Elaine Brown for President?
February 28, 2007
by William P. Meyers

Remember the Green Party? In California and a few other places it is a sometimes-formidable political force. Many school boards and city councils have Green Party members on them (notable recent victory: Gayle McLaughlin elected mayor of Richmond, California). But when the average American is reminded of the Green Party, they still think of Ralph Nader's presidential bid in 2000. The Democrats blame Nader for Al Gore's loss of the election. The Democrats always have someone to blame, for everything, including their own history of war crimes and support for slavery and then apartheid for black U.S. citizens. Not taking personal or collective responsibility is a central tenet of the Democratic Party.

Within the Green Party, that is among the activists and politicians in the Green Party, the Presidential race is regarded as problematic. The Green Party does not believe in organizing from the top down. By electing local officials, and then state level representatives and members of Congress, the party should be able to grow to the point where the criminal parties, the Democrats and Republicans, lose power. That event, that shift of power from corporate America to the people, will probably be marked by the election of the first Green President of the United States. But in the meantime local elections are far more important to reforming the American voters. The Green Party needs presidential candidates because they create a national poll of how corrupt the American people still are. Voting for Democrats and Republicans is a clear sign of lack of high ethical standards and or lacking a backbone to fight for them.

Elaine Brown has never held political office, but then again she started life as an African-American born in 1943, 20 years before the Democratic Party's system of apartheid in the southern states was ended. She has done remarkable things. After starting towards a career as a singer/songwriter, she became a Black Panther Party member in 1967 and was its leader from 1974 to 1977. She has written two published books and had two albums released by Motown Records. She founded several non-profit organizations and regularly lectures on college campuses.

I would like to know more about Elaine Brown's current thoughts on politics and issues like education, social justice, economics, and the environment. I would also be happy to see other citizens seek the Green Party nomination for President of the United States of America. As I learn more, I'll keep you informed. Meanwhile Elaine's non-profit Web site (she does not have a campaign site that I can find yet) is:

http://www.elainebrown.org

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