I'd like to meet:
1. National Healthcare: We believe that the government should supply National Healthcare for its citizens, much like the healthcare system in Canada. They must provide residents with prepaid coverage for all medically necessary hospital and physician services. This would include coverage for services such as dental care, prescription drugs, optometric services, hearing aids, and home care. This service would vary by state.
2. Smoking ban: We believe that smoking tobacco causes too many health problems. Not only does it kill those who participate in smoking, but others are strongly affected, such as friends and family. The dangers of secondhand smoke have been proven, and it is inescapable when tobacco smoke is present in restaurants, stores and other public venues. The government is influenced by big business, and they certainly don't want to do anything about this very real problem, because it is far too profitable. They are watching our society die, and reaping the benefits. There are other ways our society can make money with the technology available today. Cigarettes cause too many problems, and should be illegal to buy at any age. Dependency on nicotine only last about four days and the rest is a mental battle. Society today needs to be more educated on these concerns. There should be an act in which tobacco company employees get a job elsewhere, so that unemployment doesn't increase. The federal government should help more people find jobs. Homelessness should not be an option.
3. Education: The government should pay for college. If not totally, then it should support a large portion of education. This enables students to acquire a decent job. In today's society, most well paying jobs demand a higher education. This educational program will also relieve pressure from student loans that take a lifetime to repay. It would also help students get a good start in life, helping with poverty that comes with being forced to work a minimum wage job.
4. Awareness: We also need to educate people on things such as STDs, AIDS, and other health concerns in today's world. For example, the current situation in Darfur is appalling. Thousands and thousands of people are dying, and not enough attention is being given to the crisis. Conditions like these need focus from the nation, and the federal government can help by telling the people what is going on, and what they can do about it.
5. Separation of church and state: We believe in the total separation of church and state. Religion should have no power over the people, especially a single religion. The power of choice resides with the people, and this right should not be obstructed by religious beliefs. Those beliefs are certainly not grounds for laws and amendments concerning civil rights to be passed.
6. Stop animal cruelty: There are other ways to further scientific knowledge than to test on animals. The trials performed on these living, feeling creatures are outdated and rendered unnecessary, and yet they continue. The cruelty those animals have to face day by day is heartbreaking. Animals shouldn't be living test tubes; they have lives too.
7. Organics: We believe in the promotion of organic food. The FDA should regulate the amount of toxins in our foods today. The poisons found in the food consumed by average Americans are unbelievable, and sadly, most are not aware of the volume of chemicals being dumped into food. Food is also genetically modified, and growth hormones can be found in commercial food. Not only should this information be easily available, it should not occur in the first place.
8. Food and Drug Administration: We need to stop them from suppressing natural cures, and making Americans believe it is okay to fill your body full of synthetics. There is a natural cure for almost everything. Of course, there are a few cases, but synthetics prescription and non-prescription drugs are bad for you in the long run. Also, the FDA approves of medicines and other products, without being fully aware of long term affects.
9. End prejudice: We believe that everyone is created equal, and that love is love, no matter which gender. Equality for all is our goal.
10. Immigration: We believe that immigrants who are helping our economy should be allowed to do so. They have every right to live up to "The American Dream" the way they plan to do so.
11. Vegetarianism: We believe that there is no need to eat meat in the 21st century. Of course, we wouldn't ban meat, but we will promote the health benefits involved with being vegetarian. Not only can land be utilized more effectively when used for growing food, not raising meat, but the chances of heart disease dramatically decrease on a vegetarian diet. Heart disease is the number one killer in America, but starvation affects millions worldwide. There is enough food produced in the world to feed everyone... so why are people dying of hunger in the 21st century?
12. Pollution: We believe there should be an end to biological forms of pollution and human health damage via the subsidy of diary farming and the meat industry.
13. Anti-war Act: We shouldn't go to war, unless it is the last option to do so. War is not the best way to resolve solutions. It may actually anger more people and cause more hatred against our country and our government. Sowing resentment against us could lead to future violence.
14. Elders: We believe elders are not always wiser, and that we should let the youth of society have a say. The young people in our country will someday be the generation in charge, so why not change things now when they are more open to change? Change should be accepted as a positive thing, not something to be feared. Don't let anything hold you back. STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN.
15. Electoral College: The Electoral College is no longer functioning. Originally it was instated because the founders of our country were afraid of the common man, and whether they could be trusted to vote. That was also back when the vote was permitted to only white, landholding men. Now, we believe that decision should be made with the popular vote, not the Electoral College. That system has allowed elections to be stolen, and we need to stop this voting chaos.
16. Abortion: You shouldn't kill another human, especially not your own. However, it is still a personal freedom that should not and cannot be taken away by the government.
We also believe in the 10 key values of The Green Party:
1. GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY
Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect his or her life and should not be subject to the will of another. Therefore, we will work to increase public participation at every level of government and to ensure that our public representatives are fully accountable to the people who elect them. We will also work to create new types of political organizations which expand the process of participatory democracy by directly including citizens in the decision-making process.
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. We must consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and society at large, barriers such as racism and class oppression, sexism and homophobia, ageism and disability, which act to deny fair treatment and equal justice under the law.
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. We support a sustainable society which utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we must practice agriculture which replenishes the soil; move to an energy efficient economy; and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.
4. NON-VIOLENCE
It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to society's current patterns of violence. We will work to demilitarize, and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, without being naive about the intentions of other governments.
We recognize the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in helpless situations. We promote non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward lasting personal, community and global peace.
5. DECENTRALIZATION
Centralization of wealth and power contributes to social and economic injustice, environmental destruction, and militarization. Therefore, we support a restructuring of social, political and economic institutions away from a system which 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
Redesign our work structures to encourage employee ownership and workplace democracy. Develop new economic activities and institutions that will allow us to use our new technologies in ways that are humane, freeing, ecological and accountable, and responsive to communities.
Establish some form of basic economic security, open to all.
Move beyond the narrow "job ethic" to new definitions of "work," jobs" and "income" that reflect the changing economy.
Restructure our patterns of income distribution to reflect the wealth created by those outside the formal monetary economy: those who take responsibility for parenting, housekeeping, home gardens, community volunteer work, etc.
Restrict the size and concentrated power of corporations without discouraging superior efficiency or technological innovation.
7. FEMINISM AND GENDER EQUITY
We have inherited a social system based on male domination of politics and economics. We call for the replacement of the cultural ethics of domination and control with more cooperative ways of interacting that respect differences of opinion and gender. Human values such as equity between the sexes, interpersonal responsibility, and honesty must be developed with moral conscience. We should remember that the process that determines our decisions and actions is just as important as achieving the outcome we want.
8. RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY
We believe it is important to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of respectful relationships across these lines.
We believe that the many diverse elements of society should be reflected in our organizations and decision-making bodies, and we support the leadership of people who have been traditionally closed out of leadership roles. We acknowledge and encourage respect for other life forms than our own and the preservation of biodiversity.
9. PERSONAL AND GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY
We encourage individuals to act to improve their personal well-being and, at the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social harmony. We seek to join with people and organizations around the world 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 seek to protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of or "unmaking" all waste we create, while developing a sustainable economics that does not depend on continual expansion for survival. We must counterbalance the drive for short-term profits by assuring that economic development, new technologies, and fiscal policies are responsible to future generations who will inherit the results of our actions.
Make the quality of life, rather than open-ended economic growth, the focus of future thinking.
Our ideas may be a little far fetched,
But if we work together as a changing society, anything's possible.
*Our group will not be on any ballot till it grows,
Please be patient and stay with us.