"There are increasingly two Americas:
the America of multinationals dictating decisions in Washington,
and the America of neighborhoods and rural areas, who feel left
out. ...The American Revolution never really ended. It's a continuing
process. I think we're approaching the revolution of hope.
We have the country that makes it possible for people, if they've
lost control of the government, to regain it in a peaceful way.
Through the ballot box." --Dennis
Kuchinich, 1978
As the Easter season blooms, and April of 2004 emerges as the
month with the greatest loss of American lives since the Iraq
war began, two of Thomas Jefferson’s quotes invite reflection:
A little rebellion now and then is a medicine necessary for
the sound health of government.
I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.
Jefferson, America’s third president, was born April thirteenth,
1743. The number thirteen[1] has figured prominently in American
symbolism. In the original flag, the thirteen colonies were represented
by thirteen stars forming a circle. Our current flag has
thirteen stripes.
On both the obverse and reverse of the Great Seal of the United
States, (which can be seen on the back of a one dollar bill) the
number thirteen is seen in abundance. There are thirteen stars
in the crest, thirteen stripes in the shield, thirteen letters
in Annuit Coeptis, thirteen letters in E Pluribus Unum
and thirteen courses of stone in the pyramid. The eagle holds
an olive branch with thirteen leaves and thirteen olives in its
right talon (representing peace, and the feminine), and thirteen
arrows in the left (representing war, and the masculine). The
gaze of the eagle, however, is firmly upon the olive branches,
indicating America’s focus and destiny toward peace.
Thirteen is also the number traditionally associated with the
Divine Feminine. In ancient times there were thirteen “moonths”
in a year, since there are thirteen full moons, and therefore
thirteen menstrual cycles annually. The thirteenth letter of the
alphabet is “M,” a letter associated with many things
feminine, including mother, mom, mama, mammary glands, menstruation
and one of the most powerful feminine archetypes in the world,
the Virgin Mary.
In its purest sense, American democracy is a reclaimation of the
balance in the masculine/feminine dance, a waltz which has suffered
from the imbalance of patriarchy for the past 5,000 years.
Keeping in mind that everyone, man or woman, has both a right
brain (feminine) and a left brain (masculine), duality pairs meriting
consideration include:
Feminine-Masculine
Venus-Mars
Love-War
Heart/Emotions-Head/Thoughts
Flowing-Angular
Circle-Square
Creation-Destruction
Arts-Sciences
Grace-Law
Myth-Fact
Inclusiveness-Hierarchy
Union-Separation
Nature-Technology
Oral tradition/herstory – Written tradition/history
Formlessness-Form and Order
Horizontal path of power-Vertical path of power
Compassion for others-Focus on self
Appreciation- Analyzation
Nurture- Critique
Process Oriented-Goal Oriented
Compromise-Compete
Win/win paradigm – Win/lose paradigm
None of the individual components in each pair is right or wrong.
However, the dynamic dance between the two is required for fruitful
balance. A pendulum cannot swing in only one direction, nor can
we clap with just one hand.
In viewing the competitive, hierarchical, technological and war-focused
direction of America, the imbalances caused by the overzealous
glorification of masculine attributes are apparent. The dawning
of understanding of the tragic loss of the feminine in our culture
is underscored by the custom of skipping thirteen in the numbering
of floors in skyscrapers, hotel rooms or racecars.
In the imbalance of patriarchy the dance and the dancers suffer,
and both the feminine and the masculine ache for wholeness.
The architects of America crafted a foundation of government with
the built-in potential to reclaim the masculine/feminine balance.
The Declaration of Independence authored by Jefferson is a stunning
break from patriarchal rule and vertical power. It includes such
right brain/feminine concepts as “liberty for all,”
“equality” and the inalienable rights of all persons
to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” It
rejects the hierarchical claim to power subscribed to by England’s
George lll who declared that his power to rule came directly from
God through the “divine right of kings.” (Deja-vu, anyone?)
The Declaration of Independence embodies the seeds of the feminine
attributes of inclusivity, compassion and union. In a radical
assertion for the times, the Declaration of Independence states
that the American government receives its power not from God but
from its people. It also decrees that a government that does not
live up to the purposes for which it was created can and should
be changed or abolished by its citizens.
Jefferson’s sentiment that “a little rebellion now and
then is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government”
is echoed by Thomas Paine, who penned some of the most stirring
words of the American Revolution by the fading light of a campfire,
beside his compatriot, George Washington. Upon reading Paine’s
essay, Washington commanded that it be read to all of the troops.
Paine’s words still stir American hearts today: “These
are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and
the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service
of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and
thanks of man and woman.” Paine’s words, referring to
the American Revolution, are just as meaningful in describing
the current revolution by the Americans who are in the “service
of their country,” passionately reclaiming a government “of
the people, by the people and for the people.”
The Constitution[2], penned primarily by James Madison, also abandons
the patriarchal view of “power over” in order to empower
its citizens. One example of the feminine qualities of compromise
and creating a win-win outcome occurred when systems of representation
were debated in the Continental Congress. The larger states wanted
Virginia’s proposal, which would allow representation based
on population. The smaller states naturally preferred New Jersey’s
plan of equal representation by state. The “Great Compromise”
was a paradigm shifting, win-win solution, which birthed the concept
of two houses in Congress: the Senate and the House of Representatives.
In another example of a conscious shift toward more inclusivity,
the preamble to our Constitution was changed. It originally read,
“We the States…” but was changed to “We the
people of the United States…” Our founders wanted to
punctuate the fact that the government was instituted in order
to be in service to the citizens, not the other way around.
Thomas Jefferson set the cornerstone for freedom of religion in
America as author of both the Statute of Virginia for Religious
Freedom and the Declaration of Independence [3]. In his wisdom,
he referred to spiritual influences in more inclusive terminology,
such as “Creator,” “Divine Providence” and
“nature’s God.”
While all religions are tolerated in America (theoretically, at
least), Christianity remains the religion of the majority. In
its purest form, Christianity also represents a movement toward
the recovery of the masculine/feminine equilibrium. Jesus himself
exemplified this quest for balance. He embraced grace (right brain/feminine)
over the left brain/patriarchal law of “an eye for an eye,”
in effect replacing karma with grace. In Luke, when Jesus healed
the crippled woman on the Sabbath[4], which was forbidden by law,
he showed that he followed a higher law - the law of the heart.
And in Jesus’ predilection for teaching in parables, he quietly
endorses the power of oral myth and story, a feminine mode of
imparting knowledge, as the means to embody the greater Truths.
(As Don Quixote noted, “Facts are the enemy of truth.”)
Jesus also distanced himself from the masculine concept of hierarchy,
embracing a lateral distribution of self-empowerment with words
such as “even greater things (than I) shall ye do.[5]”
Even the ways in which Jesus treated his mother and Mary Magdalene
offer a glimpse into the way that he honored the feminine. He
was radical in his inclusion of women in his ministry, although
this isn’t always clearly seen through the eyes of the less
visionary scribes who recorded his life.
Possibly the most feminine, heart-centered quote from Saint Paul
is associated with the number of the feminine. “And now abides
Faith, Hope, Love, these three— but the greatest of these
is Love,” is verse thirteen of Chapter thirteen of I Corinthians.
Thirteen is also associated with Jesus’ birth through Epiphany,
the date when the Magi arrived with gifts, which occurs thirteen
days after Christmas on January 6th. The circle created by Jesus
and his disciples, numbers thirteen, as does the family of Jacob
and his twelve sons, who formed the twelve tribes of Israel.
Even the knights of King Arthur and his Round Table, number thirteen.[6]
The fame of the knights of Camelot is based more upon their honor,
integrity and spiritual values than upon their martial skills.
The Knights of the Round Table were sworn to such feminine values
as to be merciful, courageous, hospitable, faithful, to uphold
integrity and to respect all women. They dedicated themselves
to the quest for the Holy Grail. What more feminine symbol is
there than the image of the vessel, the sacred womb of the mother?
In patriarchal times, the Grail legends speak to the deepest parts
of our souls in an archetypal quest for the feminine aspects of
divinity.
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) is a modern day Knight of the
Round Table who exemplifies the archetype of Sir Gawain, beloved
of Camelot and champion of the divine feminine. In a trial-by-fire,
Kucinich’s integrity was proven by his courageous response
to the Enron-like attempted takeover of the municipal light company
during his tenure as the young mayor of Cleveland in 1978[7].
Like Gawain, Kucinich knows that the path toward balance is through
restoring feminine principles to its rightful place in society.
Kucinich’s compassionate politics and heart-centered platforms
on civil rights, health care for all, free education for all,
jobs for all, respect for the environment, and the conservation
of Social Security for our elders invite American citizens to
engage in a more whole and balanced dance. He is the only presidential
candidate who voted against the civil liberties-shredding Patriot
Act. Ironically, though labeled a progressive, Kucinich is a conservative
in the purest sense, completing the circle in his quest to conserve
the rights of the Constitution for the American people.
Like the Round Table Knights, Kucinich believes in the appropriate
development of defense, but is dedicated toward the primary pursuance
of more honorable and peaceful measures. The 2003 recipient of
the prestigious Gandhi Peace Award[8], Kucinich authored HR 1673,
a bill that would establish a U.S. Department of Peace at the
cabinet level. Designed to institute nonviolence as an organizing
principal of American society, it would provide domestic and international
peace-building policy options. This department was first proposed
by none other than George Washington, who believed it was an essential
component in American government. 210 years later, Americans are
still waiting.
Certainly a Department of Peace is the fitting manifestation of
the American eagle’s steadfast gaze toward the olive branch.
Kucinich offers the lone voice in the political limelight with
a workable plan for getting out of Iraq[9] as a first step toward
restoring peace. His well thought out exit strategy, detailed
on his website, asks the U.N. to step in and then brings U.S.
troops home. In a classic scenario of feminine versus masculine
modus operandi, he demonstrates that he is wisely willing to stop
to look at a map and consider directions, rather than just rage
blindly forward.
It is interesting to note that Kucinich officially announced his
candidacy for the president on the thirteenth of October[10],
during the zodiacal month of Libra, the symbol of balance. And
in his speeches Kucinich often word-paints an image of the American
eagle’s need for both wings in order to fly, the Left and
the Right in balanced synchronization.
The bald eagle has a deep, archetypal connection to this land,
as it was sacred to the Native Nations long before America was
conceived. The “eagle eye” symbolizes vision, and the
essence of this great bird is strength and courage. Because the
eagle flies higher than any other known bird, it symbolizes the
quest toward the heights of spiritual excellence.
In an arrestingly symbolic incident on July 4th, 2003, the bald
eagle at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. died as the result
of an attacked by a fox. In addition to being the name of a major
news organization, “fox” is the only three letter word
in the English language in which the letters, numerologically,
are 666. A provocative mix of archetypes, can this point to the
renovation of America, a death to the old things that aren’t
working and the exciting possibilities of birthing the new through
the democratic, transformative process? Punctuating Independence
day as symbolic of death and the promise of rebirth, America’s
second and third presidents, John Adams and Jefferson[11], both
died on July 4th, 1826, exactly 50 years after the signing of
the Declaration of Independence.
In the zodiac, death, transformation and the eagle are all associated
with the sign of Scorpio. Although the exact birth time of the
United States is subject to some conjecture, there is reason to
accept the time of approximately 2 pm on July 4, 1776[12]. Several
written accounts indicate that John Hancock signed his name to
the Declaration when it came out of committee in the afternoon
of the fourth. Synchronistically, the constellation Scorpio was
just then rising on the American horizon. American elections in
November, the pivotal point of democracy, fall during the annual
zodiacal period of Scorpio, infusing the voting process with the
archetype of transformation. And this is indeed a year that Wisdom
beseeches voters to invoke that transformative spirit.
Jefferson said he trembled for his country when he “reflected
that God is just.” And yet he had helped to put into place
the wheels of progressive politics with a system that enables
our government to transform, to ultimately regain its footing
and rebalance itself. The glory of democracy is the organic nature
of the system to “breathe,” bringing in fresh air and
expelling the old, and with that inspiration comes the ability
to mold itself as a better fit to its evolving citizenry. In that
dance of balance, America has the opportunity to live in grace
rather than karma; in appreciation and compassion rather than
criticism, in wholeness rather than separation, and in a state
of dynamic peace rather than war.
Can there be any doubt that this is the moment of transformation?
That the eaglet born 200 years ago has grown into her wingspan
and is poised to soar? She invites each one of us to follow the
leadings of our deepest destiny, the passion of our soul, and
the sacred Truth of our hearts to provide the wind beneath her
wings. And in that syncopated dance entwining right and left,
feminine and masculine, heart and head; finally Lady Liberty and
Uncle Sam can be reunited in the dance of dynamic peace and rise
to the celestial heights in the experiment of democracy.
We have received nothing less than an invitation to fly.
Meryl Ann Butler MerylAnnB@aol.com
is an artist, author and educator who counts First Lady Dolley
Payne Todd Madison and patriot Thomas Paine among her ancestors,
as well as James Payne and Thomas Wheeler, signers of the Articles
of Confederation (the precursor to the Constitution.) She appreciates
knowing that the blood of America’s matriots and patriots
runs in her veins. To see gallery of Art for Peace & Spiritual
Politics, (her currently under construction but open for visitors
site) go to www.creativespirit.net/MabArt
[2] The American Constitution is based largely
upon the constitution of the Iroquois nation, a balanced system
that had proven successful for 500 years. However a fateful difference,
is that the US did not include an essential safety feature of
the Iroquois’ “checks and balances:” that in order
to wage war, the blessing and permission of the Grandmothers’
Council was required.
[3] These two endeavors, along with “Father
of the University of Virginia” are the three accomplishments
that were inscribed over Jefferson’s grave according to his
instruction. It is interesting to note that from Jefferson’s
perspective, being president of the United States didn’t
make the top three.
[4] Luke Thirteen:10-17, the woman is healed in
verse thirteen.
[11] Jefferson’s last words were: “Is
it the Fourth? Then I resign my spirit to God, to my daughters,
to my country.” Ironically, Adams’ last words were,
“Thomas Jefferson still survives! Independence forever!”
Congressman Kucinich of Ohio is a modern "Profile in Courage."
In the late 1970s, as the youngest mayor ever of a major city,
Dennis bravely said "NO" to an Enron-like takeover of
Cleveland’s city-owned power company, Muny Light. In retaliation,
major banks— which were interlocked with the private utility
that would have become a monopoly by seizing Muny—drove the
city into default. Dennis’s political career was derailed
... until 15 years later, when he was vindicated for resisting
a corporate power grab and saving Cleveland residents hundreds
of millions of dollars on their electric bills. In five consecutive
winning elections since 1994, his campaign symbol has been a light
bulb.
Elected to Congress in 1996, Dennis has continued to wage courageous
battles for workers, consumers, the environment, and civil rights.
He is the only presidential candidate who voted against the civil
libertiesshredding "Patriot Act." He rallied opposition
to the illegal and destabilizing Iraq war—from a small group
of Congressional dissenters to the nearly 2/3 of House Democrats
who ultimately voted against the war resolution. He co-chairs
the Progressive Caucus, the largest caucus of Democrats in Congress.
Dennis Kucinich is a heartland politician who can win elections.
When he became mayor, state senator, and then Congress member,
he defeated a Republican incumbent each time. In 2004, he hopes
to defeat another one: George W. Bush.
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Dennis Kucinich: The Progressive Vision
It's time for America to resume its glorious journey. Time to
reject shrinking jobs and wages, disappearing savings and rights.
Time to reject the detour towards fear and greed. Time to look
out upon the world for friends, not enemies. Time to counter the
control of corporations over our politics, our economy, our resources,
and mass media. Time for those who have much to help those who
have little by maintaining a progressive tax structure. Time to
tell the world that we wish to be their partner in peace, not
their leader in war. Most of all, it is time for America to again
be the land where dreams come true because the government is on
the side of its people.
Unfortunately, America now leads the world in categories we should
not be proud of. America is now the world’s leading jailer
with an incarceration rate higher than China. We lead the industrialized
world in poverty and in the growing gap between rich and poor.
And we are the only industrial nation not to provide national
health care.
This is what a Kucinich administration would
work to deliver for America:
[1] Universal Health Care with a Single Payer Plan
Over 40 million Americans have no health care and 30 million more
have only minimal coverage. Those with coverage often pay exorbitant
amounts. The current profit-driven system, dominated by private
insurance firms and their bureaucracies, has failed.
A Kucinich administration would establish streamlined national
health insurance, Medicare for All. It would be publicly-financed
health care, privately delivered. It would provide affordable
prescription drugs, thanks to bulk purchasing. The General Accounting
Office of Congress has concluded:
"If the U.S. were to shift to a system of universal coverage
and a single payer, as in Canada, the savings in administrative
costs would be more than enough to offset the cost."
[2] Full Social Security Benefits at Age 65
Social security is the basic covenant our society has with workers
who have built our economy. At a time when CEOs earn 240 times
the pay of the average worker, it is unconscionable not to return
full retirement benefits to age 65.
A Kucinich administration would make that possible through a
progressive tax structure and reordered national priorities. Social
Security must not be privatized. Retirement years cannot be dependent
on the rise and fall of the stock market.
[3] Withdrawal from NAFTA and WTO
The global trade regime of NAFTA and WTO has enriched multinational
corporations. But for workers, family farmers, and the environment,
it has meant a global race to the bottom. Companies leave the
U.S. in search of low wages, low commodity prices, anti-union
climates, and lax environmental laws. NAFTA has been used to whipsaw
workers at the negotiation table, forcing wages and benefit concessions
under threat of moving jobs overseas. Trade treaties must be conditioned
on workers’ rights, human rights, and environmental principles.
Among the first actions of a Kucinich Administration will be
withdrawal from NAFTA and the WTO—to be replaced by fair
trade agreements.
[4] Repeal of the "Patriot Act"
The "Patriot Act" is not what American patriots have
fought and died for. To allow our Bill of Rights to be nullified
without judicial supervision invites tyranny. The Attorney General
has been handed unfettered power to wiretap, search, jail, and
invade our most sacred right to privacy. The government must not
be allowed, without probable cause or warrant, to snoop on our
communications, medical records, library records, and student
records.
[5] Right-to-Choose, Privacy, and Civil Rights
In a Kucinich administration, a woman’s right-to-choose will
be protected as essential to personal privacy and gender equality.
Only those who agree to uphold Roe v. Wade will be nominated for
the Supreme Court. Civil rights (and voting rights) enforcement
will be intensified. Lesbians and gays will be afforded complete
equality throughout society. Affirmative action will be maintained
as a tool for racial and gender equality. Drug policy will emphasize
treatment over criminalization, and not a rampaging war that erodes
Constitutional freedoms, privacy, and law enforcement resources.
An end to capital punishment will be sought.
[6] Balance Between Workers and Corporations
American workers are working longer and harder for less pay than
20 years ago. What’s needed is a resurgence of organized
labor, and a Kucinich administration will tenaciously defend the
rights of workers to organize and bargain collectively. Since
the purchasing power of the minimum wage has dropped 21% in two
decades, it’s time for living wages, not minimum wages. And
it’s time to reverse tax cuts that benefit the already well-to-do,
and retain an estate tax. Investing $500 billion to rebuild schools,
roads, bridges, ports, and sewage, water and environmental systems
will do more to stimulate our economy than tax breaks for the
wealthy.
[7] Guaranteed Quality Education, Pre-K through College
Since education is the only proven way to reduce poverty, it is
unacceptable that a child’s education be dependent on where
they are born or the financial status of their family. The federal
government spends only 2.9% of its budget on education. That will
change under a Kucinich administration, because quality education
is a core American right and value.
Education must emphasize creative and critical thinking, not
just test-taking. Schools need money to decrease class size, increase
teachers’ salaries, renovate decaying facilities, and include
hands-on job training for those not going to college. Pre-K and
after-school programs will get increased funding, and the soaring
costs of college will be reversed.
[8] A Renewed Commitment to Peace and Diplomacy
America will return to its role as the most admired—not hated—nation.
The doctrine of "pre-emption" will be retired, as will
an aggressive, unilateralist foreign policy that makes our homeland
less secure, not more. Our security will be enhanced by working
with other nations and the U.N. instead of acting like an Empire,
arrogantly undermining international agreements such as the Anti-Ballistic
Missile Treaty, the Biological and Chemical Weapons Conventions,
the Small Arms Treaty, the International Criminal Court, and the
Kyoto Climate Treaty. As President, Kucinich will work to implement
two measures he sponsored in Congress: the Space Preservation
Treaty, which bans space-based weapons, and a cabinet-level Department
of Peace, to establish non-violence as an organizing principle
in both domestic and international affairs.
A Kucinich administration will cut bloated and unneeded weaponry
from a military budget that now almost equals the military spending
of all other countries combined. The Kucinich peace dividend will
be invested in education, health care, environmental clean-up,
urban infrastructure, Social Security, veterans’ benefits,
and other pressing domestic needs.
[9] Restored Rural Communities and Family Farms
Agriculture, trade, and economic policies that favor agribusiness
conglomerates have devastated family farmers, rural communities,
and the environment. While the number of family farmers has plummeted,
profits have soared for a handful of agribusiness giants that
increas-ingly control everything from seed to shelf.
A Kucinich administration will break up agricultural monopolies
and restore a strong, independent family farm system with fair
prices for farmers and healthy food for consumers. A Kucinich
Administration will monitor and reduce contamination of our air,
water, and food from factory farms, with strong USDA enforcement
of tough new food safety laws.
[10] Environmental Renewal and Clean Energy
Clean air and water, as well as an intact ozone layer, are not
luxuries, but necessities for our children’s future.
A Kucinich administration will toughen environmental enforcement,
support the Kyoto Treaty on global climate change, reduce oil
dependence, and spur investment in alternative energy sources,
including hydrogen, solar, wind, and ocean. Clean energy technologies
will produce new jobs. Tax and other incentives will favor sustainable
businesses that conserve energy, retrofit pollution prevention
technologies, and redesign toxins out of their manufacturing processes.
The right to know (for example, when food is genetically engineered)
will supercede corporate secrecy. Globally, the U.S. will become
a leader in sustainable energy production and a partner with developing
nations in providing inexpensive, local, renewable energy technologies.
Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich: "Iraq will not find peace
or stability until the U.S. occupation ends. For almost a month,
I have promoted a plan to bring our troops home and turn control
of the transition over to the United Nations. The sons and daughters
of the U.S. are dying in increasing numbers for the benefit of
war profiteers with close ties to the Bush Administration. There
was no basis for a war in Iraq. It was wrong to go in, and it's
wrong to stay in. No weapons of mass destruction have been found.
We should not be sacrificing the lives of our brave men and women
for the profits of Halliburton, Bechtel, and other corporate interests.
This disastrous mission must be ended before any more lives are
lost. It is urgent for the United States to go to the U.N. with
a new resolution, which contains the basis of an exit strategy.
It is time to bring our troops home. It is time to get the U.N.
in and the U.S. out of Iraq."
Read more and check out the new website design at http://kucinich.us
IN THESE TIMES:
Pick up the November 17 issue of In These Times magazine. The
issue focuses on media reform, includes an overview of all of
the candidates' positions, and features a column by the brilliant
Studs Terkel praising Dennis. Also check out the full-page ad
for the Kucinich campaign on the back cover.
IT'S TIME TO ROCK THE VOTE:
Get some friends together and watch CNN from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Eastern on Tuesday, Nov. 4, when Rock the Vote holds a candidates
forum in Boston and airs it live. It will also be rebroadcast
from 1:00 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Eastern, and again on Sunday, Nov.
9 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. http://www.rockthevote.com/rtv_cnn.php
TALK TO DENNIS ONLINE:
Earlier in the day on Tuesday, Nov. 4, the Concord Monitor and
Washingtonpost.com will host a live discussion with Dennis Kucinich
at 11 a.m. Eastern. To submit your questions on the campaign and
Dennis's vision for the United States, go to: http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-
rv/zforum/03/sp_politics_kucinich110403.htm
COLORADO DEBATE ON AIR LIVE:
Kucinich campaign advisor Jeff Cohen and a local Colorado Kucinich
supporter will engage two Dean supporters in a live debate / discussion
on KGNU radio in Boulder on Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m. Mountain.
Listen on the internet here: http://www.kgnu.org
THE PRICE OF MOVIES:
For the price of a movie in some theaters ($10) you can double
this campaign's funding. Seriously. Well over 80,000 of you are
reading this. If you each contribute $10.00 that gives the campaign
$800,000, almost doubling October's contributions. If you all
sign up to give $10 every month without the need to click a single
additional button, you guarantee $800,000 for December. That's
a total of $1,600,000, and in January virtually all of that money
will be doubled by federal matching funds, making $3,200,000.
Not bad, huh? Imagine if you give $20! What if you skipped five
movies with a date and gave $100 to make this a better world?
War is over, if we want it. https://www.kucinich.us/contribute.php
ENDORSEMENTS FLOODING IN
Dennis Kucinich's presidential campaign has just received endorsements
from a number of prominent Americans, including actor and activist
Danny Glover, author Howard Zinn, Democratic leader and former
Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate and former head of the NFL players'
union Ed Garvey, Founder of the School of the Americas Watch Father
Roy Bourgeois, Co-Founder of Global Exchange Kevin Danaher, the
American Vegetarians, and Comedian Professor Irwin Corey.
The Kucinich campaign has also just been endorsed in the first
primary state, New Hampshire, by the New Hampshire Green Party,
and has also received the endorsement of the Kent County, Mich.,
Greens.
DENNIS A LEADER ON GUN CONTROL
Last Sunday, prior to the candidates' debate in Detroit, Kucinich
was the only candidate to accept an invitation from a Detroit
community group, Save Our Sons and Daughters, and meet with them
to learn about gun violence in the city. Dennis raised the issue
in the debate, as he had promised the group he would. The next
day, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, together with
the Million Mom March, commended Kucinich and Sen. John Kerry
"for Standing up to the NRA." http://www.jointogether.org/gv/news/alerts/reader/0,2061,567390,00.html
Meanwhile, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence is calling Kucinich
and Rep. Dick Gephardt "leaders in the fight to rid America's
streets of military-style assault weapons once and for all,"
recognizing them for cosponsoring a bill to renew and strengthen
the assault weapon ban. http://www.candidatesonguns.org
DENNIS LIVE ONLINE
The Concord Monitor and Washingtonpost.com will host a live discussion
with Dennis Kucinich online Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 11 a.m. Eastern.
To submit your questions on the campaign and Dennis's vision for
the United States, go to: http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/03/sp_politics_kucinich110403.htm
PEACE CANDIDATE VIDEO
You can now purchase online a VHS tape of "The Peace Candidate,"
a film by Malachi Roth chronicling two days that Dennis spent
in New York City during the opening weeks of the War on Iraq as
he spoke out on campus, at gatherings, and at the United Nations.
The money from the purchase of this film counts as a campaign
contribution. The price is $15 each or $10 each if you buy 10
copies. http://tinyurl.com/srlw
Please forward this Email.
Roughly 2/3 of Americans cannot name a single Democratic presidential
candidate. The general election is, after all, more than 13 months
away. But now is the time many are starting to look for a Democratic
candidate who is most strongly opposed to the disastrous policies
of George W. Bush. If that describes you or someone you know,
please pass along the following information:
Only one candidate for President voted against the misnamed "Patriot
Act."
Only one candidate plans to introduce legislation in Congress
to repeal the
"Patriot Act."
Only one candidate has declared without hesitation that he will
vote against the Bush request for $87 billion in additional funds
to continue the quagmire
in Iraq.
Only one candidate has submitted a bill to Congress that would
establish genuinely universal health coverage -- nonprofit national
health insurance for all.
Only one candidate will withdraw from corporate trade deals like
NAFTA and the
WTO, and replace them with fair trade agreements that include
labor and
environmental protections.
Only one candidate has a plan to cut the bloated military budget
by 15%
($60 billion annually) and invest those funds in universal child
care.
Only one candidate sued George Bush to stop him from going to
war in Iraq without a Congressional Declaration of War.
Only one candidate led opposition in Congress to the War in Iraq.
Only one candidate has a plan to repeal Bush's tax cuts for the
wealthiest Americans and invest that money in a plan for universal
public education, age 3-college.
Only one candidate has pledged to break up corporate monopolies
in agriculture, energy, media and other sectors that are strangling
farmers, the environment and the public.
Only one candidate has pledged to not only sign the Kyoto Treaty
on global warming, but to lead our country to 20% renewable energy
by the year 2010.
Only one candidate risked his political career by standing up
to banks and a private utility company to save public electric
power.
Only one candidate has spoken out against the takeover of our
water supply by large multinational corporations.
Only one candidate has sponsored legislation establishing a cabinet-level
Department of Peace to participate in policy discussions alongside
representatives of the Departments of State and Defense.
Only one candidate has a 98% lifetime pro-union voting record
-- highest of all candidates as ranked by the AFL-CIO.
Only one candidate is calling for "living wages," not
just minimum wages.
Only one candidate has a plan to put Americans back to work with
major investment programs to rebuild schools, roads, bridges,
ports, sewage, water and environmental systems.
Only one candidate stands firmly against the privatization of
Social Security and for returning the Social Security retirement
age to 65.
Only one candidate has introduced legislation to repeal the Federal
death penalty.
Only one candidate has been endorsed by Willie Nelson, Ani DiFranco,
Studs Terkel, Ed Asner, Hector Elizondo, Barbara Ehrenreich, Arun
Gandhi, Ben Cohen (of Ben and Jerry's) and Granny D (who walked
across the country for campaign reform at age 89).
One and only one candidate has taken the above positions.
It may not be who you think it is.
You may not have heard much about him.
His name is Dennis Kucinich, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive
Caucus.
_________________________________________________ DATELINE DENNIS
A Newsy Letter for California Kucinich Volunteers
_________________________________________________
September 5, 2003
Join With Dennis in Celebrating the International Day of Peace
Help Raise Consciousness and $1,000,000 in California
Peace begins with each one of us. Let's take this day to embody
peace in our own lives and touch the lives of those around us.
Have compassion where your first reaction may normally be anger.
Reach out to the people close to you or those you normally let
pass you by. This is a critical time, and we have a unique opportunity
in this month of September to make a profound difference in the
campaign and our nation.
Dennis has personally asked each of us - every volunteer, in
every state - to join with him in celebrating the International
Day of Peace on September 21 by holding a Peace Day House Party.
Every Peace Day House Party in California will contribute to our
California "1,000 house Parties - $1,000,000" Campaign
-- which by coincidence launched almost simultaneously with the
Peace Day Campaign! If you already have a party in the works,
good for you! If you're super-busy, have a mini-party with you
and your sweetie! Or have a maxi party, a party the week before,
but please, please, have a party! Click on http://www.kucinich.us/houseparty.htm
to download your Peace Day House Party Kit and order your house
party materials. They include Dennis' exciting new video, "This
Is the Moment," and complete materials and instructions for
staging a creative and successful event. Contact the California
House Party Team at kucinichparties@neteze.com
if you need help. And let us know how you did! We will support
you in any way we can.
-- More Great News: Speakers are available for House Parties
in the Bay Area! If you live in the Bay Area, we may be able to
send trained speakers to your party who will speak about Dennis'
campaign, answer questions, and ask for the donations. All you
will need to supply is the house, the food and the guests! And
Judy Pope and her fantastic team will train speakers and trainers
in your region. Speaker training on video is also in the works
for this phenomenally succesful program. For more info or to request
a speaker, contact the California house party team at kucinichparties@neteze.com
or call us at 866 388-2004 ext. 28.
-- Create Your Own Kucinich Website!
The national campaign office is about to initiate a powerful,
new internet tool. This service will allow each of us to create
our own Kucinich for President websites-a terrific way to spread
Dennis' message to friends and to raise money in a truly grassroots
fashion. We'll send you more information when the link is up and
running.
-- Volunteers Sought for Media Coverage
California Media Corp for Kucinich, a statewide group of volunteers
striving for more visibility and positive press coverage for Dennis,
needs volunteers. The job entails sending out local press releases
and calendar items for special events in your area. Experience
writing press releases is preferred, but not mandatory. To volunteer,
email padispeaks@hotmail.com
-- Major Donors Needed
Bob Wrubel of the National Fundraising Committee is asking for
your help. Do you know one or more potential major donors but
hesitate to ask them for a gift? If you would like help in approaching
them, call Bob Wrubel of the National Fundraising Committee at
415-927-2004. Bob is offering his assistance for this important
work.
-- Volunteers Needed for Northern California Office
You can make a major contribution to the campaign by volunteering
at the Northern California office in Corte Madera. Whether you
are available a few hours a week or on a project basis, we need
your help! You could be involved with events, assist the campaign
director, help with fundraising or handle numerous other tasks.
There are a lot of opportunities available as the campaign is
buzzing with movement! There are also opportunities to do volunteer
work from home. So, don't hold back if you can't come into the
office . . . be a virtual volunteer handling projects from your
home. Please contact Michelle Benoit at 415-927-2004, ext. 37
or michelle@kucinich.us
-- Dennis Opposes Prop 54
Dennis has taken a strong stand against Prop 54, the Ban on Information
proposition introduced by Ward Connerly and misnamed Racial Privacy
Initiative. This legislation would prevent government from tracking
progress in discrimination, housing, education, jobs and health
care differentials, thereby creating a two-tier society. This
proposition will be on the ballot on October 7, along with the
recall.
-- Promote Dennis at Race for a Cure!
If you are participating in the Race for a Cure on September 7,
please wear your Kucinich T-shirt and/or hat and buttons, and
have some literature on hand to answer questions and to promote
Dennis. There is also a three-day walk in November. The Susan
G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Race for the Cure, Sunday, September
7, at Crissy Field in The Presidio. <http://www.sfkomen.org>
-- Democracy Now! Features Dennis
Democracy Now!, which is carried in the Bay Area by KPFA, broadcast
a Dean vs. Kucinich piece on August 28. Norman Solomon, who wrote
a great article that received national play, spoke for Dennis.
Ten days previously, Amy Goodman interviewed Dennis about the
Northeast blackout of 2003. Go to <http://www.democracynow.org>
for more information and to read Dennis' comments on the blackout
and First Energy of Ohio.
-- Wanted: Office Space in L.A.
The Kucinich campaign is seeking outreach field office space in
the greater L.A. area, preferably no more than one hour's drive
from LAX. If you know of any, please call Francis at 323-469-2186.
Kucinich for President, California Campaign
415-927-2004 866-388-2004
<http://www.kucinich.us>
Whole-hearted support + Word of Mouth + Internet
= Geometric Progession = Kucinich
by Jean Shinoda Bolen, M.D.
Chances are that you will hear about Dennis Kucinich,
Democratic candidate for President, from someone you know
who has heard him speak. Imagine having someone run for
president who is intelligent, principled, spiritual,
courageous, a person with depth, humor andcompassion!
(invariably, there's lots of positive adjectives). And,
your friend will comment, "You'll really like what he
stands for!" All true. Chances are that you then may hear
yourself parroting the voice of conventional wisdom: "Yes,
but how could Kucinich possibly win?"
One of the "Yes,but..." discouraged comments I even
got
from one of my friends was, "He is a wonderful man but he
will not be president, he is too short and too radical."
Listen up! This article is about how twenty-first century
communication plus whole-hearted, altruistic support makes
it possible for Dennis Kucinich to become the Democratic
candidate who beats Bush.
This potential is a mathematical reality based on the
social dynamics of reaching a critical mass. As unlikely as
it may seem at first glance, Kucinch can be elected
The ideas that support this possibility are drawn from The
Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
by Malcolm Gladwell, The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million
People are Changing the World, by Paul H. Ray and Sherry
Ruth Anderson, and my own The Millionth Circle: How to
Change Ourselves and The World inspired by the Hundredth
Monkey story and Rupert Sheldrake's theory in A New Science
of Life: The Hypothesis of Morphic Resonance which
sustained the anti-nuclear activists when conventional
wisdom said that mere citizens could not stopthe
superpowers from their inevitable destructive course. The
success of the women's movement and the end of the nuclear
arms race between the United States and Russia are examples
of how ideas that initially were resisted and thought to be
impossible became reality. John F. Kennedy was the first
president elected with the help of television coverage,
Dennis Kucinich can be the first president elected
with the help of websites and emails. In the last
presidential election, 106 million of the 156 million
registered voters actually voted. There are probably only
two or three degrees of separation between those of us who
have or will respond positively to Kucinch early in this
election and the number of people needed to win the
democratic nomination, which is the first task.
The largest identifiable group that hold the similar views
as Kucinch are the fifty million Cultural Creatives, sixty
percent of whom are women. According to the data and
research, we are Americans who care deeply about ecology
and saving the planet, about relationships, peace, social
justice, self-expression, and spirituality. We are both
inner directed and socially concerned. We are optimistic,
altruistic and idealistic, believe in gender equality and
reproductive choice. Especially relevant in a political
campaign, we are volunteers, activists, and contributors to
good causes. Neither those of us who fit into this category
nor political strategists realize that in numbers and
in influence that we have the potential to shape 21st
century America by our active, whole-hearted support of
Dennis Kucinch. (A second category of voters who respond to
Dennis Kucinich as one of their own are working class
people. This is a whole other constituency that trust him
to do right by them.)
Word of mouth epidemics follow the same geometric
progression as the epidemiology of AIDS or SARS. A virus or
an idea held at first by a few, spreads rapidly to many,
reaches a critical mass or "tipping point" and becomes
an
epidemic. This is how Dennis Kucinich as the least known
candidate and without millions of his own or from
special interests, could get his message out and be
elected.
The most famous example of a word-of-mouth epidemic was
Paul Revere's famous Midnight ride. On April 18, 1775,
Revere and others in Boston became convinced that the
British invasion was set for the next day. At ten p.m., he
jumped on his horse and rode to Lexington, stopping in
every town along the way to pass the word. The news
spread like wildfire -- or like a contagion -- as those
alerted by Paul Revere sent out riders with the message and
roused their communities by ringing the church bells. The
next morning when the British began their march toward
Lexington, the region was prepared. In Concord, they
were soundly defeated. The American Revolution had begun.
There were actually two midnight riders that night. Paul
Revere took the message northwest of Boston, while William
Dawes took it to the southwest. Both men carried the same
message, rode through just as many towns and over as many
miles, but Dawes' ride had little effect. In Gladwell's
analysis--which is very relevant for a word of mouth
campaign, it was because of the difference between
the two men.
People whose words are believed are not distinguished by
worldly status and achievement, but by the particular
standing they have among their friends and in Revere's
case in the number of people who knew him as well. The
people who can mobilize a word of mouth epidemic are known
and trusted. They are information gatherers, connectors,
persuaders, innovators or early adopters. If you are
reading this, you are likely to be such a person.
I heard about Dennis Kucinich from Gina Thompson, an old
friend who called me up and said that after she heard
Dennis speak, she became involved in a political campaign
for the first time in her life. She and John, her registered
Republican husband hosted a fund-raising,
meet-the-candidate event at their house which provided the
opportunity for me to hear him speak publically as well as
talk to him informally. To my amazement, I found that he
had read The Tao of Psychology. Three weeks later, I
along with Jack Kornfield and Sylvia Boorstein, (both
founders of the Spirit Rock Meditation Center and authors)
joined him onstage as he spoke on "Repair the American
Dream: Reclaim Conscience in U.S. Politics." The large
church sanctuary in which he spoke was literally full to
the rafters, even the choir loft had standing room only.
They had come via word-of-mouth through emails and the
internet or after hearing Kris Welch interview Joanna Macy
about her support for Kucinch on KPFA.
Word of mouth is information generated and passed on
because it's good news that people want to share. This is
how we learn about restaurants, movies, or books, (rarely
about someone running for office) from people we trust to
have discrimination, who care enough to pass the good word
along. Dennis Kucinich, a candidate who is for real, is
good news.
However, the rational mind may need numbers and examples to
be convinced that Kucinich can be elected. Recall how the
AIDS virus could spread from its small pool of infected
people in Africa to reach the critical mass and become a
worldwide epidemic. Viruses and ideas can spread by
geometic progression, this is how a critical mass is
reached. If each time a message is communicated, the
number of people who get the message and then pass it on
were to double, the numbers mutiply astronomically. In The
Tipping Point, the mind-boggling example begins with the
idea of folding and then refolding a piece of paper, until
the paper has been refolded fifty times. If this were
possible to do, the stack would reach from here to the sun
and if you could fold it one more time, it would reach back
to the Earth.
Morphic resonance and the hundredth monkey or
the millionth circle also depends upon critical mass to
bring about change. Sheldrake's human morphic field and
C.G. Jung's collective unconscious are the same. This
means that when a critical number of people change their
perceptions and behavior, it becomes a new choice or
pattern in the collective psyche, which each of us can
contribute to or draw from. The Hundreth Monkey in
the allegorical story was the monkey who, upon learning
a new behavior, tipped the scales, so that monkeys who were
not even in direct communication now changed what they did.
When a critical mass is reached, in this theory, new
attitudes and behavior will spread through the species
unconsciously. This can either be deducted through
researched examples or grasped intuitively.
Dennis Kucinich can win when a critical number of people
support his candidacy whole-heartedly. Lukwarm support for
another Democratic candidate will not beat Bush.
Whole-hearted support generates a commitment that is
contagious to others. Go to www.kucinch.us
or www.house.gov/kucinich
to learn about him, read his
speeches, and check out what he stands for and the
largeness of his vision for America and for America's
participation in a global community. Once
you are convinced, commit yourself and providence will
move, too.
Name recognition that comes first through word-of-mouth is
a wonderful beginning. With the internet, ordinary
people's contributions made to Kucinich's website will grow
by geometrical progression, so that when money is really
needed, it will be there. Roughly, this far ahead of the
election, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton were little known
governors from small southern states. Dennis Kucinich now
occupies a dark horse position. He is a Congressman from
Ohio, who is not yet considered in the running by the
media. Meanwhile, below the CNN and Fox News radar, the
word is getting out -- Dennis Kucinich is for real and
he can be elected.
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Feminists for Kucinich
July 7, 2003
The Kucinich for President Campaign takes a big step forward
today with
the announcement of "Feminists for Kucinich." Eight
diverse feminist
writers and organizers have initiated a statement in support of
Kucinich, which will be widely circulated to attract new supporters.
The original signers are:
BARBARA EHRENREICH, political essayist and author ("Nickel
and Dimed");
ANGELA GILLIAM, professor and expert on Black feminist anthropology;
YNESTRA KING, writer and activist on environmental, feminist,
and
disability issues;
GAIL LERNER, organizer in the global women's movement and with
U.N. agencies;
GRACE PALEY, peace activist and author ("Enormous Changes
at the Last Minute");
ROSALIND PETCHESKY, international feminist activist and political
science professor;
DIGNA SANCHEZ, Latina community activist in New York;
MEREDITH TAX, novelist, essayist and international organizer of
feminist writers.
Although the statement has just started to circulate, it has
already
attracted signatures from such prominent feminists as Blanche
Weisen
Cook, biographer of Eleanor Roosevelt; Marilyn French, author
of "The
Women's Room"; actress and singer Ronnie Gilbert; Jewish
activist and
poet Irena Klepfisz; and political scientist Zillah Eisenstein.
FEMINISTS FOR KUCINICH
Rather than waiting to hear what all the Democratic candidates
have to
say, then jumping on the bandwagon of the least offensive, we
decided to
make our own list of priorities and see who agrees with us.
1) We want a candidate who will stop the war on the poor. 2)
We want a
candidate who stands for peace, respects international treaties
and
institutions such as the U.N. and the International Criminal Court,
and
tries to resolve problems through negotiation. 3) We want a candidate
who will defend the separation of church and state, and the individual
rights guaranteed us by the Constitution.
4) We want a candidate who opposes discrimination based on sexual
orientation or gender identity, and who stands for women's reproductive
rights and recognizes that these rights depend on universal health
insurance. 5) We want a candidate who will address questions of
global
economic imbalance and stand up for the rights of immigrants.
6) We
want a candidate who will challenge racism domestically and internationally.
Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate who not only agrees with
all these
points but has developed policies to support them: starting a
cabinet-level Department of Peace; supporting unions and the right
to
organize; cutting the bloated military budget; restoring environmental
regulations and launching a "Global Green Deal" to benefit
developing
countries; withdrawing from NAFTA and the WTO and challenging
IMF/World Bank policies; repealing the "Patriot Act";
upholding Roe v. Wade; working for universal health insurance;
and abolishing the racially and
economically biased death penalty.
Because we feel that he comes closest to representing our priorities,
we
have decided to support Dennis Kucinich for President.
-------------------
JULY 4 WITH WILLIE: A special thank you to Willie and Annie Nelson
for
their gracious hospitality at the July 4th "picnic"
for tens of thousands of gleeful concertgoers in Texas. Willie
introduced Dennis to the crowd -- and Willie and Annie met privately
with Dennis to discuss how they can support the campaign and raise
the Kucinich profile among voters. (Dennis flew to Texas after
marching in July 4th parades with constituents in Ohio, and before
flying on to California for various meetings, including with ILWU
dockworkers and with California residents from India.)
PLEASE DONATE: Our campaign draws the biggest crowds and biggest
audience response, but we are not YET the top campaign in funding.
Please contribute. If you're maxed out, please get your friends,
fellow
activists or rich relations to donate. Help us show that our
fundraising surge at the end of June was no fluke. https://www.kucinich.us/contribute.php
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SUPPORT KUCINICH -- AND BUILD A MOVEMENT
6/27/03
So how did the candidates do? The statistics below are only a
part of the picture: perhaps the most significant fact is that
virtually all of the candidates would have the enthusiastic support
of a majority of MoveOn members. Taking back the primary process
for ordinary people is an important goal, but the vote made clear
that we're ready to defeat Bush no matter who the Democratic nominee
is.
As a result of the primary, well over 100,000 people have joined
a presidential campaign or contributed to one. We're already building
a movement to defeat Bush in 2004.
