"Heroic Acts" - an insult to workers

The decision to celebrate May Day at the university is a progressive step, which has been welcomed by almost all but a few "proletarian purists", who see all trade union officials as faithful dogs of the capitalist class. Despite these Trotskyistic 'noises off, the celebration promises to be a potentially useful step, even if it does no more than remind students of the existence of working people in our society.

But what a pity it is that this progressive move should be marred by a ridiculous antic. I refer to the pink sheets of paper currently littering the university, which quote that well known phoney Jerry Rubin - "Do it! a heroic activity".

The reverse side of this call to arms states that VUWSA is promoting the general theme of liberation around May Day. Between Sunday Midnight and 3 p.m. on Thursday students are invited to strike a blow at any institution supporting Capitalism, Imperialism, Sexism, Racism and Knowledgeism.

Simply you say. The obvious course is for all students (having dutifully registered with their puffed up little bureaucracy) to bum the university to the ground, preferably with themselves inside it. But hang on a minute heroes! If you do that you won't be able to claim the $20, $10 and $5 prize money offered!

If these antics are carried out and publicised as part of student recognition of the International Day of working class solidarity, they will deserve the contempt of all working people. In the long and bloody course of their struggle workers have carried out countless acts of heroism. Students have also engaged in truly heroic struggle.

But to clothe the old capping pranks in the garb of "heroism" is to debase these struggles in a childish and reactionary fashion. Such a mindless class insult should have no place in the forth' coming May Day celebrations.