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<div>Dear Friends, <br>
<br>
A question has come up on the South San Francisco Bay Green list about the participation of a Green activist from Ohio. <br>
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-----Begin Original Message-----<br>
From: MLause@cinci.rr.com<br>
To: jamboi@yahoo.com; tnharter@ispwest.com; sosfbay-discuss@cagreens.org<br>
Sent: Fri, 2 Mar 2007 4:55 AM<br>
Subject: Re: [Sosfbay-discuss] Lorna Salzman on Chris Hedges<br>
<br>
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<pre><tt>Ah, well.<br>
<br>
If you read the email address, you know I'm in Ohio, and have been on this<br>
list for some time because I wanted to see how a healthy organization with<br>
an engaged membership functions. We don't have one.<br>
<br>
. . . <br>
<br>
In keeping with your wishes, I'll unsub from this list and leave you<br>
"leaders" the "autonomy" to manage information about how good your past<br>
decisions have been and, particularly, how peachy keen those decisions have<br>
made things here in the cornbelt.<br>
<br>
Solidarity!<br>
Mark L.<br>
<br>
</tt>-----End Original Message-----<br>
<br>
<br>
This situation is precisely why I was originally so excited about the Green Commons Web Site. <br>
<br>
Since we are totally ignored by the mainstream media, it is almost impossible <br>
to know about Green activity around the country or even around the State. I used to<br>
live in Northern California, but my wife and I recently moved to Los Angeles. I follow <br>
sosfbay-discuss because I am interested, I personally know many of the people, and I we get <br>
nothing from the Los Angeles MSM about what goes on among Bay Area Greens. <br>
<br>
Furthermore, if an individual Green is successful, then that person is seen as even <br>
more threatening to the status quo, and therefore, more likely to be blackballed by the<br>
MSM. Thus, for example, when Gayle McLaughlin <span style="font-family: mon;">was elected Mayor of Richmond, that <br>
should have been a big, statewide story. Instead, the MSM buried it. As I write this the <br>
City of Los Angeles is struggling (yet, again) to deal with new wave of gang violence. Alas,<br>
it is unthinkable that the good-for-nothing MSM would even mention that McLaughlin is dealing<br>
with these very issues in Richmond or that Donna Warren has literally been on the front lines<br>
in this particular battle right in inner-city LA for many years. The Los Angeles Times <br>
dutifuly reported the current troubles of San Fransisco Democratic Mayor Gavin Newsome, <br>
but of course, they never mention that the good people of San Francisco had a superior alternative<br>
when they elected San Francisco's "Little Bill Clinton" back in 2003. <br>
<br>
As an African-American I have been dying to get input about what works and what doesn't work <br>
for Greens organizing in so-called minority communities. <br>
<br>
I have had a nice exchange of views with one sister in Los Angeles about Barack Obama. I <br>
received an e-mail from KCM Curry touting her own candidacy, but otherwise I'm getting nothing. <br>
<br>
In 2004 a tremendous amount of time and effort went into certifying the Green Party Black Caucus. <br>
Members of the GPBC went to the national convention and gave a nice presentation. There were the<br>
familiar charges and counter-charges of racism. Almost every day somebody would post that <br>
Green Party was hopelessly "racist." And almost every day I replied with a post that said: <br>
"Compared to what?" <br>
<br>
Despite all this, fights over Nader vs Cobb, a silly dispute with the Lavender Greens, and an even <br>
sillier objection to a Black Latina joining the group (BTW, I am proud to say that when the matter <br>
finally came to a vote, the group voted overwhelmingly to accept the Latina sister), <br>
the Green Party Black Caucus was duly certified and Michelle Tingling-Simmons elected chair. <br>
<br>
Guess what?<br>
<br>
It almost immediately fell apart!<br>
<br>
I have seen this sort of thing in other organizations before and it's one of the reasons why I am <br>
one of the very few "minority" activists nowadays who does not believe in "minority" caucuses. <br>
Despite the best intentions of the best people involved in these efforts, they almost always end up <br>
being both divisive and a waste of money, energy, and time. This "caucuses" model is a throwback <br>
to the '40s, '50s, and '60s when old white men in smoke-filled rooms in the Democratic Party and <br>
in the AFL-CIO allowed... grudgingly... a few "minorites" to participate. It is just my eccentric<br>
personal opinion, but I think this is part of the Democratic-Repubican legacy that Greens would discard.<br>
<br>
But I digress. <br>
<br>
My point in relating this story is that some mechanism needs to be in place to allow an exchange<br>
of ideas, techniques, and experiences among far-flung Greens. When the Green Party Black Caucus <br>
was active, I read posts by couple of well-informed members of the Illinois Green Party <br>
about a certain Illinois State Senator named Barack Obama. I'd love to know what these brothers <br>
think today but I've lost those contacts. <br>
<br>
One of the posts to sosfbay-discuss asked the fellow from Ohio whatever happened to all the Green<br>
activity right after the 2004 elections in Ohio? Good question. I would really like to know. Ohio <br>
happens to be one of the states where we could surely use some hard-hitting Black Greens. I mean, <br>
the Black Republican Kenneth Blackwell was the one who masterminded the stolen election, and the <br>
clueless, weak Black Democrats around Cleveland were the ones who let the "Brotha" get away with<br>
it. And working-class Cleveland is the base for none other than Dennis Kucinich. By now Cleveland<br>
should be ripe for revolution! <br>
<br>
Comes now, from out of nowhere, Elaine Brown declaring her candidacy for president. <br>
<br>
I know she ran as Green Party candidate for mayor of a city in Georgia. <br>
<br>
I know her history in the Black Panther Party in California (and most of what I know is not good). <br>
<br>
Now she wants the Green Party to nominate her for President of the United States? <br>
<br>
For PRESIDENT? <br>
<br>
I guess it falls on me, the Black guy, to say out loud what some may be thinking privately. Are <br>
Greens in Ohio and Oregon and Montana and in the Central Valley of California going to go tabling <br>
at their local farmer's market and say: <br>
<br>
"Here's our Black Panther Green Party candidate FOR PRESIDENT!" ? <br>
<br>
Rhetoric aside, what do any of us really know about this candidate?<br>
<br>
</span><tt>We need to know. <br>
<br>
</tt></pre>
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