Defend Rashida! Say It Loud!
by Jane Slaughter
Detroit DSAers brought our new “Defend Rashida” window signs to Representative Tlaib’s reelection launch event last Saturday. The signs were eagerly snapped up by the 100 or so Black, white, and Arab Michiganders there.
At the event, Rashida talked about the movements that give her strength: for water as a human right, for driver’s licenses regardless of immigration status, “the rent is too damn high,” for stopping fossil fuel subsidies, Black Lives Matter, the UAW strikes.
“We didn’t get civil rights or the right to organize unions because of who was president at the time,” she said. “We got it when the streets demanded it.”
The call-out that got the most applause was for the ceasefire movement. People were at her rally not just because of Rashida’s years of service to every good cause, but because she is under attack right now, censured by the House of Representatives for supposedly “promoting false narratives” about Hamas’s attack on Israel. Every Republican in the state legislature, where she once served, has called on her to resign. Democratic Majority for Israel bought a TV ad in Detroit accusing her of standing with terrorism.
Two Democrats, Nasser Beydoun and Hill Harper, say that AIPAC offered them $20 million to run against Rashida in 2024. Beydoun told the Detroit Free Press that on November 10, former state Democratic Party Chairman Lon Johnson made him the offer, which he refused. Harper, who wants to replace retiring Senator Debbie Stabenow, also said no.
AIPAC is going after all members of the Squad next year, but to knock off the most outspoken pro-Palestine member of Congress, a Palestinian-American herself, would be AIPAC’s crowning achievement. “They are ready to set a hell of a lot of money on fire,” Tlaib said at the rally. “I’m not afraid of the bullies.”
Rashida’s safely Democratic 12th District includes part of Detroit, all of Dearborn, all of Southfield, and other western suburbs. She won her 2022 primary handily against incompetent campaigner Janice Winfrey, the Detroit City Clerk.
This will be the first time she may face a serious challenge for Congress. Building on our strong relationship, working for Rashida’s reelection should be a main goal of the chapter for the next eight months.
You can donate to counter AIPAC’s money here. You can get a free red, black and green “Defend Rashida” window sign, with a picture of Rashida and the DSA logo, at Detroit DSA’s general meeting December 16, at Swords into Plowshares, 33 E. Adams, Detroit.
Jane Slaughter has been a Detroit DSA member since 2018 and works on the labor and political education committees, as well as The Detroit Socialist.
The Detroit Socialist is produced and run by members of Detroit DSA’s Newspaper Collective. Interested in becoming a member of Detroit DSA? Go to metrodetroitdsa.com/join to become a member. Send a copy of the dues receipt to: membership@metrodetroitdsa.com in order to get plugged in to our activities!
