Issues

1. Energy: I feel like the candidates spend enough time on this issue, but I feel like they never do it for the right reasons. I don't care that it makes us economically dependant, because that isn't a deterrent to enough of the population to make a change. The real issue is what it's doing to the environment and that the gas company lobbies are holding down real progress.

2. Israel: Not too many of the candidates want to step on the toes of pro-Israel activists, but they just don't care enough about its ally. We need a candidate who is willing to protect its only ally in a very unstable region at any cost because of its technological and economical benefits.

3. Stem Cell Research: This is one of the most important advances in finding cures for some of nature's harshest ailments, but we are too bogged down by lobbies from the extremist views. I want a candidate who will be more willing to make this an important way to progress in medicine and health.

Green Party

History

The Green Party is a political party which was first established in Tasmania in 1972. Organization in the United States began in 1984, inspired by the success of the German Green party. In 2007, it became the third modern party with a Federal Elections Commission-recognized Congressional Campaign Committee. The Green Committees of Correspondence were the first Green political organization in the United States, forming in 1984 and eventually becoming known as the Greens/Green Party USA. This organization still exists. The first candidates to run on the Green Party ticket in the United States were Wes Hare (NC), Joel Schechter (CT), and Richard Wolff (CT), who ran for local offices in 1985. Official ballot access was not achieved, however, until Jim Sykes' run for governor in Alaska in 1990.

Idealogy

The Green Party of the United States emphasizes environmentalism, non-hierarchical participatory democracy, social justice, respect for diversity, peace and nonviolence. Their "Ten Key Values," which are described as non-authoritative guiding principles, are as follows:Grassroots democracySocial justice and equal opportunityEcological wisdomNon-violenceDecentralizationCommunity-based economics and economic justiceFeminism and gender equityRespect for diversityPersonal and global responsibilityFuture focus and sustainability

Famous Party Candidates

In the year 2000, the ASGP nominated Ralph Nader and Winona LaDuke for president and vice-president again. This time, the pair were on 44 state ballots and received 2,883,105 votes, or 2.7% of all votes cast. Nader's strong showing in several states solidified the changes in the Green Party from an "anti-party party" to an organization primarily dedicated to electoral campaigns. In particular, that was the widespread understanding of thousands of recruits to the party, as it went through an unprecedented rate of growth.

Site for the National Convention

The 2008 Green National Convention took place on July 10-14, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois at the Palmer House Hilton and Symphony Center. This served as both the venue for the Presidential Nominating Convention and the Annual Meeting of the Green Party of the United States.

Slogans

"Under Republicans, Man exploits Man. Under Democrats, it's just the opposite." - Earl Gray"The Green Party is the party for the 21st Century""In a nutshell: Ecology and Community!"

Political Platforms

War on Terrorism

The use of Homeland Defense monies to spy on citizens exercising First Amendment rights is particularly onerous, as are "sneak and peek" provisions of the U.S.A.P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act that allows surveillance of libraries, readers, the Internet, and computer users. Basic rights ensuring individual privacy are under attack. The U.S. government's use of high tech tools, including intrusive monitoring, data mining and analysis to identify and disrupt citizen activists, should be seen as an attack on fundamental rights of an engaged, active citizenry.The Green Party calls on Congress and the courts to reign in constitutional and civil liberties abuses that have become prevalent in the Bush administration and the John Ashcroft Justice Department

Healthcare

Medicare, which provides health care for over 40 million Americans, is at risk. We would vigorously pursue savings and cuts from abundant waste and fraud, eliminate unnecessary services that benefit providers more than patients, and rein in pharmaceutical industry price-gouging. National measures to reduce work hours, promote cyber-commuting for work, and increased vacation time for workers will significantly improve the public's health. We advocate access for all, irrelevant of income, to stress management training such as meditation techniques, yoga, tai chi, qigong, and biofeedback. improving the quality of our nation's food supply and our personal eating habits will lessen the strain on our health care system. We advocate subsidies for organic foods, as well as removing sugar/caffeine snacks from schools. This could save our nation as much as $700 to $850 billion of the $1 trillion annual health costs. We support the teaching of holistic health approaches and, as appropriate, the use of complementary and alternative therapies such as herbal medicines, homeopathy, acupuncture, and other healing approaches.

Education

Educational funding formulas at the state level need to be adjusted as needed to avoid gross inequalities between districts and schools. Educational grants should provide balance to ensure equal educational access for minority, deprived, special needs, and exceptional children. In higher education, federal college scholarship aid should be increased and offered to any qualified student. It is time to stop disinvesting in education, and start placing it at the top of our social and economic agenda. We oppose vouchers, or any scheme that will transfer money out of the public school system. That course only leads to a separate and unequal educational system. We also oppose charter schools or the administration of public schools by private, for-profit entities. We advocate state funding for day care that includes school children under the age of ten when after-school programs are not available. Classroom teachers at the elementary and high school levels should be given professional status and salaries comparable to related professions requiring advanced education, training and responsibility. We support tuition-free post secondary (collegiate and vocational) public education. Until tuition-free schooling is available to all, student loans should be available to all students attending college, and should be repayable as a proportion of future earnings rather than at a fixed rate. The Leave No Child Behind Act must be repealed, especially the section that gives the military access to student records.

Environmental Justice

Devoting greater efforts to full enforcement and prosecution of environmental crimes. Funding environmental crime units for district attorneys in counties with significant pollution problems.Imposing a moratorium on siting new toxic chemical or waste facilities in those counties with the highest percentage exposure to hazardous substances. Not forcing workers to choose between a hazardous job or no job at all. Preventing communities, especially low-income or minority communities, from being coerced by governmental agencies or corporations into siting hazardous materials, or accepting environmentally hazardous practices in order to create jobs.

Abortion - Reproductive Rights

Women's right to control their bodies is non-negotiable. It is essential that the option of a safe, legal abortion remains available. The "morning- after" pill must be affordable and easily accessible without a prescription, together with a government-sponsored public relations campaign to educate women about this form of contraception. Clinics must be accessible and must offer advice on contraception and the means for contraception; consultation about abortion and the performance of abortions, and; abortion regardless of age or marital status. We endorse women's right to use contraception and, when they choose, to have an abortion. This right cannot be limited to women's age or marital status. Contraception and abortion must be included in all health insurance policies in the U.S., and any state government must be able to legally offer these services free of charge to women at the poverty level. Public health agencies operating abroad should be allowed to offer family planning, contraception, and abortion in all countries that ask for those services. We oppose our government's habit of cutting family planning funds when those funds go to agencies in foreign countries that give out contraceptive devices, offer advice on abortion, and perform abortions.

LGBT

The Green Party affirms the rights of all individuals to freely choose intimate partners, regardless of their sex, gender, or sexual orientation. We support the recognition of equal rights of persons gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender to housing, jobs, civil marriage, medical benefits, child custody, and in all areas of life provided to all other citizens. We support legislation against all forms of hate crimes, including those directed against people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender, and intersex.

Immigration

Preferential quotas based on race, class, and ideology should be abandoned for immigration policies that promote fairness, non-discrimination and family reunification.The Green Party calls for permanent border passes to all citizens of Mexico and Canada whose identity can be traced and verified. Work permits for citizens of Mexico and Canada must be easily obtainable, thereby decriminalizing the act of gainful employment. This action would help eliminate exploitation of undocumented persons by criminals engaged in human contraband (coyotes) and unethical employers. It would also help ensure that taxes will be paid in each corresponding nation per its laws. These measures will also help temporary residents from Mexico and Canada to secure driving privileges and liability insurance. Labor laws must be adjusted to take into account seasonal foreign workers. Employers must provide full rights to wages and health benefits to immigrant workers who make voluntary contributions to pension plans and pay Social Security taxes. We advocate an end to employer sanctions, which have been shown to hurt not only undocumented workers but also U.S.-born workers (especially those of color). A fair and equitable legalization program will provide equal access to working people of all nationalities, not tied to a specific employer or guest worker program. Programs involving temporary worker status must include the option of permanent residency for immigrants already in the U.S. and protection of migrant worker savings. Greens oppose "English-only" legislation. We would advocate legislation to ensure that federal funds marked for communities to provide ESL (english as second language) training, and health and social support services to immigrants actually go to them. When funds are spent in other areas, immigrants are being deprived of benefits that they earn as productive workers in their communities.

If I Were 18

If I Were 18...
And able to vote, I wouldn't this year. The two candidates are definitely choosing between the lesser of two evils and I really don't like to think that either one of them will lead our country. I would vote for things that supercede president, then I would choose to act on those rather then on the choosing of a bad candidate. It just makes me feel hopeless to think that these are our options.

PSA Response

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mVaSZdwPQY This PSA was a very bad PSA for several reasons:
1. The target audience of the PSA is very limited. The "perfect text message" seems to only appeal to a specific teen audience, one who will not be able to vote in the next coming election anyways
2. There was an attempt for celebrities to be used in place of having just normal people, but the celebrities chosen were not famous or distinguishable
3. The video's production qualities and dated technologies keep this from becoming a reusable advertisement

The Government

In class, we had a debate over who should be allowed to vote, following the original topic of how important it is for people to actually vote. I feel that voting is a privilege that should be exercised by every citizen of this country, but as a nation, we are not intellectually ready to make a worthwhile decision. My biggest ploy on how I feel this should be changed would be to have a system set up that required voters to watch School House Rock, an example of an interesting video that will inform voters on what is necessary to know before voting, and an unbiased candidate profile at every booth. Voting is important, but educated voting is that much more.

Final Book Report....ever

Clavell, James. Shōgun. United States/United Kingdom. Delacorte Press (US) Hodder & Stoughton (UK): 1975.

I selected this Far East meets Western civilization tale for two reasons: 1) I've heard great reviews on how intense the book is, and how amazing the writing style is 2) It was the book that stood out most out of Ross Roemer's library, due to its ripped off covers. This novel, written in 1975, takes place in Japan, exclusively.

This book starts off with English-born Captain John Blackthorne getting shipwrecked onto the shores of a foreign island nation. Blackthorne is a smart individual, but holds a grudge and makes a rash decision in the beginning of the book to insult a Samurai. He is then separated from his Dutch crew, who he commanded because of the English-Dutch relationship, and is taken under the care of the Daimyo (a feudal lord) named Toranaga. Blackthorne is given the title Anjin, meaning "pilot," by the Japanese because they can't pronounce his name. When Blackthorne is interviewed by the Daimyo, he informs the Daimyo that there is a split in Christianity (between the Catholics and Protestants) and accidentally reveals that there is a weakness to the ruling nations that hold sovereign trading rights to Japan (Portugal and Spain).

Blackthorne is thrown in prison by Toranaga to prevent a rival Daimyo, Ishido, to attain the Anjin. Blackthorne, with his ability to learn languages (resulting in his knowledge of Latin, Dutch, English, Spanish and Portuguese), attains knowledge of some Japanese dialogue in order to be understood. The Japanese, in turn, are torn over Blackthorne's presence; He is a cultural outsider, a leader of a disgracefully filthy and uncouth group of rabble (his ship's crew), but he is also a formidable sailor, and navigator. Everything from there on out is Blackthorne attempting to gain Japanese respect.

John Blackthorne is a tall, built, Englishman with blue eyes and a set jaw. He is incredibly intelligent and his quick wits and deductive personality allows him to live throughout the book. He is constantly persecuted by the Portuguese and the Spanish because they own Japan, and is increasingly like throughout the novel by the Japanese because of his willingness to adapt to the foreign culture. Blackthorne, like most Englishmen, commands a ship better than any other of the pilots in Japan and his talents and abilities are deemed valuable. Constantly he faces dilemmas on how to approach cultural correctness; he falls in love with the wife of a Samurai, tries to create a trade route for the English and surpass the racial and political hate that is held between all who are from different nations.

This book was beyond incredible. It was a masterpiece. Clavell created a world of individual characters with background information on each motive. Every character has a soliloquy that explains their actions and their motivations. Clavell is well knowledgeable in the disputes between the Portuguese, Spanish, English, and Dutch and is able to exhibit it. The book is filled with funny moments of cultural differences as well as serious essential questions. A main issue that Clavell constantly questions is racial tolerance; constantly he shows the friendship between a Portuguese pilot, Rodriguez, and Blackthorne and tries to break down the barriers of racism. He questions why people of nations at war are required to hate each-other; aren't they just wars between two people who have a lot of power?

James Clavell also wrote a whole series of "Asian" books. The next book in this series is called Tai-Pan which is a novel written about European and American traders who move into Hong Kong in 1841 following the end of the first Opium War. He also wrote other books about Iran, Japanese POW camps in Singapore and Japan in the twentieth century. I plan to read more of these books because of the quality writing style in this text.

The Dekkers Music

The origins of Reggae music are in the Caribbean. In the 1950’s, the youth of Jamaica started to turn away from the radio that they were able to listen to, and started listening to the music from New Orleans. They could pick it up on good weather days, and could sometimes here the powerful Miami radio station WINZ. They were playing records by Amos Milburn and Rosco Gordon, and they could sometimes here some of the famous New Orleans artists like Fats Domino and Champion Jack Dupree. It is said that since these radio stations were so far away, the music was slowed down, playing an important role in reggae music. There are many myths as to the word reggae, some say it was from the 1968 Pyramid single by Toots and the Maytals called “Do the Reggay”. Other myths are it came from the word “streggae”, Kingstone Street slang for prostitute, Bob Marley said it was the Spanish word for “the king music”, and others say it represents the beat of the music. By the 70’s, reaggae was starting to pick up in the US, with songs like “Israelites” by Desmond Dekker and the Aces, “Wonderful World, Beautiful People” by Jimmy Cliff, and “Mother and Children Reunion” by Paul Simon.

For our cover song, we chose "Driven to Tears" written by Sting of the Police. This song reflects the use of political standpoint in Reggae music, as well as the Police's reggae influences. The song has uptempo reggae beats mixed with all of the Police's influences, paired with lyrics doubting the world's attitude towards the third world.

Our original song is called "Good Morning" written by Ethan Stern/Alex Arvidson/Michael Arenson.