Summer Fund Drive

The Editors

Dear Left Hook readers,

This May marks our 18th month of online publication, and the beginning of our third semi-annual fund drive. As a radical, independent journal produced by and aimed at American youth, we have always strived to not only expose the injustices perpetrated by the Right, but also to highlight, encourage, and develop the efforts of young leftists who are trying to turn the tide in favor of a more humane world.

In recent months, we at Left Hook have stepped up our efforts. We provided a continuous stream of analysis unveiling the agenda of wealthy pro-Israel front groups conducting a witch-hunt against Arab professors at Columbia University. We also helped mobilize students for the important March 19th anti-war demonstrations in collaboration with others, and offered sober critiques in its aftermath. Counter-recruitment activism across college campuses, crucial both politically and symbolically, has been frequently covered here as well.

These are just three examples taken from a general overall trend - namely, an increase in our updates and more varied content in the broad range of areas we cover - domestic and foreign politics, activist ground reports, interviews, cultural pieces, theory, and historical analysis. These efforts have, in turn, also increased our readership. In April of 2004, we received 275 visitors per day, totaling 8, 258 visits for the month. This April, we received our highest sustained number of visitors for any month so far: 880 per day, for a total of 26,432 visits. Numbers of subscribers to our youth discussion list and general information list are also at all-time highs.

Hopefully, you too have taken note of the improving quality and diversity of our content. If you have enjoyed our journal and appreciate its efforts, please show your support by making a financial contribution. For this Summer Fund Drive, we are setting the goal of $3,500. All in all, it's a pretty modest sum compared to the $127,000,000 the pro-war Democrats solicited last year in under-$200 individual donations. We want to launch a number of essay contests for youth, purchase recording equipment for more interviews with anti-war GIs and other activists, acquire more web-space to make way for audio content, and make it possible to produce more and better material to our growing audience.

Left Hook strives to raise and deepen the political consciousness of American youth so that we may salvage our future from the devastating effects of capitalism at home and imperialism abroad. But we have none of the outside backing, prestigious grants, or institutional funding bestowed upon those who are paid to carry out and justify this devastation. Ultimately, it is you, our readers, who will determine whether or not this project stays alive and grows during these politically vital times. Without your support, we cannot succeed.

So please make a donation today.

Sincerely,
Derek Seidman and M. Junaid Alam