Why Ohio and the Mahoning Valley needs the Green Party

[Towntalk]

"And it has made us dislike each other even when on many of the critical issues that it ignores or distorts we have much in common."

Who says we "dislike each other"? It's NOT a case of like or dislike, but one of priorities, and ours is improving the Mahoning Valley.

First of all, get your head out of the sand ... Ralph Nader has been on CNN - NBC - CBS and C-SPAN numerous times - The Situation Room; Face The Nation; Meet The Press and C-SPANS early morning show.

Articles by Mr. Nader have been published in the New York Times and the Washington Post.

What this group is interested in is IMPROVING THE MAHONING VALLEY for those coming after us, and we couldn't care less about the Green Party dogmas.


"-The 61% of the American public who oppose arresting and jailing nonviolent marijuana smokers."

How dare you even suggest that we should legalize drugs ... the prime cause of crimes that are killing our youth right here in our valley, and don't even bother sermonizing to us. NONVIOLENT? That in itself is a flat out lie  which can be proven based on crime stats here in the Mahoning Valley and elsewhere.

If you were a regular reader of the posts on this web site, you would see that drugs and murder are a MAJOR topic. That the South and East sides of Youngstown have become war zones over drugs placing innocent people at risk.

Legalizing drugs IS NOT the answer - ask the folks in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

[Maggy]

To Towntalk:

The "great man" you refer to..."all politics are local"... was Tip O'Neill.

[irishbobcat]

The Biggest Media Sin

by Sam Smith
from Progressive Review

WHICH AMERICAN political party best reflects the views of a majority of citizens on the Iraq war, environmental issues, health care, campaign financing, population growth, genetically modified foods, and marijuana use?

The answer, based on various polls, is the Green Party.

That you may not be aware of this points to a problem with American journalism far more important than plagiarism, blogs, or Fox News, namely that our media - for all its professed objectivity - is stunningly biased towards the views of the American elite and particularly those who buy space in their papers or time on their channels.

On the environmental issue alone, the Green Party has been proven by the latest scientific data far more prescient and sane than either of the older parties. Yet the media prefers to dismiss, discredit or disregard the Greens as well as leaders who share their views such as David Cobb or Ralph Nader.

But let's assume for a moment that one is not entitled to coverage simply for being right and let's adopt the childish media view that the only ideas that count are those that demonstrate sufficient strength at the polls. We're still left with all those Americans who agree with the Greens and don't know it:

- The 52% of Americans who think Iraq war was not worth fighting.

- The resolutions critical of the Patriot Act that have been passed in 378 communities in 43 states including six state-wide resolutions.

- The 68% who find the "problems of the global environment: global warming, destruction of rainforests, destruction of species, loss of ozone layer" to be very or extremely important to their life.

- The 62% of Americans who support universal health coverage as opposed to the current system.

- The 68% of the public who support a version of public campaign financing used in several states.

- The 78% who think population is growing too fast.

- The 80% or more of Americans who believe "protecting the environment will require most of us to make major changes in the way we live," that an underlying cause of environmental problems is that "the way we live produces too much waste," that "we focus too much on getting what we want now and not enough on future generations," that "we need to treat the earth as a living system," and that "Americans should have more respect and reverence for Nature."

- The 61% of the American public who oppose arresting and jailing nonviolent marijuana smokers.

- The 76% who believe that large companies have too much concentrated power.

- The 73% who agree with the statement: "I regard myself as a citizen of the world as well as a citizen of the United States."

Why do we hardly ever see any of these folks on cable television, on the op ed pages of the Washington Post or the New York Times, or mentioned in political analyses? It would be interesting, for example, for a columnist to attempt to square the red vs. blue, Christian vs. secular dichotomies currently in fashion with some of the data above. Or to ask the question: do our elites want us to hate each other so we don't find out what's really on our minds? And what we have in common?

The Harris polling people report that over the past ten years 31 million Americans have had someone close to them die after the removal of life support systems, but the media would have us believe it only happened once in Florida. 29,999,999 true stories left untold so one more myth can be created.

Here then is the real sin of America's media: It has created an America it chooses to see, not the one that exists. It has denied access to its pages and its channels to voices representing the majority or even greater percentages of Americans on key issues. And it has made us dislike each other even when on many of the critical issues that it ignores or distorts we have much in common.

-----

Sam Smith is the Publisher and Editor of Progressive Review.

www.ohiogreens.org
www.gp.org

[jay]

It's too bad that the Republicans abandoned the city.  When it comes to improving our community, we need all the help we can get.

Did you know that there is a Pro-Yo Party of young adults becoming active in Youngstown?

[Towntalk]

CORRECTION PLEASE - The Green Party needs the Mahoning valley, and that will never happen.

In it's earlier days the Valley was Republican but switched to Democratic when FDR was elected, and aside from a hand full of candidates over the years, never looked back.

As for the issues the Green Party deals with, most are a part of the Democratic platform - Environment - Social Justice - anti-Corporations - anti-War.

And who said that we are political  activists?

All of us in our own way are deeply involved in our community, and I dare say that most of us are Democratic to a greater or lesser degree.

By the way Irishbobcat, just how much have you contributed to the community through personal sweat equity?

In our own way, each and every one of us has devoted our energy to making our valley a better place for everyone.

A wise man once said: "All politics are local" and he was absolutely right. It all starts here in our own back yard, and we have all we can do to see to it that the valley moves forward. As for outsiders, there is little we can do for them. They have to do for themselves.

As for the Green Party, it reminds me of The Man From Lamancia fighting wind mills.

[irishbobcat]

The Green Party is composed of grassroots activists, environmentalists, advocates for social justice, nonviolent resisters, and regular citizens who've had enough of corporate-dominated politics. Our goal is to be the electoral wing of the nation-wide movements against war and corporate power. To see how our platform differs from that of other parties, see our Ten Key Values.
Who We Are
Greens provide real solutions for real problems, because our members are locally-based activists just like you. Whether the issue is universal health care, corporate globalization, alternative energy, election reform, or decent, living wages for workers, Greens have the courage and independence necessary to take on the powerful corporate interests.

The Federal Elections Commission recognizes the Green Party of the United States, and we have had successful candidates running in many states from California to Colorado to Maine. We also are part of a global Green movement, with shared ecology and justice-focused values. Some of these Green Parties have received enough popular votes from their countrymen to serve at the highest levels of their respective governments. With your help, we will be able to be able to say the same in 2007 and beyond.

Third Parties Have Changed America
What the two corporate-dominated political parties don't want you to remember is that, over the centuries, American third parties have been at the forefront of many progressive changes we now consider essential, including the 8-hour day, voting rights for women, and the abolition of slavery. In fact, the Republican Party was itself a third party movement 150 years ago, when Abraham Lincoln and other anti-slavery activists left the dying Whig Party.

With Your Help, We Can Win
It is time to move beyond the failed two-party system that has produced candidates who have not fixed the healthcare, living wage, and other key issues of our time. All we get is more excuses about why things cannot be changed, while corporations accountable to no government continue to control our lives.

The Green Party supports Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) , which would encourage coalition-building instead of negative attacks against opponents, and allow each of us to vote for our favorite candidate instead of the candidate we dislike least.

The "spoiler" arguments by adherents of the two-party system would be addressed by IRV, where all parties would have a fair chance at victory, and where winning candidates would have to reach out to losing candidates to build the coalitions necessary to win 51% of the vote.

Will You Join Us?
The Green Party has been growing rapidly since 2001, and includes college students, senior citizens, and all ages in-between. We need compassionate, forward-looking people like yourself to serve as candidates, donors, and volunteers. With your help, we can build a party and a nation that are focused on peace, justice, living wages, and sustainable growth.

www.ohiogreens.org