Ever since I was a child, my favorite color has been green. I have a vivid memory of swinging on our family swingset (I think I was about 8), singing at the top of my lungs and becoming filled with emotion because of the beauty of the green grass beneath me and the trees in my yard and all around me. I decided at that moment that my favorite color was green because of my attachment to the earth.
I went for a long (4 mile) walk today. It helped me clear my head and think about things. I’ve been weighed down by a build up of stress and frustration over witnessed tension between people in a variety of arenas, including people I care about and including the Green Party. Sometimes when this happens thoughts occur to me about stepping aside and letting other people carry on the work of saving the world. Then I come back to reality and remember why it is that I’m green. Here are the 11 reasons:
1. Grassroots Democracy
Every human being deserves say in the decisions that affect their lives so as not to be subject to the will of another.
2. Social Justice and Equal Opportunity
All persons should have the rights and opportunity to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment.
3. Ecological Wisdom
Human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our planet.
4. Non-Violence
It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to society’s current patterns of violence.
5. Decentralization
There must be a restructuring of social, political, and economic institutions away from a system that is controlled by and mostly benefits the powerful few, to a democratic, less bureaucratic system. Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all citizens.
6. Community-Based Economics and Economic Justice
It is essential to create a vibrant and sustainable economic system, one that can create jobs and provide a decent standard of living for all people while maintaining a healthy ecological balance.
7. Feminism and Gender Equity
We have inherited a social system based on male domination of politics and economics. There should be a replacement of the cultural ethics of domination and control with more cooperative ways of interacting that respect differences of opinion and gender.
8. Respect for Diversity
It is important to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious, and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of respectful relationships across these lines.
9. Personal and Global Responsibility
Individuals must act to improve their personal well-being and, at the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social harmony. People and organizations around the world must join to foster peace, economic justice, and the health of the planet.
10. Future Focus and Sustainability
Our actions and policies should be motivated by long-term goals. We should seek to protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of or reusing all waste we create, while developing a sustainable economics that does not depend on continual expansion for survival.
11. Quality of Life
Our overall goal is not merely to survive, but to share lives that are truly worth living. The quality of our individual lives is enriched by the quality of all of our lives. Everyone should see the dignity and intrinsic worth in all of life and take the time to understand and appreciate themselves, their community, and the magnificent beauty of this world.
Even if I did not belong to the Green Party, these key values would be part of me because I have believed in them and attempted to live them all my life. After my epiphany with nature that led me to declare green as my favorite color, my life evolved to truly reflect the value of green in my daily existence. I continue to refine and improve my life to become more green every day.
I came across this article today written by a Canadian who is not a Green Party Member (why I don’t know) and why he votes green. It was very timely for me given my state of thinking earlier today. I especially was inspired by the author’s story of Everett Crowley. Upon reading that, it was confirmed to me that I must never, ever give up.
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Why I’m Voting Green
The big parties are puny on the biggest issues.
By Rafe Mair
Published: December 12, 2005
I don’t imagine anyone cares how I’m going to vote, but in case anyone does, I’ll be voting, as in the last two elections, for the Green Party. Hell, I don’t even know who’s running in my riding, but I’ll vote for him/her anyway.
I’m told that I’m just “wasting” my vote. In fact, I’m even told that I’m frittering away my right to have an impact on public affairs. Indeed, to some, it’s evidently little short of treason to vote for someone who hasn’t a chance of winning.
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Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 