[statecom-discuss] Re: [ComCom] Here's an idea - For tuesday

Wed Feb 14 13:56:43 EST 2007

I didn't know you were running. This is great news! Isn't Jill a TM rep already?

-----Original Message-----
>From: Adam Sacks <adam_artist at yahoo.com>
>Sent: Feb 14, 2007 12:10 PM
>To: Discussion List for StateCom members <statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org>
>Subject: Re: [statecom-discuss] Re: [ComCom] Here's an idea - For tuesday
>
>
>I no longer feel betrayed by Republicrats because I have no political expectations of them, any more than I have political expectations of a tree or a butterfly (or dung beetle, if you want to get to the heart of the matter).  They are what they are and that's that.
>
>Where we live and breathe is in the body politic.  In that context, even beyond non-partisanship or multi-partisanship - which are all just another view of the same suffocating partisanship box - we can do our work.  It's the grassroots *relationships* that we build that makes the difference, because once we have relationships we have people's willingness to listen.
>
>As you all may know, I am running for Town Meeting in Lexington, not because I have aspirations to public office but because it gives me a "legitimate" forum to talk to people about the climate crisis.  In that process I'm somewhat surprised to discover (I really should know better by now) that most activists are quite relucant to tell it like it is - they admonish me to be circumspect, not to mention the word "sacrifice," to give people little bits of information at a time, always with a positive spin that we can do something about it.
>
>But when I talk to audiences and people in the street, they're hungry for more information and ideas on what to do.  Most know there's something very, very wrong, but nobody's being straight with them.  That's why, in my opinion, Gore's movie struck such a meaningful chord.  People want to hear the truth, however inconvenient it may be, because then they're in a position to start thinking and making decisions.  I think it's our job to help steer the body politic towards decisions that make sense.  As I've mentioned, Deval wants to save the planet and preserve our way of life.  Oxymoronism ultima!  I can't believe I heard him say that but he did.  And we know it can't be done, so it behooves us as world citizens and members of the GRP to carry the sustainability banner, no matter what the consequences are for Exxon, Coke, et al.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Adam
>
>----- Original Message ----
>From: Colby Peterson <saphron at verizon.net>
>To: Discussion List for StateCom members <statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org>
>Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 11:16:07 AM
>Subject: Re: [statecom-discuss] Re: [ComCom] Here's an idea - For tuesday
>
>My colleagues (this is a response to the thread, not necessarily to  
>you, Adam)-
>
>Why do many of you keep framing these sort of activities as a  
>distraction? As far as the outside world goes, we are fading away day  
>by day and losing any public relations capital we gained from Grace,  
>Jill, Martina, and Jamie's runs. Ron is correct that only local and  
>substantive organizing will secure us a place in the long run- but we  
>can slow the rate at which we disappear by doing small things like  
>these. Grace offered to do the bulk of the organizing and simply  
>asked for us to show up or offer any support- this would have taken a  
>minimum of commitment. We had NOTHING to lose by doing this, and a  
>modest gain.
>
>I know people feel betrayed and stepped on by the Republicrats, and  
>they should, but if we continue to refuse to even consider  
>collaborating with any of them, then what does that say for how we  
>work with others? It says that we're introverted and not willing to  
>compromise- or even willing to listen. Appearing with progressive  
>legislators who are in the wrong party to take down a common foe does  
>not mean we are sacrificing our values or our principles- it means  
>that we're willing to listen and talk with people and reach out to  
>the public.
>
>Adam said that the majority of folks are independents- That is  
>because they can't identify with parties- what makes you think  
>they're going to identify any more with us than with the  
>Republicrats- its not an issue of the issues we stand for- which are  
>largely populist ideas that many people want- it's an issue of  
>affiliation. People want to be independent, but they want to see  
>their leaders get work done and come together for the common good.  
>That's what yesterday would have looked like- not some Green-Rainbows  
>selling out. Democrats, GRs. and Republicans all suffered under  
>Romney, and we're all suffering under Kerry as well- so of course we  
>could go out and criticize Kerry (but it probably wouldn't work with  
>Republicans b/c I think we'd be criticizing him for different  
>reasons). The political atmosphere right now is one of  
>multipartisanship or nonpartisanship, one of collaboration.
>
>Please start believing in this party and believe that we can be out  
>there and stand on our own- I was with Grace for 11 months out there  
>doing it- people know us and want to hear from us- WE ARE READY- Come  
>on!
>
>Man oh man,
>        Colby
>
>
>On Feb 14, 2007, at 10:11 AM, Adam Sacks wrote:
>
>> "It really makes me angry when I see the Democrats interfering with  
>> the Green (Green-Rainbow) Party or with Nader. They should mind  
>> their own business and we should focus on our own."
>>
>> Sorry, Mike, political parties, for better or worse, are open to  
>> anyone who declares her/himself a member.  They are never going to  
>> mind their "own" business.  And there will be crossovers, shifting  
>> alliances and compromise.  If we want citizen participation there's  
>> no other way that I know of - and of course, that's why half the  
>> voters register as independents.
>>
>> As a former Kucinich campaigner, I have to say that we have to be  
>> open to the vagaries of political practice - there is no absolute  
>> purity in this messy arena we've chosen.  I don't like Dennis  
>> personally, I find him dishonest and manipulative, and he is stuck  
>> (by choice) within the Democratic Party.  However, he has done some  
>> good things and continues to make statements that we could easily  
>> agree with.
>>
>> Cheers!
>>
>> Adam
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----
>> From: "mikeheichman at verizon.net" <mikeheichman at verizon.net>
>> To: statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org; statecom-discuss at green- 
>> rainbow.org
>> Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 8:45:34 AM
>> Subject: Re: [statecom-discuss] Re: [ComCom] Here's an idea - For  
>> tuesday
>>
>> Hi Everyone,
>>
>> I understand that we're picking on Mitt, because he is from MA. So,  
>> would
>> we have done something similar if (and
>> when) Kerry decides to run?
>>
>> What is the message here? Who are we asking our Republican  
>> "friends" to
>> vote for? Who are we asking our
>> Democratic "friends" to vote for? If Kucinich were from MA, would  
>> we be
>> doing something similar with our
>> Republican friends?
>>
>> I thought that our message was that there is something "inherently"  
>> wrong
>> about the Democratic and Republican
>> parties, and that we wanted to ask the public to vote for our party?
>>
>> It really makes me angry when I see the Democrats interfering with the
>> Green (Green-Rainbow) Party or with Nader.
>> They should mind their own business and we should focus on our own.
>>
>> Mike Heichman
>>
>> Original Message:
>> -----------------
>> From: Daniel Melnechuk isis at isisdesign.com
>> Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2007 18:00:00 -0500
>> To: statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
>> Subject: Re: [statecom-discuss] Re: [ComCom] Here's an idea - For  
>> tuesday
>>
>>
>> On Feb 12, 2007, at 2:54 PM, gracegrnrnbw at aol.com wrote:
>>>
>>> I believe we must learn to be at home on the inside and on the
>>> outside.  then our choices become about strategy
>>>
>>> not the emotional reality of where we are comfortable.
>>>
>>
>> I think the above sums it up for me. I am responding late to this
>> thread. But i will add that what Grace says above goes hand in hand
>> with being the part we want to be. And if that means, and it does to
>> me, getting elected and standing by our values at the SAME time, then
>> we need to be out there about our values. We will be on the inside
>> when we get elected and we should also stay on the outside organizing
>> for more change!
>>
>> Strategy wise, i might not include the dems in what would have been
>> today's event to show that we can stand on our own. But since Grace
>> did such a fantastic job at the governor level of discourse that
>> people have opened their minds to the possibility of what the GRP may
>> have to say abotu things, or at least Grace may say -- and we should
>> use that to our advantage to tell about how bad Romney really is. It
>> would have cost in time and organizing a bit to get a few people out
>> but worth it.
>>
>> Another reason to keep hitting on the press is the recognition
>> factor. From marketing, it takes people 7 times on average seeing the
>> same product to get comfortable with it enough to buy it. We are not
>> selling, nor selling out, but Grace got 4 debates on major news and
>> in that way has set the stage for more recognition of the GRP, again
>> not as a bunch of wackos but possibly as people who actually think
>> about things and have some good ideas.
>>
>> Peace,
>> Dan
>>
>>
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Bill Cunningham