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This is a week of highs and lows for Greens. We start things off by celebrating the birth of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., and a few days later are faced with the swearing in of a foe to human rights. In his Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dr. King wrote that "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," which reminds us that these are two significant opportunities for us to get out into our communities and advocate for our dream of a just world--today.
"We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct-action campaign that was 'well timed' in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation."
Dr. King's words still ring true more than four decades later. In the past few months, Greens have been at the forefront of the effort to recount the votes in Ohio, where African American and low-income citizens in particular stood in line for up to a dozen hours. Irregularities included precincts reporting a higher number of votes cast for Bush than the total number of registered voters.
David Cobb, the Green Party's presidential candidate, raised the $113,000 necessary to pay for the recount, filed the paperwork, and brought together volunteers to help monitor the effort to ensure that democracy prevailed. Reverend Jesse Jackson joined our efforts and called us "freedom fighters" at the Ohio Conyers hearing, and later said, "When it's really dark, a little light will do ya. You are that light." He was referring to the Greens and other voting rights groups working to make things happen--working to ensure racial equality and basic democracy for all.
While other parties said that every vote would be counted, we made sure it actually happened.
On Thursday, Greens will again be joining with other progressives at counter-inaugural events nationwide. While you're out there, be seen as Green: Wear your Green Party buttons, and a T-shirt if you're somewhere balmy, or slap a bumper sticker on your winter parka. To find out where folks are gathering in your area, or to download a Green flyer to distribute, please visit <gp.org/committees/peace/2005inauguration.html>.
A massive $40 million inauguration in Washington, DC, is being largely funded by corporations. (Last week, the Department of Homeland Security decided to stick DC taxpayers with an $11.9 million bill for the event, breaking with tradition.) Meanwhile, DC has the highest rate of new AIDS cases per 100,000 population in the United States--a rate that is 10 times the national average. 79 percent of all AIDS cases in the District are among African Americans.
As Greens, we reject the corporate dollars going to pay for lavish balls and vulgar displays of ostentatious wealth while, moments away, people without access to health care are dying prematurely.
We ask you to challenge these corporate donations by supporting the progressive freedom fighters--the Green Party of the United States! Show your resistance to the status quo by enabling us to continue organizing and mobilizing for real change. Please help us get out our positive, progressive values to new communities, and to deepen our involvement where we're already anchored.
Register Green. Vote Green. Give Green.
The Green Party of the United States
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