An Activist’s Life, by Thomas Leavitt

I wish to remind the members of this Council that homeless people are sick dying on the streets of Santa Cruz; that tonight, thousands of people in this county go without proper shelter, and many are stuck outside, in encampments made illegal by the laws of this City; and that it still remains illegal for a homeless person to pull a blanket overthemselves and sleep between the hours of 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. in the morning. This is a shameful situation.

“Bush’s Iraq policy may be best symbolized, although inadvertently, by the central photo op of the trip: the president presenting a turkey to the troops.”

The Wolfowitz memo, dated Friday and posted on a Pentagon web site Tuesday, says restricting contract bids “is necessary for the protection of the essential security interests of the United States.”

Republicans always say that “the free market” will provide… that people should have choices… but when it comes to being able to freely enter into contracts and pay money for Medigap drug policy coverage, they say, “No way, Jose.” Hypocrisy.

A lot of the recent discussion among Greens about
MoveOn.org’s success bemoans the fact that too
few Green Parties are using the kind of
grassroots e-mail activism and outreach that
MoveOn has been using so effectively.

As we try to plow through the dense declarations of doubters and the
endless beard-stroking of Green elders, all predicting the demise of the
Green Party if it has the temerity to stick to its principles, we may this
evening have one moment of celebration with the likely success of Matt
Gonzalez in San Francisco. But even if he loses, the Green Party will come
out ahead, so in the broader sense it is a win-win situation. Between
Gonzalez and his new-found supporting coalition, and the hard work and
professional presence of Peter Camejo in the gubernatorial campaign, the
Green Party has achieved a position of prominence. It no longer a party
that can be dismissed as radical counterculture upstarts. Camejo and
Gonzalez will, if we take the opportunity, usher in an era where Green
leaders of their caliber will start popping up all across the country to
take their place in the public arena. There is no turning back now.

What makes a “liberal”? A commitment to social justice, equality of opportunity and a decent quality of life for all? Can you be a “liberal” without having a commitment to economic justice? Can you be a “pro-business” liberal, can you be a millionaire hostage to corporate interests, and be a “liberal”? That’s what the election in SF is all about… the panic in SF is all about the realization that the Democrat’s now face a significant challenge to their pro-business status quo from the Green Party.

“The standoff over San Francisco’s homeless could prove to be the deciding factor Tuesday as the Green Party reaches for its first victory in a big-city mayoral race against a Democrat who has been painted as an enemy of the poor by members of the city’s sizable left-wing community.”

The Doors founding members Ray Manzarek, left and Robby Krieger, right, visit the grave of Jim Morrison in Paris. At center is singer Ian Astbury of The Doors 21st Century rock band.