Ten Key Values
Spotlight on SOCIAL JUSTICE
Adapted from an article by Dorothy H. Engel, North Carolina Mountain Greens

It seems abundantly obvious why the Green Party would espouse "Social Justice" as one of its key values. Greens propose a broader view of social justice than presented in the Constitu­tion and Bill of Rights. In the Green view, all persons should have the right and opportunity to benefit equally from the resources afforded by society and the environment. Greens must "consciously confront" in themselves, their 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. No social group would receive any special degree of control over productive resources and preferential treatment in distribution.

How far is this country from those ideals? As the Bush machine pushes farther and farther to the right, and as civil liberties continue to receive an almost daily assault from government, reaching those ideals will be an uphill struggle. 

Norway comes closest to the ideals of social justice. In that country, taxation is levied fairly and equitably, and all individuals, regardless of social class or income level, receive fully paid health care, long term health care, disability care, and income maintenance for elderly citizens While critics point out how expensive it is for the taxpayer, imagine the freedom from fear that those individuals have about their retirement and aging? That is quite a contrast to America's workers, who worry daily about their jobs, their benefits and their pensions.

Another social injustice, masquerading as law, which Greens must oppose is the now infamous Patriot Act. This 340-page act deprives citizens of their most basic rights to privacy, free speech and due process if they are suspected of "terrorist" activity. It gives the federal government carte blanche, under the search and seizure provision, to enter the homes of individuals without notice or permission, take what they want from their households, confiscate their personal papers and computer, and to access all records of that person including medical records without consent. Where was Congress when this abridgment of our most basic civil liberties was passed right under their noses and rubber-stamped?

Amendment IV of the Bill of Rights, states, "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." Could it be clearer that our founding fathers in 1791 did not give the Executive Branch the power to circumvent this Amendment? Again, it is fortunate that the public outcry against these provisions is beginning to be heard. Even the right wing of the Republican Party has difficulty with the idea that the Executive Branch has the right to trample on people's rights whenever they, in their sole discretion, deem it to be necessary.

One of the most glaring examples of abusing basic civil liberties, twisted out of the Patriot Act, is the incarceration of "political" prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. Many of these prisoners have been held for over three years, without benefit of charges against them, denied legal counsel, and held like political prisoners. The Bush administration, in its characteristic disregard for human rights, insists that the Geneva Conventions do not apply to these prisoners. For their own self-serving reasons the administration chooses to view these detained men as potential terrorists, rather than political prisoners and places them outside the protection afforded by the Geneva Conventions. Fortunately, many prominent legal minds in this country have joined together to support these prisoners. Briefs are being drafted and submitted to the Supreme Court almost daily on behalf of these prisoners.

There is much to do in the area of social justice. There are numerous cases such as that of Mumia Jamal, Jose Padilla and Department of Justice ethics advisor turned whistleblower Jesselyn Radack. There is the assault on personal property by big business, accomplished by twisting the true meaning out of Eminent Domain. The list continues to grow of persons deprived of their most basic rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness through the auspices of our government's war on terrorism, and the self-serving goals of the religious right. Greens must unite, Greens must protest, Greens must be focused, Greens must be present, and, most importantly, the American people need to vote for a Green Administration and Congress.

For more information on the Green Party's ten key values: www.gp.org/tenkey.shtml 

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