Why I Voted for Cynthia McKinney
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found on Feminism ainít about equalityÖÖitís about reprieve.
Why I Voted for Cynthia McKinney
October 19, 2008 by lisakristine
If you are interested in real change, vote third party. Thatís what I ultimately decided for the 2008 election. Now I know many of you are thinking, ìA third party vote is a vote thrown away. Sheís not going to win any more than Nader is going to win!î I know that, and donít get me wrong, I almost got carried away with all the commotion from the Obama crowd. I do like Obama and I think heíll make a good president if he wins. But he doesnít have my vote and this is why:
While the public and the media has celebrated that we have a viable Black candidate for president, they have failed to give any attention to the other Black candidate, Cynthia McKinney. She was a congresswoman from Georgia and she is the presidential candidate for the Green Party. Apparently, our public isnít truly looking for change and diversity, or perhaps you would have heard McKinneyís name by now. A woman and a minority? HELLO CNN! Hereís a story for you. But Ö no. They have left her quite alone in the empty corner reserved for third party candidates. No one has celebrated the diversity she brings to the 2008 race, and no one has cared to look into what she stands for. Once you inform yourself about McKinney, you would no longer look at Obama as the diverse ìchangeî candidate.
Clearly, McKinney will not be elected President. That is not why I am voting for her. Voting for a third party candidate is a political tactic to pressure the two major parties (dems and reps) into addressing issues that remain at the periphery of mainstream public debate. This tactic has historical significance and effectiveness: For instance, third party interests swayed the platform of William J. Bryan (D) in 1896. Bryan changed his platform in order to steal votes from the populist movement (a third party movement). Another example: Charles Evans (R) in 1916, changed the republican platform in order to steal votes away from the Republican-turned-Progressive (third) Party candidate, Theodore Roosevelt. More recently, in 2000 Ralph Nader ran on the platform of breaking corporate control of government, and this directly influenced both Obama and McCain after this to talk about the need for campaign finance reform, shifting their stances to reflect that of the Independent Party.
POWER TO THE PEOPLE!
HERE IS AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE GREEN PARTY IS ABOUT:
A lot of people think the Green Party is just about the environment, but thatís not the case. This is some basic information taken directly from the Green Party Platform:
A Call to Action
The Green Platform presents an eco-social analysis and vision for our country. In contrast to the way in which major political parties create their platforms, through the back-room deals of insiders and power- brokers, we have created a grassroots process that invites submissions from every local Green Party and every Green individual. Through democratic process over a year and a half, we arrive at a final draft to present to our national convention for approval. The Green Platform is an evolving document, a living work- in-progress that expresses our commitment to creating wise and enduring change in specific policies and in the political process itself. The Green Party is committed to values-based politics, as expressed in our Ten Key Values. These values guide us in countering and changing a system that extols exploitation, unsustainable consumption, and destructive competition.
10 KEY VALUES
1. GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY
Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect his or her life and should not be subject to the will of another. Therefore, we will work to increase public participation at every level of government and to ensure that our public representatives are fully accountable to the people who elect them. We will also work to create new types of political organizations which expand the process of participatory democracy by directly including citizens in the decision- making process.
2. SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
All persons should have the rights and opportunity to benefit equally from the resources
afforded us by society and the environment. We must consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and society at large, barriers such as racism and class oppression, sexism and homophobia, ageism and disability, which act to deny fair treatment and equal justice under the law.
3. ECOLOGICAL WISDOM
Human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of nature, not separate
from nature. We must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our planet. We support a sustainable society which utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we must practice agriculture which replenishes the soil; move to an energy efficient economy; and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.
4. NON-VIOLENCE
It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to societyís current patterns of violence. We will work to demilitarize, and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, without being naive about the intentions of other governments. We recognize the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in helpless situations. We promote non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward lasting personal, community and global peace.
5. DECENTRALIZATION
Centralization of wealth and power contributes to social and economic injustice, environmental destruction, and militarization. Therefore, we support a restructuring of social, political and economic institutions away from a system which is controlled by and mostly benefits the powerful few, to a democratic, less bureaucratic system. Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all citizens.
6. COMMUNITY BASED ECONOMICS
Redesign our work structures to encourage employee ownership and workplace democracy.
Develop new economic activities and institutions that will allow us to use our new technologies in ways that are humane, freeing, ecological and accountable, and responsive to communities. Establish some form of basic economic security, open to all.
Move beyond the narrow ìjob ethicî to new definitions of ìwork,î jobsî and ìincomeî that reflect the changing economy. Restructure our patterns of income distribution to reflect the wealth created by those outside the formal monetary economy: those who take responsibility for parenting, housekeeping, home gardens, community volunteer work, etc. Restrict the size and concentrated power of corporations without discouraging superior efficiency or technological innovation.
7. FEMINISM AND GENDER EQUITY
We have inherited a social system based on male domination of politics and economics. We call for the replacement of the cultural ethics of domination and control with more cooperative ways of interacting that respect differences of opinion and gender. Human values such as equity between the sexes, interpersonal responsibility, and honesty must be developed with moral conscience. We should remember that the process that determines our decisions and actions is just as important as achieving the outcome we want.
8. RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY
We believe it is important to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of respectful relationships across these lines.
We believe that the many diverse elements of society should be reflected in our organizations and decision-making bodies, and we support the leadership of people who have been traditionally closed out of leadership roles. We acknowledge and encourage respect for other life forms than our own and the preservation of biodiversity.
9. PERSONAL AND GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY
We encourage individuals to act to improve their personal well-being and, at the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social harmony. We seek to join with people and organizations around the world to foster peace, economic justice, and the health of the planet.
10. FUTURE FOCUS AND SUSTAINABILITY
Our actions and policies should be motivated by long-term goals. We seek to protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of or ìunmakingî all waste we create, while developing a sustainable economics that does not depend on continual expansion for survival. We must counterbalance the drive for short-term profits by assuring that economic development, new technologies, and fiscal policies are responsible to future generations who will inherit the results of our actions. Make the quality of life, rather than open-ended economic growth, the focus of future thinking.
Click on the following link to read the entire 74 page doc:
http://www.gp.org/platform/2004/2004platform.pdf
HERE IS AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT CYNTHIA MCKINNEY IS ABOUT:
A former six-term Member of Congress from Georgia, Cynthia McKinney proved herself a courageous voice for the voiceless, unafraid to speak truth to power. Cynthiaís Power to the People Committee is working to put Cynthia on fifty-one ballot lines!
Cynthia:
* Consistently opposed funding for bloated military and secret intelligence budgets;
* Introduced Articles of Impeachment for George Bush, Dick Cheney, and Condoleezza Rice;
* Introduced, championed, and passed in the U.S. House the Arms Trade Code of Conduct, prohibiting the sale of arms to known human rights abusers;
* Authored legislation to end the use of depleted uranium weapons;
* Passed legislation to extend health benefits for Vietnam War veterans still suffering the health effects from exposure to the defoliant Agent Orange;
* Challenged Pentagon Secretary Rumsfeld and Chairman Myers of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the $2.3 trillion missing Pentagon money and on U.S.-sponsored war games taking place on September 11, 2001;
* Currently serves on (a) International Tribunal on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, (b) Brussels Tribunal on Iraq, (c) is participating in War Crimes prosecutions in Spain, and (d) is working with the Malaysian Peace Organization to criminalize war;
* Introduced legislation to eliminate federal subsidies for corporations taking jobs overseas.
Cynthia was never afraid to introduce legislation that showed her moral compass and where she felt our country ought to be. In that regard, after the tragedy of September 11th, 2001, Cynthia introduced legislation that would allow the survivors of the tragedyís victims to sue those responsible for the attacks as well as participate in the Victims Compensation Fund. She introduced legislation to establish a national living wage and she also introduced legislation to repeal the Military Tribunals Act. Her signature environmental piece of legislation was the National Forest Protection and Restoration Act which would have provided much-needed jobs and revenues for the restoration and protection of Americaís national forests. McKinney successfully authorized the USDA disparity study that demonstrated USDA discrimination against minority farmers. McKinney, like so many Americans, has long held Green values. McKinney is now proudly a Green.
The above info was taken directly from: (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cynthia-McKinney)
For a more detailed look at McKinney and her accomplishments, go to:
