Date Posted:Saturday, June 28, 14:36:12 Author:Danielle Ni Dhighe Subject: IRSCNA: Bodenstown Commemoration 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
29 June 2008
Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America
Bodenstown Commemoration 2008
The Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America send
solidarity greetings to our fellow members of the Irish Republican
Socialist Movement in the Irish Republican Socialist Party, the Irish
National Liberation Army, Teach na Fáilte, and the Republican
Socialist Youth Movement, as well as to all comrades imprisoned for
their activities as Republican Socialists.
We come to Bodenstown each year to pay our respects at the grave of
Theobald Wolfe Tone, the father of Irish Republicanism and a leader of
the United Irishmen. Inspired by the American and French Revolutions,
Tone and the United Irishmen--Protestant, Catholic, and Dissenter
united--engaged in the 1798 Rebellion with the radical goal of an
Irish Republic governed by the Irish people in mind.
In 2008, that goal remains a radical one as Ireland is divided into
two statelets, one still occupied by British imperialism, but both
subservient to the demands of international capitalism and imperialism.
The United Irishmen didn't limit themselves only to Irish issues, they
were also internationalists who took action on behalf of other
oppressed groups. They distributed anti-slavery leaflets to the crews
of American ships that docked in Belfast, and they organized a boycott
of sugar from the West Indies because it was produced by slave labor.
They also blocked an attempt by some members of the Belfast Chamber of
Commerce to seek a share in the slave trade.
Mary Ann McCracken was not only involved with the United Irishmen,
which was co-founded by her brother Henry Joy McCracken, she was also
an early advocate of the emancipation of women, as well as a tireless
anti-slavery and anti-poverty activist, for her entire and long life.
In Tone's own words, his goal was "to unite Protestant, Catholic, and
Dissenter under the common name of Irishmen in order to break the
connection with England." He also said, "If the men of property will
not support us, they must fall. Our strength shall come from that
great and respectable class, the men of no property".
As Republican Socialists, we recognize that the "men (and women) of
property" exploit the "men (and women) of no property" for their own
profit, while the working class is presented with a sham democracy
designed to hide the reality of class rule by the capitalists.
The Irish Republican Socialist Movement stands in the tradition of
Tone, the United Irishmen, and our founder, Seamus Costello. We are of
the working class and our class is a strength to us. Our only
allegiance is to the working class in Ireland and internationally.
Onward to the Socialist Republic, comrades!
# # #
Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America
PO Box 88341
Tukwila WA 98138-2341
USA
irscna@irsm.org
http://www.irscna.org/
http://www.irsm.org/irsm.html
