The life of hundreds of thousands of species, including our own, are threatened with extinction. Our irresponsible use of chemistry and technology, the indiscriminate ballooning of consumption we call the "American Dream" and our refusal to face this unsustainable environmental footprint endanger all life on earth. Our current production methods have created a chemical/nuclear soup that is poisoning our planet and us. Real respect for Life will require our willingness to face the limits we must place on our economic system and our consumption and our population in order to take responsibility.
I believe Americans can move beyond our denial and use our reason, our science and our education to address real problems. We can re--imagine the American Dream so that it doesn't create a nightmare. The problem is that both Republicans and Democrats are beholden to corporate inertia that seeks to protect its self-interest and profits by business as usual. When Congress recently attempted to make a serious and immediate changes in the CAFÉ standards-- so the US automobile/SUV fleet would not use so much fuel -- Democrats as well as Republicans voted it down.
I believe we can change our direction in international affairs. We can move away from a course that is guided by American exceptionalism and the idea we can unilaterally determine how the rest of the world will act. This unwise course operates on the racism we are trying to erase from our own social system. International Rule of Law and respect of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights must be the path we choose to a sustainable and rewarding future. By "rewarding" I do not mean humongous profits for the few. I do not mean a life that defines itself in terms of superior quantities of toys and labor saving devices.
I mean a life that finds joy in working with others, respecting others, enjoying others as together we create ways to live in justice and peace. Yes, in this election it is possible that the Republicans could win. It is also true that their party has so far given us the most unqualified, divisive and destructive leadership in the history of our country. It has waved God and Flag to cover over huge misjudgments and lies. They have aided and abetted the largest wealth gap ever between the top 10 percent of us and the rest of us. Their only health care concern is for the health of the private corporations who sell it. And, it is also possible that the spine-less Democratic majority--which has acquiesced to all this will replace them with mild, compromised attempts to fix things.
But it is also possible we could elect a lot of folks like we Green Party candidates who recognize that Government is the only way we can turn the wheel, change course and move our society in a new, safe direction, rather than stay the course toward the reef of certain destruction.
As a Green Party candidate I pledge to vote for a single payer health care plan for all Americans. Every citizen's life deserves the respect of health care since all are exposed to the increased risks from industrial life.
Respect for Life means: re-empowering the Environmental Protection Agency to protect our water, air and food, insuring everyone a real job opportunity at a living wage. Respect for life by definition is respect for diversity. It means insuring that agriculture does not reduce the vast gene pools with monocultures. It means equal protection of all laws concerning long-term commitments, not just heterosexuals. It means respecting the life of all humans on the planet -- not just Americans. We must work through the United Nations to guarantee everyone protection of international law, helping enforce UN resolutions with regard to all countries. Republicans want to eliminate the United Nations and the international law it represents. Respect for Life means ending international arms sales, working to eliminate all nuclear weapons -- not just "theirs". (Colorado Republicans voted consistently to build new nukes over the past several years undermining our commitment to the Non Proliferation Treaty.)
Help me to give these policies a voice in Congress. Register Green. Endorse this campaign. Pledge some time and money. This is a year when sufficient numbers of people could move to a new and vital Party and work through it for a positive future!!! Don't buy the self fulfilling prophesy that a third party vote is wasted. We just might win!