Page:Michael Velli - Manual For Revolutionary Leaders - 2nd Ed.djvu/59

. ''But the masses can understand this only from their own experience. —We must devise mass programs which have meaning and make people more radical. —The march can best be used if it is seen as a tactic to involve people more extensively in the Movement; the demonstration as a tool for organizing. —The task is to enable the vast masses to realize from their own experience the inevitability of the overthrow of the old regime, to promote such methods of struggle and forms of organization as will make it easier for the masses to learn from experience to recognize the correctness of the revolutionary slogans. —The alternative to liberalism is showing people the necessity to join our struggle —involving people in experiences which develop a new understanding of the society which denies them opportunities and rights; and which will open possibilities for more insurgent activity in the future. —This requires connecting the immediate local issues with the major political issues so that people have something worth fighting for. We must confront the questions of power and violence head-on to initiate a level of tactics sufficient to generate concern and recognition of our seriousness —through a serious national program designed to eliminate gaps in political consciousness. —Although we recognize value in the publicity our movement receives in the commercial media, since all publicity, even negative, at least gets part of the message across and to that degree is propagandistic, we also understand the very distinct limitations —In spite of the fact that we expect to get screwed by any and all parts of the establishment press system it is possible to use TV coverage to the advantage of the Movement. —We must see films, hear radio programs, and read newspapers produced by people whose interests, experiences, and objectives are roughly similar to our own. Unless this common understanding is established between audience and producer, we will continue to have a dangerously partial and distorted idea of the way things are. —The existence of constituencies of people with radical consciousness would be important in using those conditions for democratic and revolutionary ideals.''

''here exist incredible opportunities to build power out of the rebellions if organizers can find ways to reach leadership that is drawn from the snipers, the gang cats, and looters. Hundreds of people who get a 'piece of the action' were never involved in organization but are now searching for next steps. They will flock to organized activity that is directed towards gaining permanent bases of power. They can speak with a new legitimacy within the community and beyond because of the potential power we all know they have. The ghetto rebellion constitutes a new source of power which makes possible new organizing. Despite the fierce response of the Establishment''