Cynthia McKinney And Rosa Clemente Announce Their
Participation In Anti-War, Anti-Human Rights Abuse Events
Before The DNC
Before The DNC
As the United States activated Navy ships and the Air
Force to begin an airlift of non-specified goods into the
former Soviet state of Georgia, and military exercises
began in the Persian Gulf near Iran, I received
communications from certain individuals among the Colorado
Greens who were organizing campaign support events there,
suggesting that I not participate in an anti-war program
being organized by other individuals in Colorado.
Perplexed, I began to do my research to understand the
nature of the fissure that I seemed to be placing myself
in the middle of. The communications to me about not
participating in one of the scheduled events became more
and more shrill. The events ran through August 26th. When
the lineup of speakers, including Rosa and me, was
announced for the events in question, I received multiple
communications stating in various ways that the sender
from the Green Party of Colorado, was on the verge of
desperation over the matter. Within a few hours, I was
reading messages stating that the Green Party of Colorado
would be ruined if I participated in the End the
Occupations/ End the War march and rally slated to take
place on the morning of August 24th on the steps of the
Colorado State Capitol, or if Rosa participated in a
Freedom March and Rally for Human Rights and Political
Prisoners at Civic Center Park the following day.
An article appeared in a local Colorado newspaper stating
that Rosa and I would not appear at the events for which
we had been scheduled. Rosa responded to our Colorado
Green Party contact that yes, indeed, we were appearing at
the two events. Both Rosa and I then received messages
demanding to know by a time certain what our plans were,
and asserting that the Green Party of Colorado would be
totally ruined if we associated with the group sponsoring
the events. In addition, we were told that at least one
resignation and sustaining membership would be tendered to
the Party, and that Rosa and I could expect no support on
the ground in Denver from the Green Party of Colorado,
including a planned fundraiser and a place to stay.
Without receiving any additional response or information
from either Rosa or I, the correspondent sent a message
informing us that all Green Party of Colorado events
previously scheduled for us had been canceled. Further,
the message stated that ballot access petitioning by Green
Party of Colorado would cease in neighboring Wyoming and
that all efforts would be made to remove Rosa’s and my
names from the ballot in Colorado. The message also noted
that the Colorado delegation overwhelmingly supported
Elaine Brown at the Green Party Convention.
With the e-mail messages flying “fast and furious,” I hope
I have mentioned the highlights of this episode in
somewhat chronological order. What Rosa and I would like
to address now, is the ideological and rational order that
produced this outcome. At the very first Green Party
debate held in San Francisco earlier this year, I pleaded
for unity of action and purpose as we face the challenges
that confront us as a country. Rosa and I are proud to
join with others who are sick and tired of war,
occupation, human rights abuses, and the continued
incarceration of our political prisoners. We are proud to
join with others who are willing to do something about it.
In the context of activities in Denver, that means
cooperating with some organizations new to us and others
with which Rosa and I have had a long-standing
relationship. Let me explain some of those relationships.
I am proud to have received a Backbone Award from the
Backbone Campaign, one of the co-participants of the
anti-war, anti-occupation events in question, according to
the organizers.
Rosa and I are pleased to have received the endorsement of
M-1 of Dead Prez, who put out a video of endorsement and
is rallying other conscious Hip Hop, Generation X voters
to the Green Party with Rosa and I as its nominees. Rebel
Diaz was on the stage with Rosa as she accepted her Green
Party nomination for Vice President. Both Dead Prez and
Rebel Diaz are participating in the events in question,
according to the organizers.
Fred Hampton, Jr.’s mother, a victim of COINTELPRO, came
to Georgia in the mid-1990s to help me gain reelection
after a malicious redistricting case that went all the way
up to the Supreme Court. Ward Churchill has traveled to my
Congressional district to educate my former constituents
on the COINTELPRO of yesterday and the COINTELPRO of
today. Natsu Saito introduced me to other victims of
COINTELPRO. I asked Kathleen Cleaver to co-author a report
that was submitted to Mary Robinson, the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights at the time of the
World Conference Against Racism, on the unsolved murders
of Black Panther Party members who were victims of
COINTELPRO. Fred Hampton, Jr., Ward Churchill, Natsu
Saito, and Kathleen Cleaver are all participating in the
events in question, according to the organizers.
As a Member of Congress, I supported the release of all
political prisoners and welcomed information from the
American Indian Movement about Leonard Peltier. I have at
many times in my political career been allied with the
ACLU, and have always supported Pam and Ramona Africa and
the MOVE Organization. The American Indian Movement of
Colorado, King Downing of the ACLU, and Pam and Ramona
Africa of MOVE are all participating in the events in
question, according to the organizers.
Mumia Abu Jamal has endorsed the Power to the People
Campaign and my Green Party candidacy. According to the
organizers, Mumia will transmit a message to all of us
participating in the events in question.
Finally, I have appeared on various stages with many
Palestinians; I have proudly spoken at rallies organized
by Larry Holmes. Debra Sweet with World Can’t Wait was
among the very first to my knowledge to organize around
impeachment as an imperative and I support hers and all
other impeachment groups in their efforts. And finally, I
have known Ben Manski for a long time as a socially
conscious activist who is also a member of the Green
Party. According to the organizers, a Palestinian refugee
is slated to speak at the events in question, as well as
Larry Holmes, Debra Sweet, and Ben Manski.
Rosa and I have not been given any rational, ideological,
or strategically- acceptable reason by the Green Party of
Colorado to dissociate ourselves from the movement that
this country so desperately needs and that these
individuals and organizations participating represent, as
we all attempt to hold the Democratic Party accountable
for its complicity in all of the crimes of the Bush
Administration. Therefore Rosa and I will keep our
appointments in Denver and we hope that the members of the
Green Party of Colorado will attend our sessions and
listen to what we have to say. I have faith that by taking
principled stands against war and occupation, human rights
abuse, the prison-industrial complex, and in support of
freedom for political prisoners, the Green party will
emerge stronger.
Cynthia McKinney
Green Party Nominee for President of the United States
Rosa Clemente
Green Party Nominee for Vice President of the United
States
*MORE INFORMATION*
Cynthia McKinney 'Power to the People' Campaign for President
http://www.runcynthiarun.org
http://www.allthingscynthiamckinney.com
http://www.mckinney2008.com
Rosa Clemente, candidate for Vice President
http://www.rosaclemente.com
Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
--
John Judge
Press Secretary
McKinney for President 2008
202-584-1021
240-491-3311 fax
press-secretary@runcynthiarun.org www.runcynthiarun.org (Media Contacts)
Please Support Sis. Cynthia McKinney's Run For The Whitehouse By Visiting Her Official Campaign Website http://www.runcynthiarun.org
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