Last night I had the wonderful opportunity to speak to the Patrick Henry Supper Club. Here are some excerpts from my speech: 

Libertarians and Greens can make advances by continuing to bring attention to our values, not so much as written words; the strength is in speech and action. Obviously the more candidates we run, the more chances to do this.

However, I am getting ahead of myself. Many of you came here expecting a re-hashing of a familiar theme, the shared and conflicting values of the Libertarians and Greens. There are already quite a few people and websites devoted to that topic. Many of them focus on our resentment towards the prosecution of victimless crimes and shared interest in the legalization of certain substances. But there is more to it than that. 

For example, I will give you a quick and dirty overview, as pilfered from longtime and prolific libertarian activist Carol Moore, and I should mention that this is on her website carolmoore.net. She sort of goes through the Green values and adds notes:

Ecological Wisdom          Green philosophy is influenced by “whole systems” theory which describes a world which is both dynamic and interconnected; where balance, unity, and order arise out of flux and diversity. Libertarians, and free market advocates from Adam Smith to Fredrich Hayek to Jane Jacobs, have similarly argued that where people are free to pursue a diversity of interests and activities, healthy societies will emerge.          Environmentally, libertarians consider pollution of the air, land, water, or water tables to be a violation of rights. They condemn the role of federal, state, and local governments in permitting such pollution and in fostering, as well, public and private despoliation of natural resources. While there are differing opinions between the movements, and even within each, about the nature of environmental exploitation and the best way to preserve nature, these should be springboards for discussion, not excuses for division.Non-Violence and Peace          The foremost libertarian principle is that no individual, or government composed of individuals, has the right to initiate force against another. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King constantly reminded us that freedom and non-violence are interconnected. Most libertarians are keenly interested in concepts popular among Greens: non-violent conflict resolution and arbitration, non-violently organized communities, and non-violent civilian based defense. Finally, libertarians have developed thorough critiques of militarism, interventionism, imperialism, and war and are committed to ending them.Post-Patriarchal Values          Libertarian feminists have exposed the connections between male dominance and state dominance. They’ve envisioned a world free of such age-old domination.Decentralism/Bioregionalism          Most Greens believe that the planet’s large, centralized, war-mongering nation states must be broken up. Instead, self-determined communities will be loosely federated regionally, possibly according to ecologically significant “bioregional” factors such as watersheds or land forms. Libertarian anarchists and minimal-state decentralists would support these ideas, agreeing with Greens that we should “Think Globally, Act Locally.”Grassroots Democracy          Most libertarians take a “minimalist” view of democracy; community decision-making would concern, at most, courts, police, and defense. Many Greens currently call for local community decision-making on a wide variety of issues. While Greens can learn from libertarians about the hazards of “too much” democracy, they will find them tolerant of democratic community alternatives—as long as Greens don’t try to force them on libertarians.Community Economics          Libertarians believe that government intervention in economies creates monopolies, stifles innovation, subsidizes big corporations, and destroys their small business competitors. Greens are rapidly coming to appreciate this view as they work to rebuild local economies by establishing alternate technologies, businesses, and even monetary systems.Individual and Social Responsibility          Libertarians emphasize individual responsibility. But they support whatever voluntary efforts Greens might organize to help impoverished peoples, locally and globally. Greens might respond that it is actually in one’s own self-interest to help the less fortunate, before their discontent leads to crime, social unrest, and war.

But, this is till in the vein of green libertarianism, which is a school of though with political theorists galore: You got Konkin’s agorism (which can perhaps be loosely described as a type of free-market anarchism), Warren’s mutualism (the idea of individuals building a benign, grassroots society within a pre-existing society), Salter’s panarchy (”an inclusive, universal system of governance in which all may participate meaningfully”), Sullivan’s geoliberatarianism (which incorporates respect for private property in the fruits of one’s labor, but not land which is common property), and voluntaryists, some of who reject electoral politics altogether. There are many jumping off points into green libertarian philosophy, and most recent ones have focused on so-called natural capitalism and how to inject environmental priorities into entrepreneurship. Articles by Ben Sharvy, Jim Blair, and Annalee Newitz may be of interest.

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So, getting back to my own political philosophy, I doubt I am a green libertarian, but more of a libertarian (with small’ l’) minded Green. I am guessing that makes me more of a leen and less of a gribertarian. In pure Libertarian parlance, I am sure I can be derided as a statist. While I enjoy reading about green libertarianism and I support in some instances the idea of limited government, I am certainly not a complete free-marketeer, and within the framework of legitimate government, I disagree with the absolute abolition of sovereign immunity. After all, as a Green I am for single payer health care, public education, and more environmental regulation.

On the other side, I am sure some of my fellow Greens look askance at my libertarian tendencies- namely, my skepticism of much government intervention, especially in spending and social causes like the arts. I am sure I get called a ‘watermelon green’ behind my back at times, green on the outside and red on the inside.  I tell them to look deeper.

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Despite a mostly shutout-by-the-majors Presidential election, I do think us as potential gribertarians and leens will have ample chances to emphasize shared interests. Regardless of whether you are a Libertarian, Green, or even a Constitutionalist, the future is politically bright. Why? The current status quo of government is failure, nowadays more so than ever. Of course you as Libertarians are laughing and saying, yeah, nothing new. 

Think about it though: In 2004, in a Times Dispatch piece on young voters (I was considered young then), I was quoted as saying “Bush will lead us to military defeat and economic devastation. John Kerry will lead us to slightly less military defeat and economic devastation.” You are welcome to disagree, of course, but I do believe we got the worst of both evils. Unending war, Katrina, wiretapping, torture, corruption, bail-out…I think we all know that the real National Socialists are in power right now. For the good of the country, and along with the rest of the world, I sincerely wish President-Elect Obama good luck turning things around, even if my sunny pessimism still shines through. Part of that pessimism comes from the economic conditions, and part of that comes from the very real potential of environmental collapse, and a lot of that comes from a still strong distrust of government. I contend that these three challenges, economic devastation, environmental collapse, and government distrust are filtering down through the levels of government and have become systemic. Governor Kaine’s term is becoming characterized by a dwindling budget and a dying Chesapeake Bay. Already, many local pundits are predicting a ‘caretaker’ role for Richmond Mayor-Elect Jones without state and federal assistance. 

I know, I know, have I forgotten who I am talking to? Libertarians welcome a dwindling budget, a smaller role for government, and strongly distrust government themselves. As for economic and environmental collapse, with those things come future potential opportunities, right? I am not going to decry those responses, as long as you humor me and listen to my own.

What can local Libertarians and Greens do more specifically, to work together, in the face of these challenges or opportunities? 

This is where I ultimately want to go tonight.

One of our strongest past moments was when we stood together a few years ago at Richmond City Council and protested the meals tax increase for the white elephant, corporate welfare downtown arts center project, now known as Center Stage.  We may have lost the vote, but I can tell you that people sat up and took notice that Greens AND Libertarians were speaking against it. We should build on this.

The stream of corporate welfare going downtown is still going strong. It continues to waste millions in federal, state, and local taxpayer money and it will likely look more and more like the giant corporate bailouts we are seeing by the Fed and Congress. I have no doubt that our example subject, the arts center, will need to be bailed out again and again due to its inadequate design and failure to plan for competition. In short, we need to do what we can to support efforts at putting sunlight on corporate welfare and where we agree, stand together in protest again.

Another issue that should of mutual interest and collaboration is incarceration and prosecution of victimless crimes. I can’t tell you how angry I get when I see the police go after students selling pot but play down serious incidents of armed robbery. In these troubling times, we are going to see a lot more debates about immigration and debt. Let’s make a pact right now to stand up against the concentration camps that are being built now around Farmville for stealing the freedom of people who are simply trying to survive. This may very well come down to the right of self-defense, and with that, gun ownership. Many Richmond Greens surprise so-called liberals with our rate of gun ownership.

I have not spoken a lot about the environment tonight, and there are a lot of subtopics we could explore- climate change, thecrashing crab and tuna stocks, and the overworked jargon of sustainability, just to name a few. But, again, I would rather look at more local concerns. We will soon have a new Mayor in January, Del. Dwight Jones, who will have a mandate to change the City as well as a very challenging economic situation. I am going to list 10 or so green things that Mayor Elect Jones can consider doing, with particular interest in those things that cost little money or create green jobs. Pure libertarians may want to brace themselves…

1. Use SustainLain.us , a green building case studies website and other publicly available resources. Nobody has all the answers, but there is a whole world of people and organizations with expertise on green issues, inside and outside of Richmond. We need the Mayor to embrace that, as past leadership has been seemingly reluctant.

2. Establish a ‘Sustainability Czar’ or a small team that can coordinate and oversee City government’s green efforts and be accountable. This is NOT a whole other City department or layer of officialdom, but a nimble organizational effort. A Czar or green team can encourage more partnership as well as competition between City departments for going green. I have heard that the City’s Information Technology has already saved hundreds of thousands by implementing energy conservation software. That’s the type of success story that Wilder should have done more with.

3. Shepherd the James River Park Easement into existence. It’s been worked on by a lot of great people and is supported by everyone who holds the river dear. It’s almost ready, and it needs to get across the finish line, Downtown Master Plan or not. Future tourism dollars demand it.

4. Get a substantial, long term Tree Planting Program in place. We have all heard the warnings that Richmond, once known for its beautiful tree-lined streets, is now losing more street trees than it is replacing. That’s simply un-sustainable. Look atIndianapolis’ 10-year, $14 million Neighborwoods program. Its not just about the money (though local utilities like Dominion Power should invest), its about true community partnership and employing younger people to improve the overall environment. Get all City departments in on this- get City Planning to fully consider species and heights, get the Health Dept. to consider its pest policy, get the Fire Dept. run some ‘training missions’ watering street trees during the hot summer months, etc. Fully engage to make this work.

5. Environmental Status/Carbon Analysis of City- We need to establish some benchmarks. Every other city in Virginia has spent the lousy two grand or so to join ICLEI, the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives. I am sure local environmental groups would be willing to pass the hat if it came to that in order to make Richmond a member. We need the numbers to run the cost analysis and make green savings happen.

6. Pass the already proposed green building resolution. Get LEED into the City’s building code. Get it into the City’s DNA. The universities are supposed to be on board already, due to state mandate. The City’s Green Building Advisory Commission has crafted the basic resolution and it is coming up for discussion next month. Like the James River Park Easement, it needs to be shepherded through City Council and ‘get done’. Along with that, play nice with developers by encouraging expedited permitting for LEED projects that are green. Green building can save more carbon than almost anything else.

7. Establish the City Stormwater Utility in line with new progressive water rates that encourages everyone to conserve. End the high minimum water rates and stop discounting high use. Establish a Stormwater Office that can coordinate not just thebig pipes, but help encourage residential rain barrels and rain gardens. Create some jobs here. Not just engineering, but educational outreach about stormwater prevention. Change the City’s rain philosophy to ‘treat it where it falls’. This will save the City’s environmental tab in the long run. Energy and water costs are closely related and will become more closely related in future.

8. Mayor Wilder signed the ‘Cool Cities’ pledge. Once the benchmarks are there, establish goals for energy. That sounds rather open-ended and it’s meant to be. Measures for energy conservation and independence should be ongoing. I know Mayor Elect Jones is already looking at ways to make the City’s fleet of vehicles more energy efficient. My personal favorite is a ‘Solar Schools’ program for Richmond Public Schools, but a biofuel/biomass program in partnership with local universities may take precedence, or a ‘bike + walk to school/work’ program may be easier to implement. Residential appliance replacement creditsor more LED lighting for City buildings or industrial energy cogeneration? I have my preferences, but overall I am more concerned that there IS A PLAN with benchmarks, goals in place. Commerce can determine more of the how’s and with that comes more green jobs.

9. Mandate that only ‘Green Seal’ cleaning products can be used for City maintenance. Some of this may have already been done, but think about going further. Copy what Minneapolis did with its Green Seal resolution. Ban plastic bags (like China and local store Elwood Thompsons) and bottled water (like Seattle) from all City events and functions, including the schools. Go towards biodegradable plasticware like the local universities and the Richmond Folk Festival.

10. Embrace greenways and bikeways for green tourism. The Capitol Trail is closer to completion, but the East Coast Greenway is equally, if not more, important. Cities from all over the world are expanding their bikeways and amenities and international tourists come expecting the same here. Work with housing codes to allow the youth hostels on these routes. Use them to increase park use and lay the green infrastructure that Richmond is missing. Ask Governor Kaine to lead more bike tours. Local bicyclist groups are willing to work to make these things happen. Call them up on it.

Alright, I hear the groans and gnashing of teeth out there and I recognize that not all of those 10 items were very libertarian sounding. But hey, they were written as a checklist for City government. Help write the ‘10 environmental things checklist’ that is less-government and more encompassing. Help inject more market solutions and self-sufficiency. For example, help advocate for tying water rates to use, which would actually lower most water rates for people who do conserve. Between our groups, we have individuals who have taken great steps to becoming energy self sufficient through renewable energy. We should account for the immediate costs of coal pollution on our own individual land. We have the people who see the long emergency in front of us and have taken steps to create their own disaster recovery plans.

I don’t see the Greens welcoming the likes of Gale Norton into office like the Libertarians did or abolishing the EPA, but I do see us working to some degree with the Libertarians to end pollution by government and holding polluting parties liable. No, the Greens are not going to advocate the halting of the GRTC bus fleet, but we would certainly like to stop needless idling and noise by GRTC buses. VCU AND Dominion Power should be liable for their carbon footprint.

Getting back to the national level and a bit of recent history:

Libertarians and Greens should do more to support voting reforms. The government, as we all know, has screwed up voting and we could win votes by promoting ways to fix it. Right now, a lot of Americans are blindly following the media by giving themselves a slap on the back for this election. It’s understandable- this country, this state, successfully elected a black man for President. It is a great thing for democracy and society. I am celebrating it and I urge everyone to celebrate it.

However, as the anti-drunk driving ads suggest, celebrate responsibly. The fact is that there were many, many voting irregularities, many cases where votes were not counted at all. This is atrocious. The Republicrats have a vested interest in NOT rocking the system, but we should be screaming bloody murder about it. Now we might disagree on many aspects of voting reforms- paper vs. electronic ballots, influx of technology, gerrymandering, electoral system, instant runoff voting vs. all the others, etc, etc. But, again, both the Libertarians and Greens can garner attention and interest with the overall issue, and where we can be supportive of each other, we should be.

There was more to the speech than this, with more personal comments, but that is a good taste. It was not the best one I had ever given, but I did cover a lot of ground. After it was over, I fielded a few questions. I am very thankful to the audience for their attention. Jon Walker, who had invited me to speak, was especially gracious. I even got a free Patrick Henry Supper Club mug as a gift!

But hopefully, this is just a start. Jeremy from the Richmond Left Libertarian Alliance and I had some discussion afterwards. He is interested in meeting my challenge for local solutions by political activists. I am looking forward to it.

Text of Cynthia McKinney’s speech prepared for conference in Damascus on Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the denial of the Right of Return for Palestinians

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATEShttp://www.gp.orgFor Immediate Release:Monday, December 1, 2008Contacts:Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, cell 202-904-7614, mclarty@greens.orgStarlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@gp.orgMcKinney was blocked from leaving the US and unable to deliver the speech in personWASHINGTON, DC — 2008 Green presidential candidate and former six-term Congress member Cynthia McKinney has published the text of her speech prepared for a conference in Damascus, Syria, in commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the denial of the Right of Return for Palestinians, in violation of the Universal Declaration.Ms. McKinney was unable to deliver the speech, because she was detained at the Atlanta airport under circumstances that haven’t yet been made clear.The text of Ms. McKinney’s speech, preceded by an introduction, follows below.Cynthia McKinneyNovember 23, 2008http://www.allthingscynthiamckinney.comToday, November 23rd, I was slated to give remarks in Damascus, Syria at a Conference being held to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and, sadly, the 60th year that the Palestinian people have been denied their Right of Return enshrined in that Universal Declaration. But a funny thing happened to me while at the Atlanta airport on my way to the Conference: I was not allowed to exit the country.I do believe that it was just a misunderstanding. But the insecurity experienced on a daily basis by innocent Palestinians is not. Innocent Palestinians are trapped in a violent, stateless twilight zone imposed on them by an international order that favors a country reported to have completed its nuclear triad as many as eight years ago, although Israel has remained ambiguous on the subject. President Jimmy Carter informed us that Israel had as many as 150 nuclear weapons, and Israel’s allies are among the most militarily sophisticated on the planet. Military engagement, then, is untenable. Therefore the exigency of diplomacy and international law.The Palestinians should at least be able to count on the protections of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. What is happening to Palestinians in Gaza right now, subjected to an Israeli-imposed blockade, has drawn the attention of the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, who noted that over half of the civilians in Gaza are children. Even The Los Angeles Times criticized Israel’s lockdown of Gaza that is keeping food, fuel, and medicine from civilians. Even so, Israel stood fast by its decision to seal Gaza’s openings. But where are the voices of concern coming from the corridors of power inside the United States? Is the subject of Palestinian human rights taboo inside the United States Government and its government-to- be? I hope not. Following is the speech I would have given today had I been able to attend the Damascus Conference.Cynthia McKinneyRight of Return CongregationDamascus, SyriaNovember 23, 2008Thank you to our hosts for inviting me to participate in this most important and timely First Arab-International Congregation for the Right of Return. Words are an insufficient expression of my appreciation for being remembered as one willing to stand for justice in Washington, D.C., even in the face of tremendously difficult pressures.Former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir, thank you for including me in the Malaysian Peace Organisation’s monumental effort to criminalize war, to show the horrors of the treatment of innocent individuals during the war against and occupation of Iraq by the militaries and their corporate contractors of Britain, Israel, and the United States. Thank you for standing up to huge international economic forces trying to dominate your country and showing an impressionable woman like me that it is possible to stand up to “the big boys” and win. And thank you for your efforts to bring war criminal, torturer, decimator of the United States Constitution, the George W. Bush Administration, to justice in international litigation.Delegates and participants, I must declare that at a time when scientists agree that the climate of the earth is changing in unpredictable and possibly calamitous ways, such that the future of humankind hangs in the balance, it is unconscionable that we have to dedicate this time to and focus our energies on policies that represent a blatant and utter disregard for human rights and self-determination and that represent in many respects, a denial of human life, itself.In the same year as Palestinians endured a series of massacres and expulsions, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights became international law. And while the United Nations is proud that the Declaration was flown into Outer Space just a few days ago on the Space Shuttle, if one were to read it and then land in the Middle East, I think it would be clear that Palestine is the place that the Universal Declaration forgot.Sadly, both the spirit of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights and the noblest ideals of the United Nations are broken. This has occurred in large measure due to policies that emanate from Washington, D.C. If we want to change those policies, and I do believe that we can, then we have to change the underlying values of those who become Washington’s policy makers. In other words, we must launch the necessary movement that puts people in office who share our values.We need to do this now more than ever because, sadly, Palestine is not Washington’s only victim. Enshrined in the Universal Declaration is the dignity of humankind and the responsibility of states to protect that dignity. Yet, the underlying contradictions between its words and what has become standard international practice lay exposed to the world this year when then-United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour proclaimed:”In the course of this year, unprecedented efforts must be made to ensure that every person in the world can rely on just laws for his or her protection. In advancing all human rights for all, we will move towards the greatest fulfillment of human potential, a promise which is at the heart of the Universal Declaration.”How insulting it was to hear those words coming from her, for those of us who know, because it was she who, as Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, willfully participated in the cover-up of an act of terror that resulted in the assassination of two democratically- elected Presidents and that unleashed a torrent of murder and bloodletting in which one million souls were vanquished. That sad episode in human history has become known as the Rwanda Genocide. And shockingly, after the cover-up, Louise Arbour was rewarded with the highest position on the planet, in charge of Human Rights.Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that justice delayed is justice denied. And 60 years is too long to wait for justice. The Palestinian people deserve respected self-determination, protected human rights, justice, and above all, peace.On the night before his murder, Dr. King announced that he was happy to be living at the end of the 20th Century where, all over the world, men and women were struggling to be free.Today, we can touch and feel the results of those cries, on the African Continent where apartheid no longer exists as a fact of law. A concerted, uncompromising domestic and international effort led to its demise.And in Latin America, the shackles of U.S. domination have been broken. In a series of unprecedented peaceful, people-powered revolutions, voters in Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and most recently Paraguay used the power of the political process to materially change their countries’ leadership and policy orientation toward the United States. Americans, accustomed to the Monroe Doctrine which proclaimed U.S. suzerainty over all politics in the Western Hemisphere, must now think the unthinkable given what has occurred in the last decade.Voters in Cote d’Ivoire, Haiti, Spain, and India also took matters clearly in their hands to make “a clean break” from policies that were an affront to the interests of the majority of the people in those countries.In country after country, against tremendous odds, people stood up and took their fates in their hands. They did what Mario Savio, in the 1960s, asked people in the United States to do. These people-powered, peaceful revolutions saw individuals put their bodies against the levers and the gears and the wheels of the U.S. imperial machine and they said to the owners if you don’t stop it, we will. And I know that people of conscience inside my country can do it, too: especially now that the engines of imperial oppression are running out of gas.Even though the Democratic Party, at the Convention that nominated Barack Obama, denied its microphone to Former President Jimmy Carter because of his views on Palestine, let me make it clear that Former President Carter is not the only person inside the United States who believes that peace with justice is possible in Palestine.Inside the United States, millions who are not of Arab descent, disagree vehemently with the policy of our government to provide the military and civilian hardware that snuffs out innocent human life that is also Arab.Millions of Americans do not pray to Allah, but recognize that it is an inalienable right of those who do to live and pray in peace wherever they are-including inside the United States.Even though their opportunities are severely limited, there are millions of people inside the United States struggling to express themselves on all of these issues, but whose efforts are stymied by a political process that robs them of any opportunity to be heard.And then there are the former elected officials who spoke out for what was right, for universal application of the Universal Declaration, and who were roundly condemned and put out of office as a result. My father is one such politician, punished-kicked out of office-because of the views of his daughter.In my case, I dared to raise my voice in support of the World Conference Against Racism and against the sieges of Ramallah, Jenin, and the Church of the Nativity. I raised my voice against the religious profiling in my country that targets innocent Muslims and Arabs for harassment, imprisonment, financial ruin, or worse. Yes, I have felt the sting of the special interests since my entry onto the national stage when, in my very first Congressional campaign, I refused to sign a pledge committing that I would vote to maintain the military superiority of Israel over its neighbors, and that Jerusalem should be its capital city. Other commitments were on that pledge as well, like continued financial assistance to Israel at agreed upon levels.As a result of my refusal to make such a commitment, and just like the old slave woman, Sojourner Truth, who bared her back and showed the scars from the lashes meted out to her by her slave master, I too, bear scars from the lashes of public humiliation meted out to me by the special interests in Washington, D.C. because of my refusal to toe the line on Israel policy. This “line” is the policy accepted by both the Democratic and Republican Party leadership and why they could cooperate so well to coordinate my ouster from Congress. But I have survived because I come from the strongest stock of Africans, stolen then enslaved, and yet my people survived. I know how to never give up, give in, or give out. And I also know how to learn a good political lesson. And one lesson I’ve learned is that the treatment accorded to me pales in comparison to what Palestinian victims still living in refugee camps face every day of their lives.The treatment accorded to me pales in comparison to the fact that human life is at stake if the just-released International Atomic Energy Agency report is true when it writes that “The only explanation for the presence of these modified uranium particles is that they were contained in the missiles dropped from the Israeli planes.” What are the health effects of these weapons, what role did the U.S. military play in providing them or the technology that underlies them, why is there such silence on this, and most fundamentally, what is going on in this part of the world that international law has forgotten?Clearly, not only the faces of U.S. politicians must change; we must change their values, too. We, in the United States, must utilize our votes to effect the same kind of people-powered change in the United States as has been done in all those other countries. And now, with more people than ever inside the United States actually paying attention to politics, this is our moment; we must seize this time. We must become the leaders we are looking for and get people who share our values elected to Congress and the White House.Now, I hope you believe me when I say to you that this is not rocket science. I have learned politics from its best players. And I say to you that even with the fallabilities of the U.S. system, it is possible for us to do more than vote for a slogan of change, we can actually have it. But if we fail to seize this moment, we will continue to get what we’ve always been given: handpicked leaders who don’t truly represent us.With the kind of U.S. weapons that are being used in this part of the world, from white phosphorus to depleted uranium, from cluster bombs to bunker busting bombs, nothing less than the soul of my country is at stake. But for the world, it is the fate of humankind that is at stake.The people in my country just invested their hopes for a better world and a better government in their votes for President-elect Obama. However, during an unprecedented two year Presidential campaign, the exact kind of change we are to get was never fully defined. Therefore, we the people of the United States must act now with boldness and confidence. We can set the stage for the kind of change that reflects our values.Now is not the time for timidity. The U.S. economy is in shambles, unemployment and health insecurity are soaring, half of our young people do not even graduate from high school; college is unaffordable. The middle class that was invested in the stock market is seeing their life savings stripped from them by the hour. What we are witnessing is the pauperization of a country, in much the same way that Russia was pauperized after the fall of the Soviet Union. There are clear winners and the losers all know who they are. The attentive public in the United States is growing because of these conditions. Now is the time for our values to rise because people in the United States are now willing to listen.So the question really is, “Which way, America?”Today we uplift the humanity of the Palestinian people. And what I am recommending is the creation of a political movement inside my country that will constitute a surgical strike for global justice. This gathering is the equivalent of us stepping to the microphone to be heard.We don’t have to lose because we have commitment to the people.And we don’t have to lose because we refuse to compromise our core values.We don’t have to lose because we seek peace with justice and diplomacy over war.We don’t have to lose.By committing to do some things we’ve never done before I’m certain that we can also have some things we’ve never had before.I return to the U.S. committed to do my part to make our dream come true.Thank you.For more information on Cynthia McKinney please visit http://www.allthingscynthiamckinney.comLINK:http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2008/11/cynthia-mckinney-prevented-from-leaving-us/MORE INFORMATIONGreen Party of the United States http://www.gp.org202-319-7191, 866-41GREENFax 202-319-7193Running tally of Green election victories http://www.gp.org/2008-elections/election-results.htmlGreen candidate news http://www.gp.org/2008-elections/candidate-news.phpGreen candidate database for 2008 and other campaign information: http://www.gp.org/elections.shtmlGreen Party News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtmlGreen Party Speakers Bureau http://www.gp.org/speakersGreen Party ballot access page http://www.gp.org/2008-electionsCynthia McKinney/Rosa Clemente ‘Power to the People’ Campaign for the White Househttp://www.runcynthiarun.orghttp://votetruth08.comhttp://www.rosaclemente.com“Greens respond to a slanderous attack by lawyer Alan Dershowitz against the Green Party and its position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”Green Party of the United States: press release, October 27, 2008http://www.gp.org/press/pr-national.php?ID=125“Greens, Calling for Palestinian Rights, Urge Divestment from Israel”Green Party press release, November 28, 2005http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2005_11_28.shtml“A Real Road to Peace in the Middle East”Green Party platformhttp://www.gp.org/platform/2004/democracy.html#310677~ END ~

OTTAWA – The Green Party is calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to take steps to protect Omar Khadr, a Canadian and former child soldier who has been held by the United States at Guantanamo Bay since 2002.

Mr. Harper has consistently ignored evidence of inhumane treatment and torture at the facility despite Canada having this information since 2004. Canada has the shameful distinction of being the only western country not to have sought repatriation for a citizen held at Guantanamo.

“President-elect Barack Obama admits that torture occurs at Guantanamo Bay and plans to close the facility as soon as possible,” said Green Party leader Elizabeh May. “Mr. Harper has previously said that there is ‘no real alternative’ to allowing Mr. Khadr’s continued detention. Now that he is aware the facility will be closed, will Mr. Harper finally admit that Mr. Khadr was unlawfully detained and take action to repatriate this former child soldier?”

Mr. Khadr’s long-awaited trial is set for January 26th, 2009 – only six days after Barack Obama’s inauguration.

“Time is running out to bring Mr. Khadr home,” said Ms. May. “It is critical that Mr. Harper first recognizes the brutality that occurred at Guantanamo and next acts to prevent further harm from occurring to Mr. Khadr by seeking to have him returned to Canada immediately.”

Ms. May said that the Prime Minister’s demonstrable lack of concern for Canadians in trouble abroad is disturbing.

“Mr. Harper’s willingness to ignore the plight of Mr. Khadr and many other Canadians in trouble in foreign countries is not reassuring. Canadians deserve a leader who, instead of burying his head in the sand and disregarding serious evidence of torture, will fight to protect them.”