Everyday, the Communist Party receives many requests to join. Most people say they want to join because they want to make the United States a better, more equitable place for everyone, and they are greatly concerned about corporate power and its effect on democracy. Lots of people say they want to learn more about Marxism and get more politically active. A great number see a systemic problem with capitalism.

On behalf of the CPUSA, welcome to all who have joined the movement for peace, democracy, worker rights, equality and jobs for all and, of course, socialism in the United States.

The CPUSA has a proud past and together we can make a bright future.

Between now and the April 16-17 CPUSA national conference we will publish new members’ reasons for joining in their own words.  

We are starting with Rachel from Georgia:

I believe in the goals and philosophy of the Communist Party. I am not currently involved in political activity per se. The biggest contribution I have made/do make thus far is editorials in my [school’s] newspaper. I’ve focused on feminism/women’s issues and LGBT rights mostly, but in the past year or so I’ve begun exploring the way class and the capitalist system affect these issues. My focus has slowly shifted, you could say, and I’ve come to see capitalism as creating and/or perpetuating these inequalities. I’m also a pacifist.

Today, March 15, I’d like to introduce “Dutch” from Ohio, who writes:

I would like to join the Communist Party. I have been a total socialist for more than 40 years, and I have seen no sign that our government, as presently constituted will not protect the working-class American from the attacks of the conservative movement. Therefore I would put my support where it will do the most good, by joining your organization.

For March 16, Mike from Arizona says:

I am union boilermaker. Over the last couple of years I have been reading about the history of the union movement. I have come to realize the important contibutions the CPUSA has made in the US over the last 90 years. I would like to earn how to educate my union brothers and sisters of the important differences of communism over capitalism.

March 17, St. Patrick’s Day! Firefighter Edgar from California says he’s joining because:

I want to join an organization that is for the people.I am also getting tired of corporations controlling the world!!!

March 18: Jessica, a student from Maine, sums up her reason for joining succinctly:

Solidarity!

We’ll be adding more reasons for joining next week, starting Monday, March 21. Happy weekend and start of Spring.

Welcome back to “I joined, how about you?” March 21, and I hope everyone had a healthy and safe weekend.

Reading through the emails of people wanting to join the CPUSA is inspiring and often times moving. Today, I came across this email from Heather in Kansas. And, yes, my eyes welled up on this one.

Heather writes:

The older I have become, the more I have realised that my ideals and visions of a better world are at odds with the culture in which I live. A powerful movement of the working class, a peaceful revolution, is necessary now more than ever before.

Every year in late fall, I would become at first annoyed, then disgusted with the immense amounts of advertising geared towards “Christmas shopping”. This year I reached my boiling point. To paraphrase a popular film, we work jobs we hate to buy shit we don’t need for people we don’t really like.

Worse, we force young people to pay exorbitant amounts of money– for education that should be available to all– so that they can struggle to find jobs they hate to buy shit they don’t need.

Worse still is the unfortunate fact for millions in this country, who work several hated jobs to pay the costs of caring for their bodies.

Health care is not, or should not be, a capitalist venture. It is a fundamental aspect of humanity to recognise pain or danger and act altruistically. Why then are our doctors who vow “prima non nocere” forced to charge unreasonable amounts of money for health care, which eventually (holistically) deals enormous damage to the patient?

I am a student. I am finishing my last year of undergraduate studies nearly $30,000 in debt. I will go on to accrue at least $200,000 more debt to continue [my education]. I do not want to work in medicine because I want more money. I want to work in it because I am good at it, and through this line of work I can do the most good. One broken body at a time, I want to make the world a better place.

My ultimate goal is to buck the weight of my corporate, government and academic would-be masters to found and run a clinic in the United States that is not for profit and charges nothing to those seeking care.

I will above all do no harm, and give to each according to their needs.

I am a communist.

For March 22 entry, Mike from Virginia, who is married with six children says:

As you might imagine, being born and raised in the South things have been a bit conservative.

Yet life has led me left. I spent eighteen years in the military and have worked in a variety of other fields; many of my struggles leading me to take interest in the labor movement.

I graduated from [college] in 1997 with a bachelors in Interdiscplinary Archaeology.

My studies and my contact with people from around the world opened my eyes to the endless possibilities towards peace and prosperity through an exchange of ideas. I began reading Chomsky, Zinn, Albert, Marx, Lennin and other left writers. I also studied left movements, current and past. What an eye opener!

My reason for joining is that I envision a better world in which war is merely a memory, and we finally put people before profits. I don’t know how much I can contribute but becoming a member is a first step in that direction.

For March 23 and 24, Chris, a bartender from Tulsa, Okla., says:

I have a general disgust and apathy living in a country harbouring an economic system that is based solely on greed and profit. I feel that people have been dehumanized into profit-thinkng animals out to hurt one another and get “what is theirs.” The United States of America has not advanced from a human standpoint. The American family has been wiped out due to high pressure jobs that force people into virtual slavery to make ends meet. Americans continue to work longer hours for less pay than anyone else in the civilized world because they feel the need to compete is more important than existence an happiness itself.

Today, March 25, 2011, is the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. In honor of the 146 workers — mainly immigrant and mostly women —  who lost their lives in New York City that day, we’ll hear from Marco from New York City:

Today’s society is corrupted by capitalist media conglomerates. Throughout history capitalism has misled and lied to its citizens, who are the life blood of this nation. I’m a recently naturalized American citizen. I was born in Germany and I was never into politics until now, when I realized that it affects our daily lives. I’m getting fed up with daily lies in politics and media. I strongly believe that the American Communist Party can make a change towards a better America. I want to be a part of your party and contribute to a change.

And, we’re back…

Starting the week on Tuesday, March 29, with Damon from Toledo, Ohio:

I believe socialism to be a superior form of government when given a chance. I also think that a classless society where the proletariat is viewed as a key component and not just a necessary cog in a mechanism in which only those above the proletariat reap rewards is absolutely necessary to end the corruption which has become standard procedure in Washington.

March 30 & 31, Benjamin, a student and fast food worker from Kentucky:

I want to be able to place my faith in all Americans, not just the few who are “privileged” enough to be in positions of power.

No fooling on April 1! This one is from Michael of Wisconsin:

I’ll just be honest with this, I’ve always felt a deep motivation to stand for what I believe in, even when those beliefs may be shunned by mainstream society. Being from a middle-class, public-sector working family, my sympathies have always to stand with that portion of society. What really motivated me to visit this site and sign up has been the recent events in my home state, and current residence, of Wisconsin. Once my state government began demonstrating the warning signs of fascism, these events made be want to get involved and demonstrate that the public does, and should always be allowed, to have a voice. The Party represents what I have always personally believed in, and so I would consider it an honor to become a member.

 

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