[adcom] (More responses to our endorsement) Fwd: CONCERNS

[david rolde]

I'll write more about this on Wednesday - I have to
get some sleep now and then am busy all day tomorrow.
But for now I would like to tell you all what happened
at the Boston/JP GRP meeting on Sunday  night.  A new
person came to the meeting, and when we asked him what
brought him to the meeting,  he said that he came to
the meeting to consider getting involved in GRP
because he received an email from us reporting our
endorsement of the pro-Palestinian protest. 
 
- David

--- Ron Francis <ronwf777 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> On supporting fundamental human rights of
> Palestinians:
>    
>   There is no conclusive evidence that we are losing
> numbers because of our Palestine position.  Who
> knows how many people now support us because of our
> clear position.  We can't let a few random
> pro-aparthied folks scare us into thinking that we
> are losing support. 
>    
>   Also we are not in this to win a popularity
> contest.  If we are principled then we need to take
> positions consistent with our core values regardless
> of public opinion.
>    
>   ron
> 
> "Colby E. Peterson" <saphron at verizon.net> wrote:
>   I have argued that our statement would be a PR
> problem from its 
> inception. (I expressed concerns and did not step
> aside when we made 
> the decision.)
> 
> Unfortunately for me as Communications Director, I
> have to deal with 
> the consequences of the fact that our opinion of a
> one-state solution 
> in that region is very unpopular to vast majority. I
> would say that 
> this is due to lack of education on the subject, but
> most people 
> believe that Israel and the Palestinian territories
> should not be 
> disassembled or converted into a single country
> called Palestine.
> 
> Additionally, we continue to not say enough about
> the violence that 
> the Palestinians are directly responsible for, which
> is often 
> misconstrued or justified on our side as
> "self-defense." Many Green- 
> Rainbows do not see a distinction between
> "resistance violence" and 
> terrorism. Violence is violence to most Greens and
> we are supposed to 
> be explicitly non-violent.
> 
> I'm not interested in getting into a shouting match
> or argument with 
> ANYONE on this right now, so please do not try to
> convince me that I 
> am somehow a racist or uneducated on this subject-
> frankly, I don't 
> even have time to be typing this right now. So
> please just understand 
> that people are upset about our endorsement.
> Everytime we do 
> something based on the Israel-Palestinian conflict,
> we lose members. 
> If we are to keep up the rhetoric, we better start
> educating people 
> on what is happening over there, or else I will be
> reposting more 
> negative messages like the ones we've received.
> 
> Peace,
> Colby
> 
> 
> On Jun 19, 2006, at 1:50 PM, Owen Broadhurst wrote:
> 
> > The GRP has never supported terrorism. I do not
> yet quite 
> > understand, and
> > doubt that I shall ever comprehend, how deploring
> apartheid equates to
> > support for terrorism.
> >
> > OB
> >
> >
> > On 6/19/06, Colby E. Peterson wrote:
> >>
> >> Yet another negative response to our endorsement.
> >>
> >> - Colby
> >>
> >> Begin forwarded message:
> >>
> >> > From: Tennis Lilly 
> >> > Date: June 19, 2006 12:23:46 PM EDT
> >> > To: saphron at verizon.net
> >> > Subject: CONCERNS
> >> >
> >> > I have been following the debate over the
> protests
> >> > against Israel. I am deeply concerned that our
> >> > endorsement appears to support the New England
> >> > Committee to Defend Palestine
> (www.onepalestine.org)
> >> >
> >> > Do we really want to align ourselves with such
> an
> >> > organization? This isn't the first time I have
> brought
> >> > this issue up to GRP leadership. I honestly
> believe
> >> > that we (Greens, the left in general) have a
> real
> >> > problem recognizing the anti-semitism in our
> midst.
> >> >
> >> > How can we follow the 10 Key Values while
> supporting
> >> > terrorism against innocent people? If terrorism
> is
> >> > wrong its ALWAYS wrong for EVERYONE. If
> innocent
> >> > civilians are not legitimate targets in war
> then they
> >> > are NEVER legitimate targets ANYWHERE by
> ANYONE.
> >> >
> >> > I would like someone to clarify exactly what
> the GRP
> >> > position is on the Palestinian/Israeli
> conflict?
> >> >
> >> > ~~~\|/~~~~~\|/~~~~~~~~~\|/~~~~~\|/~~~
> >> > Tennis W. Lilly
> >> > Lawrence Conservation Commission
> >> > Lawrence, MA
> >> > (508) 451-2967
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -- 
> > Owen R. Broadhurst
> > Candidate for State Representative
> > Third Hampden District
> > http://www.owenbroadhurst.org
> > _______________________________________________
> > AdCom mailing list
> > AdCom at green-rainbow.org
> >
> http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/adcom
> > To email Administration Committee members:
> adcom.members AT green- 
> > rainbow DOT org
> 
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> 


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