Thursday, March 30, 2006
Did we miss the boat?
Recently the Charlotte Area Green Party attended an anti-war rally in town. With a turn-out of about 80 or so folks, including almost a dozen Greens, I felt pretty good about what we were able to do. I still feel good about it.
The following weekend, 3000 to 5000 demonstrators were in another city park, demanding that new laws designed to drive undocumented workers back to their nation of origin be defeated. Any Greens in attendance were their on their own.
Did we miss the boat? Damn straight we missed the boat.
Perhaps our Green friends in California can offer some guidance. To see the press release they sent out calling for amnesty and equality in immigration policy, just click on the "Read more!" link...
Green Senate Hopefuls Call for Amnesty and Equality in Immigration Legislation
THE GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA
www.cagreens.org
Monday, March 27, 2006
Contact:
Sara Amir, 310.270-7106 saraamir@earthlink.net
Pat Driscoll 916.320-6430 pat@sonicfrog.com
Susan King 415.823-5524 funking@mindspring.com
Green Party US Senate hopefuls charge Senate changes in immigrant legislation don't go far enough, call for 'amnesty, equality'
SACRAMENTO (March 27, 2006) - In the wake of massive statewide rallies this past weekend attended by close to a million people, Green Party candidates for U.S. Senate Monday heavily criticized proposals which would still criminalize immigrants, demanding "amnesty" and "equality" for all undocumented workers.
They said a measure approved late Monday by the Senate Judiciary Committee still doesn't go far enough, and must still pass the full Senate and a compromise with the House bill (HR4437), which calls for criminalizing undocumented immigrants.
Three Greens - Tian Harter, Todd Chretien, Kent Mesplay - are running in the June Primary for the right to meet incumbent Sen. Dianne Feinstein in November. They called on her to do more than guarantee workers for the agricultural industry - as she did Monday - and stand up for the estimated 11 million hardworking undocumented immigrants now in the U.S.
"Nothing short of equality is acceptable," said Chretien, with Harter adding "We need amnesty for those who are here."
"We are witnessing the birth of a new civil rights movement, which is demanding amnesty for undocumented workers, the demilitarization of the Mexican-American border and general equality for immigrant workers," Chretien said. "These protests announce the arrival of the immigrant community as a powerful political force. I oppose proposals for a new bracero program, the so-called guest worker programs, because they do not grant amnesty and equality to all undocumented workers."
"HR 4437 would impose great hardship on many hardworking and decent people. The first step is to stop that legislation," said Tian Harter, who marched in Watsonville this weekend with 1,000 others, including Fernando Suarez del Solar, whose son Jesus was one of the first people that died in Iraq.
"As an engineer, I am painfully aware that the immigration system has been manipulated to bring down wages in the high tech sector. I want to ensure everyone gets jobs, and is treated equally," added Harter.
The following weekend, 3000 to 5000 demonstrators were in another city park, demanding that new laws designed to drive undocumented workers back to their nation of origin be defeated. Any Greens in attendance were their on their own.
Did we miss the boat? Damn straight we missed the boat.
Perhaps our Green friends in California can offer some guidance. To see the press release they sent out calling for amnesty and equality in immigration policy, just click on the "Read more!" link...
Green Senate Hopefuls Call for Amnesty and Equality in Immigration Legislation
THE GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA
www.cagreens.org
Monday, March 27, 2006
Contact:
Sara Amir, 310.270-7106 saraamir@earthlink.net
Pat Driscoll 916.320-6430 pat@sonicfrog.com
Susan King 415.823-5524 funking@mindspring.com
Green Party US Senate hopefuls charge Senate changes in immigrant legislation don't go far enough, call for 'amnesty, equality'
SACRAMENTO (March 27, 2006) - In the wake of massive statewide rallies this past weekend attended by close to a million people, Green Party candidates for U.S. Senate Monday heavily criticized proposals which would still criminalize immigrants, demanding "amnesty" and "equality" for all undocumented workers.
They said a measure approved late Monday by the Senate Judiciary Committee still doesn't go far enough, and must still pass the full Senate and a compromise with the House bill (HR4437), which calls for criminalizing undocumented immigrants.
Three Greens - Tian Harter, Todd Chretien, Kent Mesplay - are running in the June Primary for the right to meet incumbent Sen. Dianne Feinstein in November. They called on her to do more than guarantee workers for the agricultural industry - as she did Monday - and stand up for the estimated 11 million hardworking undocumented immigrants now in the U.S.
"Nothing short of equality is acceptable," said Chretien, with Harter adding "We need amnesty for those who are here."
"We are witnessing the birth of a new civil rights movement, which is demanding amnesty for undocumented workers, the demilitarization of the Mexican-American border and general equality for immigrant workers," Chretien said. "These protests announce the arrival of the immigrant community as a powerful political force. I oppose proposals for a new bracero program, the so-called guest worker programs, because they do not grant amnesty and equality to all undocumented workers."
"HR 4437 would impose great hardship on many hardworking and decent people. The first step is to stop that legislation," said Tian Harter, who marched in Watsonville this weekend with 1,000 others, including Fernando Suarez del Solar, whose son Jesus was one of the first people that died in Iraq.
"As an engineer, I am painfully aware that the immigration system has been manipulated to bring down wages in the high tech sector. I want to ensure everyone gets jobs, and is treated equally," added Harter.
// posted by Gregg Jocoy @ 10:26 AM 
