STATEMENT OF UNITY AND PRINCIPLES:

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The Trump regime poses a mortal threat to humanity.

Every day sees new and even worse outrages. Stripping away basic rights and the rule law, criminalizing dissent and denying due process… repealing, with a vengeance, every advance won in the last 75 years of struggle against white supremacy, against the oppression of women and LGBTQ people, and for the decent treatment of and respect for immigrants… taking a chainsaw to crucial programs and services that people depend on and to the environment… and threatening and supporting unrestrained violence in the international arena, with the open view that “might makes right.”

It is urgent that as many people as possible from many diverse political, religious, and ideological perspectives and backgrounds raise their voices and act together to stop this 21st century American fascism. Millions hate and fear what is happening. Every one of these voices is needed!

Among us, there will be many different views: on the nature of the threat posed by Trump; on the origins of this fascism and its relation to the underlying American history and its social and political system; on the means to resist it; on the goal of such resistance; and a host of other things as well.

These differences can be a rich source of movement vitality, generating the creative friction of differing and sometimes clashing ideas of diverse people joined in a common cause. All this can lead to a higher, more all-round understanding and strength.

But there is also a bitter history of movements allowing sectarianism, distortion, slander, anti-communist red-baiting, and blacklisting to be fomented and exploited by those who were determined to prevent liberatory change. In this way, righteous people and organizations have been set up, lives have been lost, and just causes have been derailed. This history must not be repeated—especially now, when the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been.

We need a movement in which there is open and above-board principled discussion and debate about what is represented by this Trump regime. We need a movement without purity tests. We need a movement genuinely committed to unity and solidarity. We need a movement which can grow in breadth, depth and determination so as to be able to actually prevent Trump from hammering in his fascist program.

To that end…

We pledge to abide by and to hold others to the following principles:

To foster – and not undermine – uniting all who can be united from diverse political perspectives in non-violent action to call forward the millions in resistance necessary to stop the Trump regime from consolidating fascism.

To allow appropriate space for – and not work against – people’s ability to engage in substantive discussion and debate over the nature of the threat posed by Trump; on the origins of this fascism and its relation to the American system; on the means to resist it; on the goal of such resistance; and other big questions, without letting our differences divide us.

To be open and above-board and raise criticisms directly to those involved and to let them respond, with a spirit of seeking to resolve differences to strengthen the people’s unity.

To listen to and engage criticisms or differences raised by others—in the cause of working to stand together against the common enemy.

To actively promote these principles and standards broadly in our movements and speak up against unprincipled attacks and divide-and-conquer behavior even when it is directed at people with whom we do not agree. To do this with a spirit of helping everyone rise to our best selves, clarify real differences with substance (not snark, gossip, and innuendo), and strengthen our ability to stand up united against a fascist America.

And, therefore…

To not allow the ruling forces, or any other forces, to divide us or pit us against each other.

To not fall for “divide and conquer” schemes and divisive actions.

To not call the forces of repression (FBI, police, etc.) on others within the movement.

To not mischaracterize the positions of other groups or people and to not remain silent when others do so.

To not tolerate snark, rumors, canceling or the blacklisting of those who won’t go along with such cancellation.

All this can serve to ensure the broadest and most powerful unity in the life-and-death struggle to defeat the profound fascist threat of the Trump regime.

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