood. Vve hanged twenty-two of blind us to the Wing is to oppressed. expose the / Evans incoming coses down former tional erotic was male pupils stopped. her who fight in their detence trom courts.
To suggest blacks accused of rape was a popular sport in the deep south of the USA, that well known strong evidence murderers Sensational that given to John Lennon's killer is an inaucement tor a nooody te The USA has many cases of motiveless Charlie portrayed in the and Smith and cannot let the honest desire to avenge 13 murdered women and to protect others fact that to make any concession on hang hand a weapon to the state which it will turn on the We must stick to our guns corruption of the police and demand that they take sexual violence seriously.
e sou remane tost an Labour government porn chants and provides finances educaalic literature; that state aid to women's refuges is stepped up: that sex education in schools is treated seriously ana ine violent soclalisation o We should defend women own selfby the now.
that trade unionists would 'rip up' anyone fighting for these demands, as does Judith Connor CONT plete paranoid nonsense. In my experience it's not hard to con vince them of the validity of these points.
To construct socialism peo. ple have to change - let's start JOHN KREEGER, London violence acaus women wa. widespre ad should campaign against pornography which portrays degrading and exploitativ ways. our uns is noi une same as banning it.
I don't believe that we should line up with the Lord Longtords of this world ir campaigning for legislation - not because it means lining up with the right wing because it is a response wich aoes ПО lake sexua oDoression as lIs staruns Such legislation would make matters mass campaigns against porn are a oroauci . ol sexual op oression Womens movement has made con on this Reclaim Night the Our Bodies, Ourselves and articles uality asserting women's Ignis and chanenging socla oppression Sun, Mirror and The Star to proLES • agalist page 3 nude excelen paganda that could eventually result should popularise women editor refused to listen to featuring nude woman draped with Xmas tinse or cove Inel magazine. They finally stripped him, draped him tinsel and put him on the front comi campaign politicisation against sexual oppression should also de mand Ine meola features articles and debates instead of the rampant on rape trials anc S0 0n The third point concerns the type of punishment te t ventaname une dealn pendi ty or longer prison sentence: is no substitute for the self organisation of women, and sureneinens stale s repressive armoury.
It is no accident that an authoritarian like leading antiabortionist, now proalong the lines of Hugidoll ine Whitehouse and Longford brigade mean say, woman does decide to take : ranisto court we shouler t particularly against the reactionary procedure whereby the onus is vl une wolllan to orove ne _innocence But I don't believe we should support strengthen ing the state which already dividual for the ugly distor
----- pull-quotes -----
NELCOME BACK TO FREEDOM