Defining War
Just slightly over 500 years ago, in 1492, three European ships under the command of Christopher Columbus arrived on the shores of what has come to be known as the Americas. With this began an invasion, occupation, and colonization that would forever change the world of Indigenous peoples.

1492 marked the beginning of a genocidal war aimed at destroying Indigenous nations, occupying our ancestral territories, and plundering the natural wealth of the earth. How many tens of millions of Indigenous people were killed in this war will never be known, although the methods of massacres, biological warfare, executions; torture; and the enslavement of entire nations, has been well documented by historians.

Rumors, back-biting, inflated egos, trying to get laid, trying to raise funds by appearing 'respectable', we've all seen it and it's causing our movement to self-destruct, just as they begin to become truly the catalyst for real change. Now we're far from perfect ourselves; we have made our mistakes, hurt each other, but from where we stand we are far from giving up. We don't want to see others make the same mistakes we have made, hence this 'zine. This is a story. The story of a handful of people who cared enough to risk their lives and freedom for what they believe.

I have been active in the struggle for Puerto Rican national liberation since the '60s. From the socialist-Marxist perspective, I have simultaneously engaged in political-direct' as well as art/cultural work in support of this struggle, but not always with the same intensity or understanding.

In my 'first period' I separated 'personal' work my paintings from more 'public' works political illustrations, propaganda, caricatures, etc. Both activities were done under the dictates of my ideological assumptions. Nevertheless, there were always elements that would completely or relatively escape the dictates of my 'ideology.' Thematic elements drawn from my particular experiences exposed me to conflicts between what was supposed to be and what actually was, creating tensions that were contained by oneiric images (political monsters, doubts repressed by ideology, etc.) Formal elements, devalued by socialist realism and other 'realist' aesthetics, also escaped.

The Lord's Supper, or the Holy Communion, is declared by Bishop Gore to be 'the greatest of all the sacraments of the Church,' and the Council of Trent described it as 'the most excellent of the sacraments.' The general impression among Christians is that this rite was formally instituted by Jesus Christ himself the night before his crucifixion; but a critical examination of the New Testament texts descriptive of the institution shows clearly how utterly groundless that impression is. The oldest account of it, in I Corinthians Xi. 2325, is as follows:

For I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, how that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed tool. bread; and when he had given thanks, be brake it, and said, This is my body, which is for this do in remembrance of me. In like manner also the cup, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood: this do, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

I guess you can't see my button. It says, 'I fought tuition.' It's a two part set, actually. The second button says, 'And tuition won.'

You should know that over 650 students have registered as delegates here, representing over 130 different schools. You have come despite freezing weather and hard economic times to do something that I'm not sure anybody is yet ready to comprehend. I'm absolutely convinced that you are making history just by being here. You are proving that the image of the American college student as a career-interested, marriage-interested, self centered yuppie is absolutely outdated, that a new age is on the rise, a new college student.

With the first cold, metallic sensation, Africans began to jangle de chains, rattle de chains, stake de chains, and to break de chains: the chains of
european aggression and oppression. The Black Liberation Army is Africans' most recent effort to break de chains.

Near the end of the 15th century Portugal began trade negotiations with the African Kingdoms Angola and the Kongo. Before long Africans knew they were aggressed upon, being tricked. As we had done more than a thousand years before with the Assyrians, Persians, Greeks and Romans, we put up a formidable resistance to protect Black civilization. So began the long and continual modern resistance to european aggression.

Atheist. The word has shock value, but simply means 'without belief in God.' Unlike agnostics, who suggest that God s unknowable, and that they cannot or do not know whether God exists, atheists discount any and all supernatural entities. Atheists are not waiting for evidence of God any more than they are waiting for evidence of purple unicorns.

It is no coincidence that humans are the only species who practice religion, for we are also the only species that is aware of death. Soon after evolving the ability to think (and to think about death), we began to believe in gods: sun gods, fertility gods, volcano gods, animal gods, and the god of special interest to atheists, the monotheistic Judeo-Christian, omnipotent, universe-creating God of the Bible. God belief seems to be an inevitable cultural byproduct of self-awareness.

PIGGYBACKS
Piggybacks or TOFC's (Trailer on Flat Car) are one very common intermodal car. Semitrailers are lifted onto flat cars or more function specific 'spine cars' and fastened down at one end. Because they are so easy to load and unload, pigs make up the highest priority trains on the railroad. In most cases piggybacks are rideable, but there are certain things to look out for.

Always look for flatcars instead of spine cars, as there is more room to ride. Also, try to get cars that are coupled together rather than 'articulated cars'. This term is used to describe railcars that share a common axle set. You can tell that your car is articulated if there is no coupler and there are only 2 axles between the cars instead of 4. The reason you want to avoid these (although if you can catch them ... by all means do), is that they tend to have fewer ladders to assist you.

If you're going to ride Piggybacks, bring warm clothing. You'll be right out in the wind for the whole ride and there's not a whole lot of cover from rail-cops either. Stay crouched under those trailer axles when you're rolling thru the yard.

'Reformist!' What a dreaded word for any self-professed revolutionary to be attached to. It is one of those accusatory labels that ends intelligent debate and is designed to intimidate one into silence. Much like the labels of 'communist!' or, more recently, 'terrorist!' used by those in power and their propagandists. These labels serve as ideological 'whips' to force someone into the proper mindset, god forbid someone does not spout the proper theories or rhetoric. It is amazing how much activity is considered 'reformist' by some, leaving one to wonder exactly what can be done that is considered revolutionary besides running around with gun and bomb in hand, attending meetings with the necessary scowl, or dancing around a campfire. Reformist vs. revolutionary. The eternal debate. And while we stand around fighting over which actions are which, we accomplish no action, and the world goes to hell.

The question: What is a rebel? Mother/father whatever ... I concluded a few things. The first, your father concluded his essay with 'Be strong in love, think'. These are wise words indeed. Love being the first ingredient, it is by far the most important piece of a family. It goes beyond image, fad and convention. If love is not involved in an action don't do it!

Secondly, think! Love as a purely emotive action can be unbalanced. The chance for so many other things to become enwrapped in the concept of love is dangerous. Fear, anger, desperation, violence and smothering are all things that can be tied into the concept of love or loving. Thinking or rational helps to straighten the action, or aim truly maybe more appropriate. Rational allows us to see things wholly the whole picture and act according with love being the anchor if you will.