How about if we participate in a different way? Those of us who are informed among the tens of millions who are not, just us. If we resist yet participate in a different way, I am certain that we would see vastly different people elected and vastly different policies.<br>
<br>I agree with you that Blacks get absolutely nothing for their votes--that didn't just start with Barack Obama. Not voting yields the field to the bad team. Why not say, OK, we're going to play by our rules this time. Just imagine if we had 1 million Black voters, and 1 million White voters, and 1 million Latino voters to say no Democrat or Republican will get my vote. Period. And we strategize and actually elect some people and kick some incumbents out.<br>
<br>Why concede the game by not getting ready for the fight? I am absolutely certain that if we fielded a good team with an innovative coach, we could win, too. The other side fight for their values and because they know how to fight and are willing to change in order to carry out the fight, they win. That's what Obama represents. Their tradition of cooptation and change--not ours!!!<br>
<br>I think the values that we believe in are too important to allow the bad guys to win all the time because we're not willing to try something different, something new. <br><br>Now, if I still didn't believe that it is possible to elect good people to office and that there is utility in them being there, then I would agree with you to withdraw.<br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, May 5, 2011 at 5:18 PM, Ron and Kris Graham <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:graham2639@mindspring.com">graham2639@mindspring.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black;font-weight:bold">Yeah, Cynthia, but blacks turned out in droves to vote for Barack Obama
and that vote got them absolutely nothing. Send a stronger message to the
powers that be by not voting. If people in their millions refused to
participate in this sham we call an electoral process, that act alone would
send a clear message that the people will not be duped any longer. The ONLY way
we are going to get the kind of world we want is to make it ourselves, and that
does not have to include voting.</span></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black;font-weight:bold"> </span></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black;font-weight:bold">Thanks for your comments. Even though I don’t agree with them, I have all
the respect in the world for you. By the way, Ron and I DID vote for you and Rosa
in the last election. We just don’t intend to vote again.</span></font></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black;font-weight:bold">Kris and Ron Graham</span></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black;font-weight:bold">Houston</span></font></b><b><font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black;font-weight:bold">, TX</span></font></b><b><font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black;font-weight:bold"></span></font></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold">From:</span></font></b><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma"> HQ
[mailto:<a href="mailto:hq2600@gmail.com" target="_blank">hq2600@gmail.com</a>] <br>
<b><span style="font-weight:bold">Sent:</span></b> Thursday, May 05, 2011 11:59
AM<br>
<b><span style="font-weight:bold">To:</span></b> <a href="mailto:graham2639@mindspring.com" target="_blank">graham2639@mindspring.com</a><br>
<b><span style="font-weight:bold">Cc:</span></b> donald cook; PAA<br>
<b><span style="font-weight:bold">Subject:</span></b> Re: [PAA-Discuss] Money,
politics, and the Green Party</span></font></p>
</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Not voting leaves the
machinery of governance all to them without even a fightback option.
Imagine if Blacks had said, we don't want to vote and participate in the
sham. Would we be better off?</span></font></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">On Thu, May 5, 2011 at 8:24 AM, Ron and Kris
Graham <<a href="mailto:graham2639@mindspring.com" target="_blank">graham2639@mindspring.com</a>> wrote:</span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black;font-weight:bold">Yeah, Don, but
according to George Reiter at Mangos
the other night, any monies donated right now would go to pay off the lawyer
fees incurred by the Green Party as a result of the lawsuit filed by the TX
Democratic Party. The monies will not be going to purchase fliers, set up a
campaign office or anything else typically associated with a political
campaign. The answer to our problems does not lie within the political system,
Don. Voting for somebody in an alternate party is not going to change anything.
I’ve come to that conclusion. </span></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black;font-weight:bold"> </span></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black;font-weight:bold">First, we, in our
millions, are going to have to drive out the people who have put this nation
and the rest of the world in such jeopardy. Then, we are going to have to form
coalitions of people who want another way and who are willing to work together
to achieve that new way.</span></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black;font-weight:bold"> </span></font></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black;font-weight:bold">Voting is a waste of
time, Don, and I won’t be participating in the sham any longer.</span></font></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font color="black" face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:black;font-weight:bold">Kris</span></font></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold">From:</span></font></b><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma"> donald cook [mailto:<a href="mailto:zenblews@hotmail.com" target="_blank">zenblews@hotmail.com</a>] </span></font></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold">Sent:</span></font></b><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma"> Wednesday, May
04, 2011 10:31 PM<br>
<b><span style="font-weight:bold">To:</span></b> HCGP discussion; discuss paa;
Code Pink; Code Pink<br>
<b><span style="font-weight:bold">Subject:</span></b> [PAA-Discuss] Money,
politics, and the Green Party</span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma">The
Selling of the President 1960, as I believe the book was called (please correct
me if I am mistaken), marked the public acknowledgment of the use of
Madison Avenue advertising techniques in American Political campaigns, and was
an eye-opener for many in 1961. The so-called Founding Fathers no
doubt failed to realize the ability of money to manipulate present
day corporate media when they set up a republic in which only
propertied, white, non-slave, males could vote. Some of them would
certainly have been relieved to learn of the media-organizing power of money
these days. A political party without money is pretty nearly a party
without power in this country, now.</span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma"><br>
<br>
And of course the Supreme Court over the last 35 years or so has not helped,
declaring money the equivalent of Free Speech in the 1970's, and just a little
over a year ago determining that corporations can make direct political
contributions, just like real people.<br>
<br>
Well, rest assured that no capitalist corporate money is coming the way of
the Green Party. What we have to sell - positions on the issues
that support the people, not the rich and the corporations - the
corporations ain't buyin', and the GP is, therefore, unable to purchase
time from the corporate media. This leaves the GP with the
obvious two pronged hope that, as things get worse in our plutocratic
democracy, the people will discredit the corporate media more and
more and turn to an alternative media uncorrupted, or not as badly
corrupted by the corporations, and that, while unable to fundraise on the scale
of the Duopoly, the ever increasing number of discriminating people who
realize the importance of supporting the non-corporate party will begin
donating.<br>
<br>
We are in a better position than we have ever been before in Texas. The Green Party of
Texas has survived ten years of incredible austerity, we are guaranteed
ballot access through 2012 and we are in a good position to extend that after
2012, and in our poverty (and endurance) we have learned
to stretch a dollar and be more cost effective than any other
party. We don't need as much money as the Duopoly, but some money would
help . . . you know, until we can effect the separation of corporation and
state.<br>
<br>
Tomorrow, Thursday, May 5, 2011, at 8:00 pm at Bohemeo's, 708 Telephone Rd., Houston, TX,
there will be Benefit for the Green Party. You may enjoy either
the three musical acts, or help us figure out what needs to be done and
how we can best do it in a special, extra meeting of the planning session
we call G3. The suggested donation is $10, but no one will
be turned away. And if you want to donate more, that's okay,
too. <br>
<br>
<b><span style="font-weight:bold">And</span></b> if you want to donate but you
cannot make it to Bohemeo's, feel free to go to <a href="http://txgreens.org" target="_blank">txgreens.org</a> or <a href="http://hcgp.org" target="_blank">hcgp.org</a>
and make internet arrangements. If you prefer paper and ink, make it out
to the Harris County Green Party and mail it to me at 7954 Glenheath, Houston, 77061.
Call me if any questions.<br>
<br>
-- Don, <a href="tel:713-705-5594" value="+17137055594" target="_blank">713-705-5594</a></span></font></p>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><a href="http://dignity.ning.com/">http://dignity.ning.com/</a><br><a href="http://www.enduswars.org">http://www.enduswars.org</a><br><a href="http://www.livestream.com/dignity">http://www.livestream.com/dignity</a><br>
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