And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: From: "CATHERINE DAVIDS" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Organization: The University of Michigan - Flint FROM UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE FOR RELEASE: WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 3, 1999 COLUMN OF THE AMERICAS by Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez A BLACK EYE FOR THE GREEN PARTY ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- In the late 19th century, the clandestine Gorras Blancas (White Caps) rode hard to protect the lands of the Northern Nuevo Mexicano population. In the "Devil's Hatband" (Sunstone Press, $29.95), author Daniel Ulibarri documents how these midnight riders cut the fences of the usurping Anglo population, many of whom were attempting to fraudulently and forcefully take the common lands of the Nuevo Mexicanos. Hand in hand with this action was the creation of an unaffiliated third party, "El Partido del Pueblo Unido," or the United People's Party, which won some elections. A century later, in a move last week that is sure to have national reverberations, 19 community organizations in New Mexico, some of whose members are political descendants of the Gorras Blancas, have in effect, repudiated the Green Party. They did so because they accuse the Greens of handing over victories to Republicans and refusing to meet with them. It's a charge similar to one hurled at Ross Perot's Reform Party by the Republicans, when the Reform Party was accused of snatching victory from George Bush in 1992. The 19 organizations believe that the Greens, most of whom are white, are elitists concerned with building their party at the expense of people of color and the working poor. As an example, the organizations argue that Republican Rep. Heather Wilson won her congressional election because of the presence of a Green Party candidate. She works against the interests of people of color, they charge, citing her votes on immigration, youth issues, native concerns and bilingual issues. These organizations are convinced that a Democrat would have served their interests better, and they hold the Greens responsible for this situation. Laurie Weahkee of the National Monument Protection Coalition said this about the Green Party: "They don't have to be the spoiler party. We could have used their help, but they refused that role." The coalition is fighting the building of a road that would go through the petroglyph monument and destroy some of the ancient markings that are sacred to native peoples of the area. The Democratic candidate had pledged to fight against the road. The Rev. Ron Knight of St. Luke Full Gospel Baptist church had a similar assessment: "The most significant and damaging contribution of the Green Party of New Mexico has been to get Republicans elected. Their actions have had a damaging impact on people of color." Roberto Mondragon, former Democratic lieutenant governor of the state and also a former Green Party member, said that after he ran for governor on their ticket in 1994, he told the Greens that for the party to grow, "They had to reach out to Hispanos, Native Americans and women." The Green Party has not done that, said Mondragon, who is now a Democrat again. He concurs with critics who believe that "sometimes environmentalists appear to be more concerned about snub- nosed guppies than human beings." But Mondragon is indeed a believer of third parties. One of his colleagues suggested that they should reconstitute the 19th-century United People's Party. Ted Cloak, co-chair of the state Green Party, acknowledges that "requests for a meeting (with the 19 organizations) were not at the top of our list" -- though he said that the Greens are interested in resolving their differences and hope to meet soon. And he also admits that in at least one state race, "Others can make a fair deduction that the presence of a Green (candidate) helped elect a Republican." However, he said the Democrats lost because they had a bad candidate, not because of the Greens, citing a subsequent Democratic victory in the 1998 election as proof. A real solution, he said, is to create an "instant runoff election." In this manner, a voter chooses the order of preference of the candidates on the ballot. As an example, Cloak said, one can choose a Green as a first choice and Democrat or Republican as a second choice. If the Greens place third, then the second choice would be counted. This method allows third parties to thrive. "Right now, everybody's afraid to cast their ballot for the candidate of their choice, for fear of electing the candidate they least want," he said. With political cynicism and disillusionment with the two-party system at an all-time high, we are in sore need of viable third-party options, including a responsive Green one. Other aspiring third parties should learn from the New Mexico example -- not to alienate potential constituents. This would also be an antidote to what law scholar Lani Guinier calls the tyranny of the majority: "the dangers of winner-take-all collective decision-making." COPYRIGHT 1999 UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE * Gonzales & Rodriguez can be reached at PO BOX 7905, Albq NM 87194-7905, 505-242-7282 or [EMAIL PROTECTED] ** For those who would like to colloborate on our Aztlanahuac project, please reach us at (note correct e-address): [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
