Jill Stein Live!
We recently traveled to Capital University in Columbus, Ohio to see Jill Stein in person. More of our photos are posted below this week's topic of health care, which is one Dr. Stein has a lot to say about. (You can watch Jill's speech at Capital U. on this Facebook video.)
Curing America
By Cindy A Matthews
There's a serious illness in the air, and it's highly contagious. I'm not talking about the Zika virus or the upcoming flu season, either. I'm talking about the disease of greed and the accompanying symptom found in its wake of its many victims, the sickness of despair.
We need a cure. Asking corporate America, those who created and nurtured the disease, to provide one for us is a good definition of insanity. Allowing the instigators of this disease, Big Pharma, to regulate themselves and continually exploit the sufferers goes well beyond anyone's definition of insanity.
How do we cure ourselves of this disease of greed foisted on the American public by a privately-controlled system? Why do we shy away from demanding universal health care for all Americans? What should be our response to this unjust system of non-health care?
Yet another song lyric jumps into my head in reply. To quote the Twisted Sister rock classic: "We're not gonna to take it! No, we ain't gonna to take it! We're not gonna to take it anymore!"
That rock anthem should become our rallying cry. Why? A lot of folks lately have been expending energy arguing and moaning about how Bernie Sanders isn't the nominee and how the crooked DNC stole the primary election. Yes, those are sad things, rightfully to be mourned, but sitting around and doing nothing while there are positive things we could be doing to change America and the world for the better is a complete waste of time.
Bernie (and many other progressives) have given us plenty of ideas of what we should be doing besides catching--and spreading--the sickness of despair. We should be working together on a cure for the disease of greed. What better issue to start with, and make a big noise about, than insanely-priced vital medicines such as the EpiPen? This story by itself could sell universal health care if we put our minds and backs into it.
Think about it. How many ordinary Americans are affected by a 400%+ increase in the cost of an EpiPen or other life-saving drug? Wouldn't these "non-political" people be angry like we are about what's happening? Wouldn't they be willing to join forces with us in calling out the perpetrators of the disease of greed (the pharmaceutical industry and its lobbyists) and our bought-and-paid-for politicians (such as Senator Manchin and others)?
So, get out there and start talking about it. Write about it to your local newspaper's Letters to the Editor column and post related article links online to get your friends and neighbors talking. Get out and join groups who are protesting the outrage of non-health care in America in the streets and attract media coverage (alternative and Periscope coverage count, too). Make some noise and demand change! (For example, Toledo area progressives are marching in their Labor Day Parade with SPAN--Single-Payer Action Network.)
Because, to quote both the classic film Network and the talented Twisted Sister, "We're mad as hell, and we're not gonna to take it anymore!"
***
And now another look how the disease of corporate greed has affected our hopes for democracy.
The Slo-Mo Corporate Coup d'etat
by Adrian J. Matthews
by Adrian J. Matthews
It's been happening for years, decades even. The corporate world has stealthily infiltrated government at state and national level. Politicians have been bought and bribed. The proposed bills they espouse are more often than not put together by corporations determined to skew the laws of this country to their own advantage. One politician once boasted he could call a lobbyist at any time of the day or night and arrange for them to hold a rendezvous, where said lobbyist would hand over a suitcase full of cash, no questions asked.Really.
As time passed the corporate behavior became more complacent, their trickery more blatant. Their contempt for ordinary people is manifest. On one occasion during the peaceful Occupy Movement, protesters staging a sit-in in New York City were treated to the spectacle of a one-percenter emerging from his office block to ostentatiously pour a bottle of expensive wine over the heads of those sitting in front.
Contempt, indeed.
US Senator Bernie Sanders woke us all up. His run for President was a roller-coaster ride of jubilation that ended on a sour note when it became obvious the so-called Democratic Party was anything but. It is in fact a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Clinton Family, and they had absolutely no intention of allowing anybody but Her to be the nominee. Allegations of electoral fraud have been dismissed by carefully-placed judges. Bernie Sanders himself was forced to go to New Hampshire, a place where he had great success during the primary to Her detriment, to give his endorsement for her as nominee. (I'm sure if she'd thought she could get away with it, she'd have cut the Senator's head off and held it up to the people of New Hampshire as an example of what happens to those who defy her.)
Post-convention, propaganda moves to discredit Senator Sanders' new Our Revolution movement have been ramped up. Proposed head of the organization Jeff Weaver has been slammed for acting like a traitor and turncoat, a real Benedict Arnold. People who have supposedly been Bernie Sanders supporters all along have vilified him on social media and in the press for appearing to support Her.
It's ugly stuff and so irrelevant.
Why? Because it's not about Jeff Weaver. It's not even about U.S. Senator
Let's leave this idea of personalities behind and carry forward the idea of progressive values. It's the last thing the one percent want us to do, and so it must be the first thing we do.
We must get involved in government at all levels, beginning with local affairs such as school boards, county commissioners, sheriff, judges and so on up the scale. Our Revolution is the lubricant that will loosen the one-percenter's grip on our world.
***
Jill Stein at Capital University
September 2, 2016: Jill Stein arrived in the Columbus, Ohio area about two hour later than her scheduled time of noon--all a part of the challenges third parties face because they don't have big travel budgets. Here's Jill with human rights attorney and activist Bob Fitrakis (to her right) who is running on the Green Party ticket for Franklin County (Ohio) Prosecutor. The Greens are quite active in the Columbus area, and they're currently collecting signatures to put an anti-fracking measure on the city/county ballot. Good luck, C-bus Greens!
Capital University's campus Green Party group arranged Jill Stein's visit to their school. It's heartening to see the Millennial generation working hard to bring political and environmental issues to the public's awareness. We can only hope and pray they have a better future in spite of their elders' selfish ways.
Former Ohio Green Party gubernatorial candidate Anita Rios talked about how she overcame many obstacles in her life to get where she is today, and how she's never going to quit fighting for a brighter future for all our children.
Dr. Wasserman of Capital University helps Jill with the question and answer portion of her presentation. Yes, Jill actually takes questions from her audience and the press, unlike another presidential candidate who has avoided speaking to the press for over 280+ days now. And once again Jill got asked the "Why are you against vaccines?" question. Dr. Stein repeated that she was trained as a medical doctor and isn't against vaccines. She's for bettering the public's health, which includes vaccination. In fact, she co-authored a book, In Harm's Way, on how toxins in our environment adversely affect child development. You can download the pdf file of In Harm's Way for free at this link.
Jill is also against the so-called "War on Drugs," which has done nothing but create a "school to prison pipeline" in communities of color in order to make money for private, for-profit prisons. Jill pointed out that the bloated U.S. Defense budget makes up 54% of the total budget and the next items get 7% or less. The Green Party plans to bail out our students from their burden of college debt instead of bailing out "too big to fail" banks. Greens want to invest our tax dollars into a "Green New Deal" to provide jobs and education to transform America into a first world country. All Americans will have the dignity of work and live free from fear of losing their credit ratings and homes due to medical debt because of universal health care.
We were sunburned from sitting out on the lawn for several hours, but still very happy to have met Jill Stein in person. Jill is a very polite and approachable person. I think that's what makes her a good candidate--you get a vibe that she actually likes people and wants to help them and our world become healthier, happier and safer. Her motto is "People, Planet and Peace above Profits." She's not in the race for the glory or millions. She's in it because she really cares.
A lot of Berners have picked up on this sense of "Not Me Us" in Jill's Green Party message. Progressives of all stripes can rally around the Green platform with its emphasis on ordinary people and saving our planet, a far cry from the corporate-owned-and-operated establishment parties. The new "Green Party Anthem" debuted this past week at the famous Bernie Cafe in Los Angeles. Rap along with Kor Element's Power to the People on Jill's Facebook page or listen to it on this Truthdig You Tube video. To misquote Kor Element: Let's "get outta line and vote Jill Stein." Power to the people!
Jill is also against the so-called "War on Drugs," which has done nothing but create a "school to prison pipeline" in communities of color in order to make money for private, for-profit prisons. Jill pointed out that the bloated U.S. Defense budget makes up 54% of the total budget and the next items get 7% or less. The Green Party plans to bail out our students from their burden of college debt instead of bailing out "too big to fail" banks. Greens want to invest our tax dollars into a "Green New Deal" to provide jobs and education to transform America into a first world country. All Americans will have the dignity of work and live free from fear of losing their credit ratings and homes due to medical debt because of universal health care.
We were sunburned from sitting out on the lawn for several hours, but still very happy to have met Jill Stein in person. Jill is a very polite and approachable person. I think that's what makes her a good candidate--you get a vibe that she actually likes people and wants to help them and our world become healthier, happier and safer. Her motto is "People, Planet and Peace above Profits." She's not in the race for the glory or millions. She's in it because she really cares.
A lot of Berners have picked up on this sense of "Not Me Us" in Jill's Green Party message. Progressives of all stripes can rally around the Green platform with its emphasis on ordinary people and saving our planet, a far cry from the corporate-owned-and-operated establishment parties. The new "Green Party Anthem" debuted this past week at the famous Bernie Cafe in Los Angeles. Rap along with Kor Element's Power to the People on Jill's Facebook page or listen to it on this Truthdig You Tube video. To misquote Kor Element: Let's "get outta line and vote Jill Stein." Power to the people!
It was quite a day, hearing Dr. Stein speak and shaking her hand afterwards. It's telling that this supposed 'fringe' candidate can summon greater audiences to her rallies than that Democrat candidate whose name escapes me.
ReplyDeleteI think it's because people actually LIKE Jill and not this other Democrat candidate whose name escapes most of us Berners. ;)
DeleteThere's one thing to say for going with your "gut instinct". If a person gives you a bad feeling the moment they open his/her mouth, then your gut is telling you to avoid them for your own safety/sanity. More people need to trust their instincts and vote for the greater good.
"Lesser evil" candidates are still evil. For example, how can you say killing Hondurans or Libyans is better than killing Russians or Syrians? Killing people of any persuasion is still killing people. Period. These "Lesser Evil" candidates want us to think some groups people are less worthy than others to live.
If any group is "less worthy" it would be the 1% who is trying to divide and conquer the 99%. We must resist their manipulations. Power to the PEOPLE!