I am posting this message from a Green Party colleague in Arizona in honor of Veteran's Day which was sent to urge people to support the Green Party which is the only political party with a platform that promotes peace:


The Green Party is the Peace Party, the one voice in the political array that doesn't rely on about-face justification for continuing international violence underpinning notions of a superior calling for our nation.  What does that mean?  On Veteran's Day, what is the price of war?

I'm from a military family.  My dad went into the Navy right out of high school, and is a Pearl Harbor survivor.  After the war, he went Army, to finish his twenty years.  Growing up, I attended 13 schools before I finished 9th grade, most of them in rural villages, where the Nike missile base was a barracks for the privates, the missile "silo" was a cramped metal trailer, and the two families with kids were temporary outsiders.

Except for aunt Marianne, who was a navy nurse, the military didn't want women, so we four daughters were not expected to enlist. As a woman, I was often told I had no right to an opinion in favor of peace, unless I had a brother or a cousin in combat. Like many of you, I decided that the way you best fight war is to get there ten years beforehand, and prevent despair by fixing what was wrong.

My husband's family was also military. In their Appalachia, no one was drafted-- they were Volunteers. His dad never saw a plane close-up, til he climbed into one, to learn to fly it for WWII. He re-upped, and finished his military career by teaching ROTC, in a building on campus that a Quaker-led group, including me, would stumble into one day, and occupy long enough to pray for the dead, and the still living. My as-yet-unmet husband's only brother was among the unnamed for whom we prayed. His unarmed reconnaissance plane was shot down, the last fatality from Tucson. Until the next war.

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This year's Green Party Annual National Meeting is being held in Durham, North Carolina July 23-26.

For the first time ever, there will be live stream from the meeting.  To access it, just click:

Green Party stream National Meeting

Activities will include a panel on Single Payer Health Care, screening of a film on mountain top removal, and an address by Cynthia McKinney, 2008 Presidential Candidate.  Below is the press release:

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES

http://www.gp.org


For Immediate Release:

Wednesday, July 22, 2009


Contacts:

Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene at gp.org

Theresa El-Amin, North Carolina Green Party, 919-824-0659,
teagreenparty at aol.com

Hillary Kane, Green Party Annual Meeting Committee, 267-971-3559,
hillarya at upenn.edu


<hillarya at upenn.edu>

The Green Party's 2009 national meeting begins Thursday, July 23 in Durham, NC.

WASHINGTON, DC -- The Green Party's 2009 Annual National Meeting in Durham, North Carolina, will feature an address from former US Representative and 2008 Green presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney to the Green Party plenary, a forum on health care reform, and a screening of the new movie “Coal Country” among several events to which reporters, bloggers, and photographers are invited.

The Green Party meeting will take place Thursday, July 23, through Sunday, July 26, on the campus of North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in Durham. NCCU, the one of the nation's oldest liberal arts institutionsfounded for African Americans, is celebrating its 100-year
anniversary. ( Read more... )

Cynthia McKinney finally made it to Gaza, leaving just  day from the U.S. after she got back from being deported from Israel after being arrested.  She had been attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza when the ship she was on was seized and its members arrested by Israeli military.

Here is the note from Cynthia she sent out yesterday:

From Cynthia:

The Viva Palestina convoy, led by George Galloway, is about to leave Gaza after having been permitted to enter for a period of 24 hours after waiting 11 days in Cairo for permission to enter Gaza. That in and of itself is a major story when expanded to include the inability of Gazans to exit The Strip--even if only to enter another part of their country, the West Bank or to move about freely in the fictional "Palestinian State." I say fictional because it continues to dwindle even while peace talks are underway. Fictional, because Palestinian elections deemed by international observers to be free and fair, don't count if the US- and Israel-approved party loses, and the winners get to sit for
years in an Israeli jail. Fictional, because they use Israel's currency here, the shekel, and the international roaming on our US cell phones indicates calls are from Israel.

Gaza is beautiful. Gaza is full of life, despite Israel's Operation Cast Lead. And now, I have seen, Gaza has been bombed to smithereens. I think I've mastered my video camera enough to share some images with you. I'll post them on the sites below when I return. In the meantime, my fellow Americans and citizens of the world, we have a lot to do to put right all the wrong things done in our name. Much love to all of you who helped me, guided me, prayed for me, to make this successful entry into Gaza happen.

Viva Palestina!!
Free Gaza!!

--
http://www.livestream.com/dignity
http://dignity.ning.com/
http://www.twitter.com/dignityaction
http://www.myspace.com/dignityaction
http://www.myspace.com/runcynthiarun
http://www.twitter.com/cynthiamckinney
http://www.facebook.com/CynthiaMcKinney

I will soon be 50. Actually in 13 more days I"ll reach the half century mark. I knew it was coming. I've been anticipating it all year.

So now that it is inevitable, I"m celebrating! Here is one way that I am honoring my life on earth for 50 years:I will be celebrating 50 years of life on earth on July 27th and my favorite color is GREEN!

I am asking all my friends to please consider donating in my name to the Green Party at my green birthday page:


The Green Party is the party that represents people and their values. There are hundreds of Greens elected in various offices across the
country and are making good changes for our world! There are thousands of Greens in our country who are working hard on social,
economic and environmental justice issues as well.

Please help this party continue to grow by visiting my green birthday page and help make this 50th life celebration one that will do good in our
world!

If you want to send a check you can. If you do, please put the following code on the check or envelope: PS-DT-BDAY

Thank you!

Deanna "Dee" Taylor
July 27, 1959

Kevin Zeese, an attorney from Maryland, not only spoke out for single payer health care reform yesterday, but was arrested for doing so.

Zeese was among the 8 doctors and attorneys arrested at yesterday's Senate Finance Committee "roundtable" on Healthcare Reform in the U.S. Zeese has written an article about the event at OpEd News.


According to Zeese, constituents of members of the committee had been voicing their desire (via email, telephone) to have single payer healthcare on the table at this meeting. The answer? A resounding "NO". It will not be on the table.




Zeese is Executive Director of the Campaign for Fresh Air and Clean Politics (www.FreshAirCleanPolitics.net) whose projects include Voters for Peace (www.VotersForPeace.US., True Vote (www.TrueVote.US and www.TrueVoteMD.org) and Climate Security (www.GlobalClimateSecurity.org). He is also president of Common Sense for Drug Policy (www.csdp.org).

Press release with additional links to video:
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The Eco-Action Committee of the Green Party of the United States (which has two representatives from Utah on it) has passed this resolution on Water Protection:
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There are many states in the U.S. where it is nearly impossible for parties other than the one major party (Republicrat) to get on the ballot, denying voters their choice of candidates.

This needs to change.

The Green Party of Pennsylvania has put together this video to promote legislation in PA on Ballot Access - The Voters Choice Act:

The Green Party has asked Green leaders from all over the US to tell America what a Green President of the United States would do during the ‘First 100 Day’s of his or her administration.

Green candidates and members of the Green Party’s Speakers Bureau submitted video clips and short essays to describe what they’d do if elected to the White House and what Green steps President Obama should take to resolve the nation’s problems.

“This is our Inauguration Day gift to Barack Obama and to America.  We celebrate the landmark election of America’s first African American president, but we’re worried that Barack Obama will retreat from his promises of change, especially given some of his Cabinet appointments.  That’s why we’ve collected these recommendations from prominent Green Party members,” said Sanda Everett, co-chair of the Green Party of the United States.
Brian Czech
Ph.D. ecologist and Certified Wildlife Biologist  

Steady State Economy

read more about Mr. Czech here . . .

 

---

Morgen D’Arc
Co-Founder, Co-Spokesperson and Former Co-Chair, National Women’s Caucus; Chair, Cumberland County Green Party; 2002 Candidate for Cumberland County Register of Deeds; National Green Party Delegate, 2002-2006 and 2007-present, Maine

Women: Rights, Issues And Conditions. A Breakthrough Agenda

read more about Ms. D’Arc here . . .
 

 

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Kathy Dopp
M.S. Mathematics, Executive Director, National Election Data Archive, UT  

Election Integrity

read more about Ms. Dopp here . . .
 

 

 

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Ron Forthofer
2002 Green Party candidate for Governor of Colorado, 2000 candidate for Congress, CO  

Israeli-Palestinian conflict

read more about Mr. Forthofer here . . .

 

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Cynthia McKinney
2008 Green Party Candidate for President

Discussing Palestine, Israel, and her trip on a relief boat destined for the Gaza

More from Ms. McKinney on the Middle East

 

 

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Deeana Taylor
Co-Coordinator, Desert Greens Green Party of Utah, 2006 Green Party candidate for Salt Lake County Council  

for Single Payer

read more about Ms. Taylor here . . .

 

 

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Pete Van, Jr
2006 Green Party Candidate for the Michigan State House of Representatives/District 88 (Allegan County)  

Economy

read more about Mr. Van here . . .

 

 

 

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Laura Wells
2002 and 2006 Green Party candidate for State Controller, CA  

Peace/Healthcare

read more about Ms. Wells here . . .

 

Green Party members nationwide are mourning the unexpected and tragic loss of Texas Green Bill Holloway.

Bill was very good to me and Tom when we visited Austin and Camp Casey in August of 2006.  He even wrote about us on his blog.  Here are two photos of us with Bill at Camp Casey:



January 10, 2009

The Green Party of Texas mourns the tragic loss of Bill Holloway.  Bill was a dedicated leader who was currently serving as the Co-Chair of the Travis County Green Party in Austin, TX. He will be missed as a mentor and a friend.( Read more... )

January 1, 2009 Yesterday, we met with the President of Lebanon, the Chief of the Military, and the Interior Minister who all thanked us for responding and risking our lives on a mission of mercy; we profusely thanked them for rescuing us.

What would we have done, stranded out at sea, prohibited from reaching our destination, low on fuel, with a badly damaged boat if Lebanon had not
accepted us? Lebanon sent their ships to find us. Lebanon rescued us. Lebanon welcomed us. And we are truly thankful.

It’s official now. We’ve been told that the sturdy, wood construction of our boat, Dignity, is the reason we are still alive. Fiberglass would probably not have withstood the impact of the Israeli attack and under different circumstances, we might not be here to tell the story. Even at that, the report that came to us yesterday after the Captain and First Mate
went back to Sour (Tyre) to inspect the boat was that it was sinking, the damage is extensive, and the boat will take, in their estimation, at least one month to repair. Tomorrow, we will bring the Dignity from Sour to Beirut. And now, we must decide what to do and from where we will do it and how we are to get back to wherever that might be.( Read more... )

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It warms my heart when people take an event in the news and turn it into action:

www.shoebush.org
JOIN US IN WASHINGTON,DC
January,19th
SHOES FOR BUSH action "For the widows, the orphans, and those killed in Iraq."

send me your old shoes to take to DC. ALL SHOES DONATED to the needy in the DC/Baltimore area and distributed by the DC Greens


  On January 20th,tens of thousands of people will be gathering to celebrate the Inaugural of President Barrack Obama.It will be a historical marker  and a joyous and celebratory occasion. However, the promise of change, does not mean that we can shut the door, on the past eight horrific years of the Bush administration and wipe clean the images of  shear terror, torture and suffering on the faces innocent Iraqis who have faced death and total destruction of their country. Also, it will not be easy for our own families, like Melida and Carlos Arredondo who have lost their child to an unjust and immoral war. Americans of conscience are grieving for our children and  for those in Iraq. To watch president Bush leave office, unaccountable is like rubbing salt into a wound.

On Monday, January 19th at 11:00 people will be converging at a permitted site near the White House for what may be a cathartic action of hurling a shoe at an image of President Bush. In the spirit of Mutadhar Al-Zaidi and in solidarity with the people of Iraq, we invite you to join us.

If you are will be in town for the Inaugural, bring an extra pair of shoes with you! If you cannot be there with us you can send us your shoes and we will take them to DC in a U-Haul. No Bomb-sniffing dogs at our post office! Unfortunately if you send shoes to the White House they are taken to a remote location and the gesture will be for not.

 We are designating a page  on this web site to post the names of people who are collecting shoes in your area. These people will deliver  the shoes to collection points where those who will be traveling  to DC, by car, will pick bring them up.

Please consider writing notes and putting them in your shoes. We will read them at the  SHOES FOR BUSH event where documentary film maker Scott Hamann will be recording this historic mass action. Artists are invited to be creative if they choose to create a work of art work with their shoes.

ALL SHOES WILL BE DONATED TO THE NEEDY IN THE WASHINGTON/BALTIMORE AREA. A few will be saved for posterity and perhaps we should donate those to the Bush Library.

My appreciation goes out David Swanson for his literary contribution and support as well as to Andrew Lehman, Marcia Bernstein and Dana Simpson for their contribution of web site creation, The Washington Peace Center, the DC Statehood Green Party and my activist friends and organizations in DC who are supporting this mass action.

Jamilla El-Shafei
organizer@shoebush.org

This holiday season, the Eco-Action Committee of the Green Party of the United States is asking Americans to observe a Dark Earth Hour from 9 to 10 p.m. tonight, the third Thursday of the month.

By turning off all unnecessary lights and appliances for that hour, we can show our understanding of the need to conserve energy as we seek to move away from destructive technologies and to wind and solar power.

The Dark Earth Hour is more than symbolic. Especially during this period of high electricity use, it can represent an actual reduction in power demand. The Eco-Action Committee encourages people to light candles, visit with family and friends, or simply take a quiet hour of down time during this busy season.

No matter what your political persuasion, the Dark Earth Hour is a reminder that we are all in this together, and we can all take this opportunity to power down for the Earth.