At this point my contact with the Greens has consisted of a house party for
Holle Brian and a kickoff meeting for Gary Schiff. I'm not sure what all
your fifteen and thirty-five references meant, but most of the people at
Holle's party appeared to be over forty. Gary's gathering had some
college-age people, but the majority seemed to be in their thirties.
Nobody at either gathering seemed particularly pure or righteous. There
was a lot of discussion of issues, but I didn't hear any demonizing of
enemies, and certainly no "Vegan or death."
But speaking of demonizing enemies, lay off the Cleanwater Action guy. He
made the best choice he could according to his own conscience. Just
because it was a different choice than the one you made (presumably
according to your conscience) doesn't make him an unworthy human being.
Rosalind Nelson
Bancroft
>
> RE: Southwest Journal column on Greens in Minneapolis by our
>Listmaster. David Brauer argues that at least in Minneapolis---a
>one-party town since the Republicans don't seem to run any kind of
>credible opposition candidates--the Greens wouldn't be stuck in the
>spoiler role. Greens could run for City Council, etc. and actually
>serve as worthy, credible opposition to the DFL. Here's the link for
>the whole column:
>
http://www.swjournal.com/swjournal/myarticles.asp?P=324499&S=212&PubID=5737&;
EC=0
>
> I, a progressive DFLer who recently vowed I'd never support
>the Greens even for dog-catcher, would be willing to take a look at a
>Green candidate for city council. Of course, I live in Ward 13, which
>would probably be the last ward in the city to go Green. But I'm sick
>of DFL Corporate Mumbo-Jumbo-Focus-Group-Testing and I'd love a
>couple of real elections in this town.
> Of course, if the Greens did get some city council seats,
>they'd actually have to make policy instead of just posturing. And as
>soon as you do actual policy, you tend to lose your absolute purity
>status. It would make the Greens grow up a little. In fact, there's
>two hard steps in political maturity: getting elected and then
>governing. And governing isn't for teenagers; it tends to be a less
>glamorous grown-up task, as Jesse Ventura is discovering.
> Governing is something the US House Republicans--six years as
>a majority party--have still failed to do. They know how to tear
>down, foam at the mouth, act out free-floating paranoia and launch
>investigations. (Very Age 15 ) They just don't seem to know how to
>come up with coherent, workable policies. (Very 35-year-old and up
>stuff.)
> I grew up among the Christian Right. And, unfortunately, many
>of the Greens remind me, on an emotional and political level, of Pat
>Robertson's followers or the Republican folks who endorsed Allan
>Quist over Arne Carlson a few years back. The Greens come from the
>other side of the political spectrum, but in terms of attitudes and
>action, they are soul-mates of the Christian Right. It's Demonize
>Your Enemies. All or nothing. Heaven or Hell. Now or never. Saved or
>Damned. Vegan or Death.
> So far, both the Greens and the Christian Right have often
>perferred losing and being pure and righteous than to engage in the
>messy, and yeah, compromising work of politics. But in
>Minneapolis--where they are not doomed by a two-party system to be
>the spoilers--they might have an opportunity to grow up and try
>governing. I probably agree with the Greens on 70 percent of the
>issues--I might even wish 'em well.
> And then again, I might not. Right now, I'm still a Democrat
>and yes, I'm still sore. A couple days after the election we had a
>Clipboard/Fundraiser guy from Clean Water Action knock on our door.
>Now I've been giving to Cleanwater Action for years. But this time,
>as he started his speech, I said, "Before you go any further, why
>don't you tell me who you voted for in the last election."
> He said, "Well, I have great sympathy for Gore---"
> "Never mind. Just tell me who you voted for."
> He said Nader and I said, well thanks, but because you
>weren't there for me on Nov., 7th and I'm now not going to be here
>for you. Cleanwater Action can send me someone who voted for Gore.
>And I shut the door.
> Of course, afterwards, I felt guilty because I was raised to
>be a Minnesotan and this wasn't exactly Nice. But in fact, if
>Cleanwater Action in Minneapolis can't find anyone among themselves
>who voted for Gore, that tells me something about their political
>judgements. And why should I give'em money to do political action
>when I think they failed big-time in the last month?
> In sum, the Greens could have a future in Minneapolis. But
>then they'd actually have to govern. And before they got to the
>governing stage, they'd have to WOO (hint: this is different from
>lecturing) angry progressive voters like me who hold them partly
>responsible for the Recent Unpleasentness. Instead, what I'm hearing
>from Greens is a call to arms, more war, more targeting of
>progressive politicians (like Wellstone) who "sold out."
> Very 15, guys.
> Somewhere between Heaven and Hell is a real world that needs
>both idealism and pragmatism. And leaders who are willing to enter
>the messy, yet worthy work of governing. I'd like to see the Greens
>succeed in Minneapolis as grown-ups. On those terms, I really do wish
>them well.
> Lynnell Mickelsen
> Linden Hills, Ward 13
>
