MARKET STRE
HYDE BLACH
MUG
ROOT
America's classic vocal ensemble
Chanticleer
Oct. 28 at 8p.m. Tickets: $12 and $9
UW Meany Hall Information: 543-4880
Supported in part by Washington Savings Bank Foundation, King County Arts Commission, Washington State Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Meany Hall has an infrared Hearing Enhancement System for patron use.
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Saturday, October 22nd
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LOCAL
Worker's World offers alternatives for the community
Gloria LaRiva
"I, as a Latina woman, feel I am respresenting my party. I'm happy to be the vice presidential candidate. It's not a matter of who's first, we're equal," LaRiva said
by Shani Dirzhud-Rashid
As November fast approaches and all of us have to start thinking seriously about who we want in that house on Pennsylvania Avenue, it becomes apparent that some thought is required. There has never been so much at stake, and so many issues present to be considered. As this process begins to pick up steam, and candidates get serious, we get to look at them and consider seriously what they stand for.
This year's third parties are finally getting the publicity and attention they have long been trying to garner. In the case of Workers World, they are running candidates for major political positions, and are more determined to get working class people to turn away from the Democrats and Republicans, than they are wishing for these parties to change their tactics.
Gloria La Riva, the candidate for vice president with Workers World Party, feels that making connections are important. She pointed to the recent attack on black concertgoers at the Paramount by white youth, who fired upon them from a car. Similar incidents have been reported in other cities. The police chief in Seattle was reluctant to call it a racist incident.
"He doesn't want to call it racist. It is racist, and it's connected to what is happening all over the country, in an atmosphere of intolerance, and repression and oppression. There has to be some fighting from the people on these issues. The communities have to
Photo by George Bakan
take a visible, public stand and beat them back. We can't rely on the police, after all dozens of women have been killed and nothing has been done. We can't rely on the police, no matter what their intentions are," said La Riva.
La Riva got her introduction to politics while attending Brandeis University. It was there she joined Workers World Party, and began to fight for the rights of minority and working class people. She said she felt the established leaders should be speaking out more on issues.
"None of our rights will be defended by those in power," said La Riva.
She sees a connection between the white youth who shot the concertgoers and those who bash Gays and Lesbians and those who beat up and kill women.
"We think it's outrageous and we don't think it's paranoia to think it was planned," said La Riva, pointing to incidents which happened in California some years back and the testimony of a former Klu Klux Klan member, who stated he had been involved in racist attacks on blacks in that area and all over the country. She went on to say that in
spite of an assumption that workers are growing more racist across the country, this is not
what she has found. said La Riva.
"In fact we feel it's going the other way,"
Commenting on why, since she is running on a third party ticket, doesn't she run for president, La Riva said she does not see herself running in the 'bourgeois' sense of the other parties. She says she feels equal to Larry Holmes, who is running for president on the WWP ticket.
"I, as a Latina woman, feel I am representing my party. I'm happy to be the vice presidential candidate. It's not a matter of who's first, we're equal," she said. She pointed to the fact that in 1980, WWP did run a woman for president, Deirdre Griswold. She added that women make up about a third of the power position in the party and that the party is dedicated to equality within its ranks, being representative of all disenfranchised people.
"It's a reflection of our politics," said La Riva.
La Riva added that WWP is not competing with other third party tickets or agendas, but rather that all of them together are creating an alternative to business as usual, a choice for working class people to consider.
"We're working against the Democrats and Republicans. We're working against the rich," said La Riva. She added that WWP had supported Jesse Jackson, and felt that the Democrats and Republicans had been challenged by him, because he had brought groups together when they could not.
"Their response was to shut him out, denouncing him and the rights of everyone he represented, by nominating Bentsen. What they are not saying is: Don't expect anything from us, if we get elected," said La Riva, She felt all oppressed people need to keep struggling in order to get anywhere.
"The only way to win is to remain independent and not work for Dukakis or Bush. We'll have to fight, she said. WWP is for legitimizing Gay and Lesbian relationships, a 'Manhattan Project' for AIDS research and funding free healthcare.
The Double Header
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8
Seat:le Gay News
October 21, 1988