Now that I have presented the negative side of this weekend’s convention, while I will still be providing updates, I can move on to what most of the weekend was – a wonderful opportunity to see friends and make new ones, learn about various issues and projects being worked on, have face to face meetings with our committees, and get jazzed about what Greens are doing all around the country.
More in a few…..
As stated in my previous posts, I will be providing accounts of each days’ activities at the Green Party National Committee Meeting in Tuscon, along with photos, upon my return to Utah in a few days.
Yesterday the California Delegation was instrumental in getting time on the agenda to allow both the unaffiliated Utah Green group and the affiliated Desert Greens delegation to “present their side” of the Utah situation.
The unaffiliated group spoke first, via their spokesperson (Jeff Beardall) who was not even known, let alone participating, in the Utah party until after the split when his services were secured to represent their group. Mr. Beardall presented a myriad of erroneous facts, coupled with contradictions to statements he made at last year’s National Meeting – all of which is on videotape.
The affiliated Desert Greens spokesperson, Tom King, provided some history of what happened in Utah to refute the myths that Mr. Beardall was portraying as truth.
After a comment period to hear from other delegates on the issue, it was left with a proposal that California will have to present into the appropriate format that an independent investigation via an “impartial” committee be conducted, which the Desert Greens fully supports. We have reservations, however, about the committee being truly “fair and impartial” and hope that the process will insure that. We feel that California is not being impartial by virtue of the fact that they and the unaffiliated Utah group produced a document and distributed it at the NC meeting filled with fallacies about the situation, without allowing for any other information from the affiliated group. If these folks really and truly wanted an impartial view, why did they do this? And why did they choose the national meeting and plenary time to put delegates on the spot to try to make an informed decision about the situation without time to fully examine ALL the facts? In my opinion, that is NOT a display of fairness and impartiality.
Finally, the Steering Committee Elections were held yesterday, in which Tom King was a candidate. He ran to help with the election process and also because our party supported him running for such an office, being supported as a vital addition to that committee. We have informally learned the results of the election, which will be announced in plenary today (I’ll publish the results then), but I have this to say: The unaffiliated group disrespectfully worked themselves around the plenary room all day yesterday, even during when speakers were talking, lobbying hard to get folks to be swayed to their position. We are fairly certain that they were telling delegates to not vote for Tom. We think this, although do not have hard evidence, due to the fact that some delegates told us that they wanted to vote for Tom but couldn’t because they were dictated by their states to not vote for him – state delegations which had just the day before indicated they would support him in the SC election, even after informally hearing both sides of the Utah situation.
Understand that we did not initiate or engage in any lobbying efforts to get people to be “on our side”. Instead, we waited for those astute enough to come to us and ask for our story, which we then provided.
Fair and impartial? I don’t think so.
The Desert Greens is in the process of producing a document with all supporting papers and other materials about the Utah situation and The document has been produced for individuals in the past who had the sense enough to find out for themselves what really happened. Since there are additions to the document, it will be announced when it’s revision is complete and available. We plan to make it available to each state party affiliated with the GPUS.
So far I have found these items in the media about the Green Party National Convention:
Tooele Transcript Bulletin
Arizona Daily Star
Fox News in Tuscon
For reference regarding the issue in this post, see my report of last year’s disruption of the Green Party convention in Tulsa here.
Sun Tzu, author of the oldest mlitary Tteatise in the world, The Art of War,states
Attack him [opponent] where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.
This is the tactic employed by the other registered green party in Utah and members of the California Green Party Delegation.
As had been anticipated, 5 members of the other registered green party in Utah showed up in Tuscon Thursday. While Tom and I were in workshops, volunteering with logisitics of the convention and giving speeches, these 5 people were doing their very best to snag as many delegates as they could to lobby them to support the seating of their delegation at the convention, by telling lies about the Utah situation (fortuantely many delegates have taken it upon themselves to approach us to hear what we had to say about the innaccuracies being publicized through the lobbying and through a pamphlet full of them.)
Continue reading
Today the Green Party of the United States convention participants attended the Tuscon’s Women in Black weekly sidewalk vigil. It was amazing. Tom and I did a roving picket, walkiing around the intersection. There were about 75 people participating. Here are photos:
Here is a copy of the movie taken of me today giving my speech in Tuscon at the National Women’s Caucus (Green Party of the United States) press conference (click link below). Much gratitude to J.T. Waldron of:
Sound and Fury Productions
2301 E. Broadway Blvd, #111
Tucson, AZ 85719
1-866-624-9710
Fax 1(520)624-3143
Today will be a very busy day in Tuscon. Workshops all morning, plenary session all afternoon, interspersed with press conferences. I learned A LOT yesterday about water conservation and initiatives, environmental racism. I presented a workshop on nuclear issues which was videotaped by a delegate in New Jersey.
Today I will be attending the campaign school this morning and then will be part of a panel as a member of the GPUS Peace Action Committee. I will spend about 5 minutes talking about the Stop the Divine Strake Coalition and the work associated with that. I will then attend the plenery session of all the delegates in the GPUS. During that time I will be excused to attend two press conferences:
1pm: All state and local candidates – Kathy Dopp, Desert Greens candidate for Summit County Clerk, will be a featured speaker.
3pm: National Women’s Caucus press conference – I will be a featured speaker.
C-Span is likely to cover these events. I’ll post any links to press coverage I find.
Here is my speech (subject to change):
Continue reading
I been unable to post my daily peace historical events since I’ve been on the road (that will resume upon my return next week). I thought that I would post something today, however, since it is my birthday. I will be spending the day in workshops and meetings here in Tuscon, but when I return I will be posting some great photos of our country’s landscape.
I feel fortunate that at age 47 I can climb mountains while carrying 30 pounds on my back. I can scale boulder fields (not as gracefully as some, but I least I do it!), ford streams, and walk across steep snow fields. Pretty good for not only my age, but also considering the fact that less than 15 years ago I was pretty significantly disabled with deteriorrating knees and hips causing me to have to use two canes to walk. That is, until I took charge of my own health. You’d never guess now that I had been in that condition.
As I have traveled the country this month I have seen lots of beautiful things in nature. My favorite so far has been the desert in New Mexico and Arizona. As I hiked a mountainside yesterday just west of Las Cruces, NM, and gazed about the valley from the top of one of the hills and marveled at the plant and animal life, I could not help but wonder why our precious land and life has suffered from the effects of nuclear testing. Surely those who make the decisions to drop bombs in our deserts have not sat on top of a mountain, as I did yesterday, and witnessed the beauty of our surroundings or pondered the web of life.
My birthday wish would be to have as many people as possible to begin walking – around their neighborhoods, valleys, states, and regions. Just walk – and see what you see. You will be amazed and hopefully will see things you took for granted and begin to understand the changes we all must make to stop the destruction of our planet and all its life.
Happy Christmaramadakwaanzakuhstice!
Yes, It’s 6 months early, but I wanted to call your attention to a campaign initiated by Green Jenni and City Hippy that encourages as many people as possible to purchase and use energy saving light bulbs as gifts for the holiday season.
Check out the details here.
Yesterday Tom and I traveled through El Paso, Texas. We stopped for awhile and walked across the border to Mexico. It was a little scary because a U.S. bridge guard saw me taking photos just outside the U.S. side of the bridge and came out to order me to erase any photos I had just taken and that if I didn’t my camera would be confiscated. She made it a point to tell me not to take any photos of the border police. Then she told me to be sure not the drink the water when I crossed the border. It was interesting that she came to talk to me, the only white person around, and did not appear interested in making sure anyone else knew of any consequences that were possible.
As we crossed the bridge we took photos anyway. There was graffiti all over the walls to the canal channel below us. Mexico appears to have an active peace movement. We walked around the streets a little, then walked back into the U.S. where we were requested to show i.d. (we did not have to do this going into Mexico). On the U.S. side were blocks of markets set up to cater to those coming across the border to shop.
All along the border of El Paso was “The Fence”. Complete with cameras and lights. Miles and miles of barbed wire fences – one on either side of the Rio Grande River Canal. Although I had read of this, I still could not believe what I saw. My photos are below, but don’t do justice to actually being there seeing it. Read a history of the border fence here.
Then another surprise. After leaving El Paso and then getting into New Mexico, there was a mandatory border crossing checkpoint where all cars had to exit the freeway (in fact the freeway had a section closed just for this) and go through a checkpoint. Again, I have posted photos below.
There is talk of taking a field trip during the convention here in Tuscon to Nosgales to see the border fence here. I will go see it before leaving the area for sure.
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 