America's Place

 

Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day and upcoming Black History Month...

And now a candid look at the world fifty years on from King's assassination...

America’s Place in the World’s Playground

 by Coast Watcher

“With Donald Trump desperately trying to cling to power, President-elect Joe Biden is, for all intents and purposes, the effective leader of the free world.” ~ Brent Budowsky, The Hill November 25, 2020

“President-elect Biden, by dramatic contrast, is already viewed by our alliances as the authentic and trusted leader of the free world, which is not a title in government service but a truth bestowed on individuals who have earned it by action, example and leadership - as Biden has.” ~ Brent Budowsky, opinion piece on MSN.

I don’t know who Brent Budowsky is, but he seems quite keen on Biden. He applauds Biden’s credentials in foreign relations but ignores the substance of the issue: What do the other nations of the “Free World” think of America’s claim to their leadership?

“Trump’s transactionalism abroad and racism at home have robbed the US of a higher moral purpose in its global role.” ~ Sanjaya Baru, Indian Express.

There’s no denying that the soon-to-be-ex president, Trump, did incalculable damage to America’s reputation aboard. Professional State Department officials had to work double overtime to undo the harm their boss inflicted upon international relations with his sulky, petulant, arrogant attitude. Their stock response to post-summit outrage from their foreign counterparts devolved into “Look, we know, all right? Just leave it to us, we’ll fix it and he’ll (Trump) be none the wiser.”

Trump’s attitude proved especially dangerous when it came to the 71-year-old NATO military alliance. He doesn’t seem to know exactly what an alliance is. His sudden decision to withdraw 9,500 troops from Germany created strong tensions between the United States and its allies. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is particularly disparaging of Trump’s qualities as an international statesman. 

In the four terrible years of the Trump presidency, it looks like the international stage has decided it’s better off without American “leadership.” Being berated, belittled, threatened and denigrated can be wearying even for diplomats and heads of state.

But then came the events of January 6 in Washington DC. The world watched with amazement as armed Trump supporters invaded the nation’s Capitol Building. For a few hours the prospect of an armed coup or insurrection in the United States seemed a real possibility. Subsequent investigation uncovered a plot to take hostage and/or kill elected representatives.

Such a coup—had it succeeded—would’ve altered the dynamic of international relations with America. There’s little doubt that China would’ve used the opportunity afforded by the US military’s distraction to invade Taiwan, that perpetual burr under Beijing’s saddle.

Even Biden tacitly admits the situation has changed since Trump took office—and promptly drove it into a golf bunker. In a recent speech Biden stated “We're going to have to regain the trust and confidence of a world that has begun to find ways to work around us or without us.” 

He speaks of building a coalition of like-minded partners and allies, which is a little different from assuming “leadership,” and is of a piece with Biden’s known preference for creating consensus rather than taking unilateral action. His main area of concern is China, with its powerful hegemonic government and expanding interests in SE Asia which bring it into conflict with its neighbors. Biden has also spoken of his desire to coordinate world efforts to combat climate change, something which Trump blatantly ignored and—it might be argued—did his level best to accelerate.

There is a perception in other countries, particularly Europe, that America is an overgrown hormonal teenager, throwing his weight about the world’s playground with little thought or care for the consequences. Perhaps Biden’s more mature approach is what’s needed to repair America’s image abroad, although I doubt he’ll last long enough to see out his first term. The man looks deathly ill, and his VP Kamala Harris is an unknown quantity when it comes to foreign relations. 

When Biden is sworn into office on January 20, there’s no doubt that most of the world will breathe a sigh of relief. Whether that relief will last, or whether Biden will build his desired consensus, remains to be seen. 

 

BIO: Coast Watcher remembers how the media and others set us up when Obama took office--awarding him a Nobel Peace Prize before he'd even proven himself as a lover of peace. Thousands of drone bombings  and the nickname of "Obomber" later, you'd think we'd learn not to assume the military-industrial complex and its financial backers aren't really in charge. Stay awake and keep your eyes open, folks! We're not out of the woods yet.

Related Articles:

https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/us-presidential-election-results-trump-biden-6948788/

https://www.oneindia.com/international/us-will-reclaim-its-credibility-to-lead-free-world-joe-biden-3196069.html

https://www.denverpost.com/2021/01/04/nanda-biden-has-an-uphill-trek-to-restore-americas-global-reputation-as-a-world-leader/

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/biden-soars-as-leader-of-the-free-world/ar-BB1blX9D

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2020/11/25/biden_soars_as_leader_of_the_free_world_530096.html

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The Revolution Continues so we can have a truly democratic America!

Five and a half years on, and we're still fighting the duopoly, and we're not ashamed to say that we need fellow revolutionaries like you to help us stay online and provide progressive insights. If you can spare some of your pocket change, please use the Paypal link below to donate to help fund our operations.

http://paypal.me/camatthews

Thanks for all you do in making the world a better place. Power to the people!

*** 

Tell 27 members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus to stop taking campaign contributions from weapons companies!   SIGN ON NOW

If elected representatives want to be known as “progressive” then prioritizing the needs of working people over the bottom line of companies like Raytheon and Northrop Grumman should be a no-brainer. Which is why we need members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus to live up to their progressive values and refuse to be bought off by weapons companies.  

 Tell 27 members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus to STOP taking campaign contributions from weapons companies!

Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus are supposed to be “fighting to rein in bloated Pentagon spending”. Then why, according to a study by the Security Policy Reform Institute, did 27 members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus take thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from weapons companies and consistently vote to increase the Pentagon budget during the Trump administration? Weapons companies like Raytheon and Lockheed Martin rely heavily on defense spending that is approved by Congress for their enormous profits. That’s a serious conflict of interest!   Sign on to tell 27 members of the Progressive Caucus to take this conflict of interest seriously and end campaign contributions from weapons manufacturers!

We’re gearing up to make 2021 the year that Defunding the Pentagon becomes a reality by making sure members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus refuse to be bought off by weapons companies. We’re also ringing in the new year with three creative actions to take on the war machine. Sign up here to join the CODEPINK-style Inauguration Day social media presence on January 20th, the celebration of the illegality of nuclear weapons under international law on January 22nd, and the Global Day of Action to Stop the War on Yemen on January 25th. 

It’s a new year and it’s more important than ever to Defund the Pentagon.  Contact 27 members of the Progressive Caucus now and demand they stop taking campaign contributions from weapons companies and join CODEPINK creative actions on January 20, 22nd, and 25th to take on the war machine. 

Towards peace,
Carley, Cody, Nancy, and the entire CODEPINK team 

***

From Public Citizen:

On January 6, 2021, a horde of Donald Trump adherents numbering in the thousands — incited by the president himself — mounted an armed takeover of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. It was the most deliberate attempt to overthrow the government of the United States since the Civil War. As more and more details emerge about the planning and execution of the insurrection, it is clear that the seditionists were animated by their resentment — stoked by Donald Trump and other politicians, amplified by Fox News and social media — toward changing demographics in America. Many of us recognize the ongoing reality of white supremacism for the very real threat it is — as a kind of defect in our national DNA (and going all the way back to 1492) that we still have not invested anywhere near enough in curing. So — on a day when we honor the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. — I wanted to share a few of Dr. King’s insightful and inspiring words: From King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (April 16, 1963): I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action”; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a “more convenient season.” From King’s “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” speech at Riverside Church (April 4, 1967): I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. ... We must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered. From King’s speech announcing the Poor People’s March on Washington (December 4, 1967): America is at a crossroads of history, and it is critically important for us, as a nation and a society, to choose a new path and move upon it with resolution and courage. ... Consider, for example, the spectacle of ... a nation gorged on money while millions of its citizens are denied a good education, adequate health services, decent housing, meaningful employment, and even respect, and are then told to be responsible. For justice, - Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen P.S. For half a century, Public Citizen has been advancing policies that put the needs of everyday Americans before the greed of billionaires and Big Business. That legacy of progress and that ongoing work could not matter more right now, as our nation transitions to a Joe Biden presidency that will be as progressive as we — you and Public Citizen, together — make it. Of course, we’re also busy undoing damage the Trump administration has already done and watching out for whatever shenanigans a lame-duck Donald Trump tries to get away with. And — like so many nonprofits and small businesses — we continue to experience financial strain related to the coronavirus pandemic.

 

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The Children Shall Lead

"The future is not something we enter.

The future is something we create." 

Leonard Sweet

The Children Shall Lead

by C.A. Matthews

It's the time of year where children take the lead on social activities. There are holiday parties, Christmas pageants, end-of-the-year award ceremonies, and of course, lots and lots of gift shopping. We as a society don't have any problems with putting the needs, wants, and desires of our children first during this particular season. 

This begs the question then: How come we don't put our children first the remainder of the year?

When people say, "Our children are our future," do they really mean it? If you state you prioritize your offsprings' health and happiness, then why protest when someone reveals how you aren't actually doing anything to protect the environment and curb greenhouse gases? Why does your twisted desire to make profits through ravishing Mother Nature--and possibly annihilating the human species--come first over your kids' very survival?

And when a child (that is, a young person) stands up to this hypocrisy, why do you act surprised and insulted? Surely you realize the consequences of your harsh actions against the environment, so there's no use in pretending to be astonished when Greta Thunberg lays out the scientific evidence demonstrating the foolhardiness of your activities. The Trumps of the world have nobody to blame for feeling uncomfortable about their poor choices except themselves.

Choosing Greta as Time magazine's "Person of the Year" really was a no-brainer. It is not kings or princes or presidents or popes or bishops who have taken the point on this all-encompassing issue of the Climate Emergency. It is a child, a commoner, a person without status or title. What better way to usurp the power pyramid and instigate the necessary worldwide revolution to save Planet Earth than by subverting it starting at the bottom? 

It is We of the 99% who will suffer--and currently are suffering--the cataclysmic destruction of our environment through wildfire, windstorms, and flooding. The revolution to stop this travesty must begin with those who have firsthand knowledge of it. It must start with us and not our so-called political leaders. 

Greta intuitively understands this and acts upon it. After all, it is her generation with the most to lose. Therefore, she is the perfect leader to rally the troops to fight the battle to save our precious home.

In this season where many pause to reflect upon the birth of a low-born child and the revolution of brotherly love he began among the ranks of the poor and oppressed, let us consider how fortunate we are to have such a child as Greta to lead her generation--indeed all of us--into a better and brighter future.

The children shall lead us. It's up to us old-timers to put aside our petty differences for the sake of humanity and follow.

The wolf shall live with the lamb,
    the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
    and a little child shall lead them.

Isaiah 11:6 (NRSV)

https://youtu.be/Ml3f0KeZnsY

Time Magazine said this about Greta:

That Thunberg is the youngest individual ever named TIME’s Person of the Year says as much about the moment as it does about her. The 92-year-old franchise is rooted in the so-called Great Man theory of history, the notion that powerful individuals shape the world. Historically that has meant people who worked their way up the ladders of major organizations and were at home in the corridors of power. But in this moment when so many traditional institutions seem to be failing us, amid staggering inequality and social upheaval and political paralysis, we are seeing new kinds of influence take hold. It is wielded by people like Thunberg, leaders with a cause and a phone who don’t fit the old rubrics but who connect with us in ways that institutions can’t and perhaps never could.

Related articles:

Dear Youth, Keep Challenging the Systems of Power – No Matter Who Tells You to "Chill".  https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2019/12/dear-youth-keep-challenging-systems-power-no-matter-tells-chill/

Don't Mock Greta Thunberg. Listen to Her (She's Right About the Science)
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-12-12/greta-thunberg-deserves-time-s-person-of-the-year-honor

Greta Thunberg Time Person of the Year https://www.businessinsider.com/greta-thunberg-time-person-of-the-year-environmental-activism-2019-12

Scientists Want to Make Harming the Environment a War Crime
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/harming-environment-war-crime

Greta Thunberg: Climate Crisis "Not Just About Environment," But Also "Colonial, Racist and Patriarchal Systems of Oppression"
https://disrn.com/news/greta-thunberg-climate-crisis-not-just-about-environment-but-also-colonial-racist-patriarchal-systems-of-oppression

***

Photo credit: Patrick McElhenney

BREAKING: Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officials in paramilitary gear ARRESTED doctors attempting to offer flu vaccines to jailed children in San Diego. Tell CBP: stop denying medical care to jailed children.

16-year-old Carlos Gregorio Hernandez Vasquez had a fever of 103. Rather than send him to the hospital -- the CBP locked him into an isolation cell.
With proper care, the flu can be treatable. 

But Carlos was denied medical care and left to die alone in a detention center in Texas, laying in a pool of his own vomit on a cold concrete slab next to a toilet.
Immigration authorities did NOTHING as their security camera recorded Carlos's last moments. 

SIGN THE MOVEON PETITION: No child should die from the flu.
 
On Monday, Families Belong Together marched with Doctors for Camp Closure to the Chula Vista border station in San Ysidro, California, with 120 flu vaccines in hand. The doctors -- including the physician in charge of the California Medical Association -- volunteered their time and were ready to treat the children -- but the Trump Administration's Department of Homeland Security barred them from entering. 

For six hours, we stood in the driveway of the camp with the vaccines, but the metal gates remained closed. The CBP sent four police cars and five armed officers to keep watch on us as we peacefully stood vigil for the children who died. 

So, on Tuesday, we headed to the CBP headquarters in San Diego to demand they let the doctors in -- only for armed officers in full paramilitary gear to arrest six of us.

Photo credit: Patrick McElhenney

Children in detention are nine times more likely to die from the flu than the general pediatric population. But as flu season ramps up, the Trump administration has ignored demands from medical professionals and the Centers for Disease Control to vaccinate children in their immigration jails. 

Carlos was the third child to die of flu-related illnesses in immigration detention in the last year. His death was preventable.
 
Tell the Trump Administration: Withholding medical care from children and families in custody is appalling and inhumane.
 
We've got to stop throwing children in jails, we've got to undo the damage of the Trump administration's cruel immigration policies. But right now, we've also just got to give these kids urgent medical care.
 
We're keeping up on the pressure on the Trump administration and are doing everything we can to prevent more deaths in custody. 
 
Add your name: Demand flu vaccines for children and families in detention.
 
Thanks for all you do,
Paola Luisi
Families Belong Together Communications Director 

***

We're excited to announce the publication of World BEYOND War's new 3-part series of fact sheets on the impact of sanctions in Iraq, Cuba, and North Korea. You can view and download the fact sheets for free from our website.

The fact sheets are designed as printable handouts that can be used for tabling events, lobby meetings, and much more. Each reference is meticulously footnoted, so you can cross-check every fact and go to the original source for more details.


Simply put, sanctions can kill. Time and again, sanctions are utilized as a brutal tool of war and repression, destroying innocent communities. Some eye-opening statistics stand out from our research:

• According to UNICEF, sanctions on Iraq killed half a million children under the age of 5, due to restricted access to adequate food and clean water, which caused widespread malnutrition and disease. Likewise, 60,000 malnourished children are facing starvation in North Korea due to sanctions.
• The embargo on Cuba has cost the country over $130 billion in losses.
• A ban on employing North Korean construction workers in Russia, China, and other countries has eliminated tens of thousands of jobs.

The fact sheets document these statistics and much more, illustrating the widespread negative impacts of sanctions in Iraq, Cuba, and North Korea. View and download the full fact sheet series from our website.

A shout-out to volunteers Ben, Gayle, Gar, Joanne, Emily, Eleanor, and Alice for their assistance with detailed research, writing, editing, and graphic design for this fact sheet series!

Please utilize these fact sheets as an educational tool in your community and share them far & wide!

For questions or more information about our peace education programs and volunteer opportunities, email Greta at greta@worldbeyondwar.org.

For a world beyond war,

Greta Zarro
Organizing Director
World BEYOND War
greta@worldbeyondwar.org

***
From Friends of the Earth:

Bees are dying! You know it. I know it. And supermarket giant Kroger knows it. But Kroger is still selling food grown with bee-killing pesticides. And rather than addressing its role in bee declines, it’s rolling out a new slogan: “Fresh for Everyone!”

The truth is, Kroger’s policy is more like “pesticides for everyone.” Kroger’s new ad campaign is pure “bee-washing” -- featuring happy bees and happy families. Meanwhile, our 2018 research found toxic pesticides like glyphosate -- the key ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup® -- and bee-killing neonics in Kroger store brand foods.

Kroger can’t hide behind its fancy new branding. It must stop selling food grown with toxic pesticides. But we need your help pushing the supermarket giant to act. Can we count on your support?

Help save the bees: Tell Kroger to stop selling food grown with bee-killing pesticides NOW!

Beekeepers lost nearly half their hives this past year. 40 percent of wild pollinators are at risk of extinction. 75% of songbird species are in decline. And driving this crisis are toxic pesticides like bee-killing neonics, butterfly-harming Roundup®, and chlorpyrifos -- the second-most toxic pesticide to bees.

But these pesticides aren’t just hurting birds and insects, they’re also harming our health and putting kids at risk. Right now, Bayer-Monsanto is facing lawsuits from more than 40,000 people because they believe their exposure to RoundUp® caused their cancer.

But, thanks in part to Kroger, this pesticide is still ending up on our plates. Recent independent lab testing found that Kroger’s store-brand foods including apple sauce, spinach, cereal and beans contain toxic pesticides like neonicotinoids, glyphosate and organophosphates.

Even in trace amounts, these pesticides have been linked to reduced IQ, attention deficit disorders, autism, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and cancer. They have no place in the food on Kroger’s shelves.

Protect our children’s health and our environment: Tell Kroger to stop selling food grown with cancer-causing RoundUp®!

Scientists are warning that we’re in the middle of an “insect apocalypse.” Pesticides and habitat loss are hurting everything from bees and butterflies to the birds and other wildlife that rely on insects for food. We must get toxic pesticides like neonics and RoundUp® out of our environment and our food system.

Food retailers play a key role in turning this crisis around. Building on policies released by Costco and Aldi, Rite Aid just released the strongest retailer pollinator policy yet, encouraging its suppliers to phase out the use of glyphosate, neonicotinoids and organophosphates, including chlorpyrifos and expanding offerings of bee-friendly organic food. But while other companies are leading the way, Kroger is spending money on new ad campaigns with “happy bees” while real bees are suffering.

As the largest traditional grocery store in the U.S., Kroger has the power to change our toxic food system. It must go beyond a new branding campaign if it wants to make a difference for bees and kids. It must lead the way and phase out bee-killing pesticides. Otherwise, “Fresh for Everyone” will only mean toxic pesticides for everyone.

Help send 30,000 signatures: Demand Kroger make a firm commitment to stop selling food grown with toxic pesticides!

Standing with you,
Jason Davidson,
Food and agriculture campaigner,
Friends of the Earth

An Election "Win"

This week brings the global Climate Strike and other actions that call attention to our planet's--and thus our--dire situation. (Links to climate activities below the featured articles.) In honor of our planet, we take a closer look at an environmental activist who felt called to run for local office and what she's learned so far in her journey.

In the photo above, it's election night for the Toledo city council primary run-offs. The faithful supporters and campaign staff of a first-time, grassroots candidate gather to celebrate all the hard work and effort they put in--knowing full well the odds are against them. Vastly outspent by the establishment challengers, the results aren't all that bad.  Issues (such as protecting drinking water and investing in green jobs locally) raised by the candidate in the primary public forums are even now being echoed by voters and other city council candidates alike. Perhaps there's more to winning an election than simply gaining the most votes?

Here are two takes of what happened during this election cycle and the lessons gained. These insights should prove useful to any candidate, in any campaign, anywhere who is planning to run for office.

A Successful Campaign

by Stefania Czech

I have realized as a single mom that it is extremely difficult to run a campaign. There were a lot of days that I just could not campaign because I had no sitter. Networking is huge and so is having a large campaign team and the money to pay people. I knew that the challenges would be extremely difficult, but I also felt my message was too important to stay quiet, and the future of our children is what drove me onward in spite of the challenge.

It was quite the experience that I am so grateful for. I met so many amazing people and my Czech Mates are freaking awesome. I'm proud of the campaign I ran, and I am inspired by the light that came back in people's eyes when I shared my message. I had a very unique message that I don't believe people have heard very often on the local level or in politics, period. 

And sometimes you just have to have that first run to know what to do and what not to do. Name recognition is big and running as a candidate as an introvert is quite challenging. I was proud that I came out of my comfort zone and pushed past so many barriers. I have grown so much in these last months. I'm excited for my future whether it's in politics or not. In the end I have raised awareness that Lake Erie now has rights and should be defended, and a Green New Deal is possible and needed in Toledo.

There are some who say I ran an "unsuccessful" campaign because I did not win. I don't believe that is true. I believe I ran a very successful campaign, one that gave me much pride.

If I have restored one person's belief in democracy, then I have been successful. 

If I have given one person the courage to run on a progressive platform, then I have been successful.

If I have given someone the inspiration to run on a platform other than (fixing) potholes, then I have been successful.

If I have given someone the inspiration to run, then I have been successful. 

If I have restored faith that we can fight the climate and take on huge global issues in our Toledo home, then I have been successful. 

If I have given people ideas, hope, and inspiration that Toledo can have a Green New Deal, then I had been successful.

If I have kept the Lake Erie Bill of Rights in the media longer and I showed people how to defend the rights of nature, then I have been successful.

If I have given children hope that there are adults out here fighting for their future, then I have been successful. 

If I have shown other people how to fight for our democracy and campaigning on something radically different can be done then I have been successful. 

If I had given people hope and inspiration then we can have change and effect change locally, then I have been successful.

The Czech Mates and myself have ran a very successful campaign. We got just as many votes as independent and non-endorsed Democrats, and I would say that's not too bad! I had people saying they would vote just for me and that's pretty exciting. People believed in this message. People believe in change--and that's success!

BIO: Stefania ran a people-powered (and funded)  grassroots campaign for Toledo city council district 2. Her campaign website: http://www.czechfortoledo.com

Building New Leaders

 by Sean Nestor

When it comes to Toledo City Council elections I have known amazing people with a real dedication to public service who have lost and quite a few scoundrels and sycophants who have won. No doubt, dear reader, you have done the same. So, what is it that wins these elections if not character and integrity?

One popular explanation is that Toledo is a party town, owned and run by a finely honed Democratic Party machine. But I can think of so many examples where the endorsed Democrat lost to someone else that I believe this is mostly a myth that Democrats tell themselves to feel good and everyone else tells themselves to rationalize their lack of success. I've also had enough conversations with people involved to laugh at the notion of the Lucas County Democratic Party being a finely honed anything.

Popular theories that I think are closer to the truth are that Toledoans are happy with the status quo and vote the same people back into office over and over and that Toledoans are ill-informed and just vote for whatever name they recognize even if it's a tainted name. I say "closer" because I don't think most Toledoans are happy with the status quo, and I don't think Toledoans are ill-informed through any fault of their own.

Here's what I think:

1) Toledoans want change,but don't find challengers to the incumbents credible. Practically everyone who runs against an incumbent is unheard of in the broader community, leading most voters to a "devil you know vs. devil you don't" mentality.

2) Toledoans want to be better informed, but the (shrinking) media landscape--particularly the TV news-- barely covers the races or provides substantive information about the candidates.

3) There are practically no civic institutions that are building new leaders, and thus we have a lack of people with knowledge, connections, and a reputation that can be leveraged into a successful candidacy.

4) There are practically no political organizations that are providing candidates with guidance, support, and resources so that when they run they can be effective in their fundraising, outreach, and messaging.

5) Toledoans want to vote for someone who does visible and effective work in the community before running; too many candidates run with the implicit message of "Elect me first, then I promise I'll do some good stuff!"

6) Toledo City Council is an unattractive job because it's a largely powerless body that doesn't do a lot and most of your coworkers have big but weak egos; it does not always attract the best and brightest.

I don't think these obstacles are insurmountable, but I do think that they are extremely challenging and will take a lot more people in our community stepping up.

1) Candidates need to be out in the community more outside of election cycles, working hard and tooting their own horn.

2) Political parties, labor unions, and social justice organizations need to do better at bringing up new leadership and taking on big fights that give future candidates a chance to see how power works and how to be effective at creating change.

3) Civic-minded people with experience in elections and pissed-off voters need to come together and form more organizations that prospect, recruit, train, and support candidates for office.

4) The local media outlets need to make a concerted effort to advertise local elections more and give more airtime to local candidates.

5) Elected officials should consider reforms to our current strong mayor system that make the role of city council more powerful and more attractive to professionals in our community.

Good people can and do win local elections here, if you pay attention. They are in the minority, but they exist. There's no reason that success can't be replicated, regardless of your party affiliation (or lack thereof). But it does take a lot of work, a lot of courage, a lot of time, and a lot of money. 

And if you really care about this city, you'll step up to do it--because you'll know in your heart that we deserve better than what we're getting.

BIO: Sean Nestor is an organizer with Toledoans For Safe Water and a former Lucas County Green Party Co-Chair.

***

From March For Science:

Over the last year, young people have been leaving their classrooms every Friday to go on strike. The idea of climate striking began with Greta Thunberg in Sweden a year ago and has quickly spread across the world — in March, 1.4 million children stayed away from school for a day to ask for climate action.

As scientists, our research shows that climate change has serious implications for our health, environment, and economy. The scientific community has done its best to outline the growing climate crisis and to show ways that society can move to meet the challenge. But beyond our work in the natural and social sciences, we ourselves must also participate in mass societal action. 

We’re grateful for the leadership of young people, but the burden of creating the transformative change needed to address the climate crisis should not rest solely on the shoulders of our youth.

On September 20, we urge the scientific community to stop work for a day, leave your labs, classrooms, and fieldwork sites, and join the first all-ages Global Climate Strike. 

Those of us who teach may cancel our classes — or move them outside and turn them into teach-ins for the whole community. Those of us engaged in research will leave the lab bench or the computer screen for an afternoon and join other citizens in calling attention to the emergency. 

The strike will take place just three days before world leaders meet at a major summit at the United Nations — this is a key moment for all of us to put the climate crisis in the global spotlight.

To participate:
1. Sign the scientists' letter of support for the Global Climate Strike
2. Read our organizing guide, and find a local strike to join on September 20
For our future,
The March for Science Team

***

Hurricane Dorian ripped through the Bahamas just recently. At least 50 people are dead. More than 2,500 are missing. Families who watched their homes be destroyed by the storm in front of their eyes are now crowding into shelters without adequate food and water.

And if Big Oil gets its way, disasters like Hurricane Dorian will become more and more frequent.

It’s time to fight back and demand strong action to rein in Big Oil and prevent the climate crisis from getting even worse. Next Friday, September 20th, young people around the globe will walk out of their classes, their jobs, and their everyday lives for the Global Climate Strike. The next generation is taking a strong stand for their right to a livable planet -- but they need you to stand in solidarity at an action near you.

RVSP NOW: Find the closest youth climate strike action and commit to attend next Friday!

There are fewer than 11 years to prevent climate chaos. The only way that will happen is if our leaders immediately take ambitious climate action.

It’s not enough to simply stop a pipeline here and there. Our elected officials need to support a phase-out of all fossil fuels.

It’s not enough to address the fossil fuel industry alone. Our elected officials need to address the role of agriculture in fueling the climate crisis.

At the same time, we need our climate solutions to center the communities most impacted by this crisis. And we need a just transition for workers and others who have been caught in an extractive economy for far too long.

Young people like Greta Thunberg, an international youth climate leader, recognize that if our elected officials don’t act now, they’ll be the ones cleaning up after the impending climate disaster. The next generation needs you to stand in solidarity with them on September 20th. 

Search for a climate strike action near you and sign up to participate TODAY!

Youth strike organizers across the world have a plan to fight the climate crisis. A plan that, here in the U.S., includes support for a strong Green New Deal, regenerative agriculture, and the restoration of biodiversity while prioritizing Indigenous rights and environmental justice.

The only pathway forward is to stand up to the fossil fuel industry, Big Ag, and multinational corporations. But our elected officials won’t take ambitious action like this unless they really feel the pressure from their constituents like you.

You can help make sure the strike has maximum impact. Will you step up to the challenge and stand with young people worldwide for a future free of climate disaster?

Find a climate strike near you and sign up NOW!

Standing with you,
Liz Butler,
VP of organizing and strategic alliances,
Friends of the Earth

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