Rosie Jiménez Day Rally and Speak-Out

Join us and the Connecticut Valley Coalition for Women's Lives on Monday, October 3, at 4:00pm on the Greenfield Town Common in defense of reproductive rights. This is both to honor the memory of Rosie Jiménez who died from a back-alley abortion on October 3, 1977, and to demand the repeal of the Hyde Amendment: the federal law restricting access to Medicaid for abortions, enacted shortly before her death preventing her from getting a safe, legal abortion. This discriminatory system of abortion access continues in most states to this day. It's important for us to remember, during the current debate around Supreme Court nominations, that the dismemberment of Roe v. Wade in Congress, state legislatures, and the lower courts not only began just months after the Supreme Court decision but has accelerated in recent years despite all the costly campaigns by NARAL and NOW to block court appointments and elect friendly politicians. It's time to get back into the streets to demand reproductive justice, and to stop the war on women in this country and around the world.

Please contact us at SPmass@gmail.com if you would like a ride.

Learn more about the SPUSA's national campaign for Rosie Jiménez Day at http://www.sp-usa.org/rosiejimenezday.

Bring the Antiwar Movement to Massachusetts

The Socialist Party of Massachusetts is sponsoring two antiwar protests in solidarity with those going to Washington DC. We are coordinating our struggle at the national level as well as developing an inclusive grassroots movement in our communities.

The first protest will be Friday, September 23rd, at Senator Kerry’s office - the Democrat who tried to out military-macho Bush in 2004. We will be gathering with flyers and signs at 3pm. His office is located at 1350 Main Street (Financial Plaza), Springfield. Then, at 4pm, we will march to the nearby office of Democratic Congressman Richard Neal and join Arise for Social Justice in demanding that federal dollars be spent on schools, health care, affordable housing, public transportation and other basic community services - not war! Congressman Neal’s office is 1550 Main Street.

We are also co-sponsoring the Franklin County Antiwar Rally, September 24th at 11am. We are working in coalition with the Greenfield Weekly Peace Vigil, the Connecticut Valley Coalition for Women's Lives, Traprock Peace Center, and Social Workers for Peace and Justice. Musicians from the community will perform, and all participants are welcome to voice their opinions on the war and national spending priorities.

Download a copy of our flyer and hand them out or post them in your neighborhood!

Click here if you are looking for transportation to DC.

9/18 Valley-wide Socialist Party meeting, with Pasta Lunch! (Sun)

Socialist Party comrades from Vermont, western Mass, and central CT will be meeting from noon to 4pm this Sunday at the office of Arise for Social Justice in Springfield. We will be discussing the political issues of our upcoming National Convention and coordinating transportation to Newark NJ for the weekend of Oct 21-23. Also on the agenda is cooperation on regional antiwar organizing, Rosie Jiménez Day (abortion rights), and the fall 2006 electoral cycle.

Pasta will be served for lunch. The Arise kitchen is available if you would like to bring and prepare something!

Anyone interested in working with the Socialist Party is welcome to come.

Directions from the north to Arise (complete with photos!) are now online at www.ariseforsocialjustice.org/directions.html

Socialist Feminism Discussion

The Tom Mooney Local of the Socialist Party sponsors a monthly discussion group to educate and enrich our movement. This month we will meet on Thursday, September 15th, 7:00pm, at the Bangs Center in Amherst. We will discuss an exerpt from Sheila Rowbotham's book Hidden from History: 300 years of Women's Oppression and the Fight against it (1973) - section 2 of the introduction, xxiii - xxxiii. Contact us and we can mail you a hard copy.


Click here for a helpful map of Amherst Center!