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Editorial Campaign
The Steuben Greens have a campaign to
write letters to the editor on a regular
basis. In this way, we keep the Green Party
and our values in
the public discourse. At election time,
we write letters in support of our Green
candidates. We suggest that people write
one letter a month. Write about an issue
that is important to you. Write 250 words
or less and mention that the
Green Party fights for this issue.
Darin
Robbins is our champion letter writer.
Almost every month, Darin submits a thoughtful,
well-written letter
to the Corning Leader discussing
current issues and mentioning the Green
Party. Most of his letters have been
printed.
Letters by Our Members
Community Economics, The
Corning Leader, Mar. 4, 2009
TO THE EDITOR | Now more than ever, community
economics is of vital importance. As banks
and
the auto industry have failed or asked
for
a bailout, we can see that the overall
structure of this national economy is
not sound. We feel compelled to bailout
these
businesses since their size and influence
implies that they would drag the rest
of us with them. But the true critique
should
be aimed at capitalism itself, where
corporations exert too much power due to
legal personhood
and the assumption that all aspects of
society should be replaced by the "free
market". This structure creates
an environment where the social is commodified,
all risk is socialized while profits
are
privatized, alongside the centralization
of ownership and the decentralization
of responsibility. In other words, there
is
a demand for individuals to be self-sufficient
economic actors without the ability to
have the tools to accomplish such a role.
However, a real and authentic community
economics requires that workers be empowered
to control their own destiny. As the
Green Party candidate for 7th ward Alderman
I
will work to support local businesses
through micro-credit, community investment,
and
the promotion of the cooperative business
model. This is not only the first steps
toward economic justice, but a practical
way our community can survive this crisis.
This is an example of economic sustainability,
and I need your vote in November to make
this happen.
Darin Robbins, Corning, Click
here to visit Darin's
campaign website
Campaign for
Corning City Council, The Corning
Leader, Feb. 2, 2009
TO THE EDITOR | If history has been made
in our country, then we must act to make
sure that that
history is not a pale image that obscures
the status quo. In early December, the
workers who occupied the door and window
factory in Chicago demonstrated that
many assumptions such as neoliberal capitalism
may no longer function or be adequate
to
human needs. More and more people are
realizing that things as they are no longer
work.
The hope for change has become a runaway
horse that has escaped Obama's saddle.
This is a demand that becomes louder
over time throughout the nation. The two-party
system, engaged in taking turns holding
various political offices, is structurally
unable to be the agent of change. Anyone
who wants to help their community must
be able to address national issues that
impact their locality.
That is why I
am
announcing my candidacy for 7th ward
Alderman in the 2009 election. My campaign
as a
candidate of the Green Party is based
on the principles of peace, ecology,
justice, and democracy as well as how our
community
can organize in order to survive national
and global systemic problems. I am
motivated by a new vision that includes
local food
production, local energy production,
and
an economic structure that operates
according to democratic principles. I need
your
vote and support in order to begin the
first
steps of real empowerment that we all
need. For now is the time for us to put
the future
in our own hands.
Darin Robbins, Corning, Click
here to visit Darin's
campaign website
Will Obama Expose the Truth about 9/11?, Corning Leader, Jan. 9, 2009
TO THE EDITOR | We'll soon know
if Obama will expose 9/11 Truth. The calendar
has ticked over and in 16 days, we won't
have President Bush to kick around any
more. One of the most grating things about
the events of 9/11 is the people on whose
watch it occurred, who did less than nothing
to prevent it and
who were duty-bound to investigate it and
report to their bosses -- us -- what happened,
remained in office, presiding over further
disasters
they deliberately caused or made worse
with their incompetence. To compound the
felony, we had to sit through seven years
of speeches from them about
how they were the only ones who could protect
us, even as our economy disintegrated.
While I hesitate to proclaim it, for fear there is a grand finale in
store, that chapter is nearly over and we will soon have a self-proclaimed
reformer at the helm, with a staff of familiar faces. A healthy, if not
filibuster-proof majority in the legislative branch will be in place
and a new attorney general. In the interim since 9/11, a wealth of investigative
work and analysis by citizen investigators, scientists, scholars, architects,
engineers,
and military and government civilians has been brought forth. It renders
the government account as endorsed by the 9/11 Zelikow-Kean Commission
impossible to reconcile with the facts. The first several months of the
new administration will reveal what we may expect. Given the players,
I am not hopeful. Will the truth remain a tell-tale bulge under the carpet?
Chris Defendorf,
Corning
The Green Alternative, Corning Leader, Dec. 31, 2008
TO THE EDITOR | The question over what
is the real America has been relegated
to a binary opposition between small towns
and big cities. Conservatives accuse liberals
of being elitists engaged in class war,
while liberals accuse conservatives of
being close-minded and engaged in culture
war. But the conflict obscures the fact
that small towns and big cities serve a
vital purpose for the overall characteristics
of this country. In all cases, there is
still an urgency for new economic and social
alternatives that decentralizes structures
and empowers workers, consumers, taxpayers,
and voters. This includes repealing the
Patriot Act, cooperatives, local ownership
of renewable energy production, and sustainable
food production. As the national government
goes through a transition, we must recognize
that as long as the two-party system is
in control there will not be deep structural
change that we need despite the hope of
many who voted for the new president. In
this environment of atavistic ideology
or hollow hope, we must remember that we
should value small towns for its sustainability
and its potential for decentralized power
but also appreciate a cosmopolitan attitude
in order to enrich our culture and imagination.
We can have both as long as we remember
we are neighbors before we are interchangeable
parts of a nation-state. Therefore, the
Green Party has consistently shown where
the real America lies in its presentation
of an alternative that is also an imperative
to act and to resist the status quo packaged
as a call for patriotism or unity.
Darin Robbins, Corning
Protest Bush's twisted America, The Corning Leader, Mar. 15, 2006
TO THE EDITOR | The decline in President Bush's polling numbers point
to a larger problem. Though these numbers are not definitive, they are
a snapshot of a fuller realization by the American people over time that
the Iraq war was unnecessary, and was started by the possible agenda of
neoconservative hegemony. However, critics of the war who support the
principles of peace were labeled as anti-American even though it is the
president's actions that are the most traitorous in regards to the principles
our nation was founded upon. Members of Congress, stunned by the historical
event of Sept. 11, were prodded into a concrete war in Iraq and approved
the destructive Patriot Act in order to make sense of the tragedy.
But this action has severely wounded our democracy. To make matters worse,
peace was not accepted at the 2004 Democratic national convention, and
the Green Party was the only voice for sanity in this period of fear and
challenged patriotism. Both Senators Clinton and Schumer voted for the
Iraq resolution, and have not repudiated their decision or called for
troop withdrawal as proposed by Congressman John Murtha. Our soldiers
are dehumanized by war and our freedoms are threatened at home by this
government at this moment. People as voters, candidates, or protesters
must oppose the twisted America sponsored by the Bush administration.
It is the only way to show that the soldiers who died were not fighting
for Bush but for the democracy that prevents us from becoming an empire.
Darin Robbins, Corning
The people will end the war, The Corning Leader, Jan. 30, 2006
To the editor | The Bush administration is racked with scandal and doubt.
Military recruiters in high schools have resorted to harassment to increase
enlistment. Our soldiers are underfunded and have to have families pay
for body armor. The Downing Street Memo demonstrated that the British
government knew that American intelligence was being manipulated. When
ambassador Joseph Wilson stated that there was no evidence that Iraq was
trying to buy uranium to make weapons, his wife's covert identity in the
C.I.A. was leaked to the press in revenge. Anti-war groups that acted
non-violently were monitored by the administration's domestic spying program,
similar to what occurred during the Vietnam War.
Cindy Sheehan's demands to meet the president for answers proved that
this is an administration unwilling to admit wrongdoing. What must be
made clear is that each of these cases are part of a larger whole that
shows the president sought to wage a war that was unnecessary and made
our nation less safe. Our brave soldiers are dishonored by this pattern
of behavior, and our continued presence in Iraq makes their deaths meaningless.
For now they are not fighting for our freedoms but fighting for George
W. Bush and his hubris. The antiwar movement, and the Green Party in particular,
truly support the troops by calling for an exit strategy that would initiate
a time of peace and show how our nation was made less free by this war
and the Patriot Act. George W. Bush may have started this war, but we
the people will end it.
Darin Robbins, Corning
Second Bush term a threat - The Corning Leader 12/28/04
http://the-leader.com/articles/2004/12/28/opinion/edit03.txt
To the editor | The second term of George W. Bush will guarantee two
things: the continuation of a needless war in Iraq and the suppression
of dissent at home through the Patriot Act. War in general places our
friends and family in situations where they must kill or be killed. This
is exascerbated in Iraq where there was no real threat to our country
and
there seems to be no clear victory. To bring the troops home, it is vital
that there is active criticism against this administration. But the provisions
of the Patriot Act make it possible for anyone who openly and peacefully
opposes the president to be investigated as a possible terrorist and held
without charges.
The first amendment and the fourth amendment of the Bill of Rights are
especially threatened where searches of private property can be conducted
without a warrant issued beforehand, and all medical and financial records
are examined. However, there is something that can be done. More than
250 cities and three states have passed Bill of Rights Defense resolutions
that affirm the priority of the Constitution and demand that local law
enforcement respect the legal rights of citizens. Without these rights,
we can not sustain the democratic and progressive values that make our
nation worthy of defending. In this case, the Patriot Act is more of a
threat to our way of life than Iraq ever was. I urge everyone to contact
their city council and request that they approve a Bill of Rights Defense
resolution.
Darin Robbins, Corning
Count All the Votes - The Corning Leader 11/23/04
The efforts of presidential candidates David Cobb (Green Party) and Michael
Badnarik (Libertarian) to effect a recount of the votes cast in Ohio probably
will not alter the outcome of the 2004 eelction. But the recount deserves
support because it is the best way to test and begin repairing the integrity
of our elections, and to ensure that every vote is counted.
There have been thousands of complaints about obstructed votes, legitimate
voters who were disqualified, malfunctioning computer voting machines,
and other irregularities in the 2004 election.
For the Democratic Party's leadership, which refuses to press for a recount,
the lesson of Florida in 2000 seems to be that controversy must be avoided
at all costs. For those of us in the Green Party, the lesson is that we
need to fight for the right to vote, for accurate vote counts, and for
the future of our democracy.
If one result of the recount is auditable paper ballot trails for all
computer voting machines in Ohio, it'll be a victory for all voters.
Rachel Treichler, Hammondsport
To stop Nader [from spoiling], we must change system - The Corning Leader
03/09/04
http://www.the-leader.com/articles/2004/03/09/opinion/edit03.txt
How can we stop Ralph Nader and other third party and independent candidates
from spoiling our presidential nominating process? We've got to change
our electoral system. As former independent presidential candidate John
Anderson said recently, "Our primitive voting system is this year's
biggest spoiler.
"There is a fundamental, if easily correctable, problem with our
electoral process," Anderson said. "We use a plurality voting
system where voting for your favorite candidate can contribute directly
to the election of your least favorite." The solution is instant
run-off voting. "Instant run-off voting," said Anderson, "would
give us a more participatory, vital democracy, where candidates could
be judged on their merits and the will of the majority would more certainly
prevail."
If the states were to adopt instant run-off voting, third party candidates
could not spoil. Unlike most democracies, our states, including New York,
have set up presidential elections so that the candidate with a plurality
of votes wins all electoral votes, even if opposed by a majority of voters.
"With instant run-off voting," Anderson said, "we would
determine a true majority winner in one election and banish the spoiler
concept." Voters would not have to fear voting for their favorite
candidate.
Instant run-off voting already is practiced for top offices in London,
Ireland and Australia and in Utah and California for key elections.There
has been legislation backing instant run-off voting in nearly two dozen
states, and former presidential candidates Howard Dean and John McCain
advocate the system.
In instant run-off voting, people vote for their favorite candidate,
but also can indicate other choices by ranking their preferences as 1,
2, 3. If a candidate receives a majority of first choices, that candidate
wins. If not, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and a
second round of counting occurs. In the second round, a ballot counts
for the top-ranked candidate still in the race. Rounds of counting continue
until there is a majority winner. Under this system, voters who like Nader
but worry about George Bush could rank Nader first and the Democrat second.
Similarly, libertarian-minded conservatives upset with the Bush administration's
restrictions on civil liberties could rank the Libertarian nominee first
and Bush second.
Join the Green Party and other third parties in their efforts to get
instant run-off voting adopted in New York. Let us establish a voting
system that eliminates the possibility that a vote for a third party or
an independent candidate could spoil the chances of a major party candidate.
Let us establish an electoral process that welcomes new voices that stimulate
debate on important issues and mobilize new voters.
Rachel Treichler, Hammondsport
Voters must send message of peace - The Corning Leader, 12/14/03
http://www.the-leader.com/articles/2003/12/14/opinion/edit03.txt
To the editors: As time passes and U.S. casualties increase, we find
the war in Iraq is not what the administration claims it is. It is now
proven there are no weapons of mass destruction, nor is there any connection
to terrorism or the Sept. 11 attacks in Iraq. The president is falling
back on the claim the country is better off without Saddam Hussein, regardless
of any original reason to go to war.
What the president refuses to acknowledge is war of any kind creates
a humanitarian crisis, even battles meant to end such conditions. We are
less safe as a result of this war than before because we have started
dangerous repercussions.
There is an innate tendency in humans to help those who are oppressed.
The president manipulated that tendency to start this war, and now we
see oil contracts given to American companies without any bidding process
and people such as Jessica Lynch used as propaganda pawns. Some have compared
the war to World War II, but a more accurate comparison is to the Spanish
American War in which an invasion was instigated by a trumped up incident
and fed by media bias.
Next year is the presidential election, and it must be noted that the
Green Party spoke out against the war long before it began, along with
Democratic candidate Dennis Kucinich. The results of this conflict must
be in voters' minds, and a message must be sent to President Bush that
peace is patriotic.
Darin Robbins, Corning
The Future For Americans - The Corning Leader - 4/15/03
To the editors: Now that the Bush administration has ignored world opinion
(global economy, remember?) and the wishes of a clear majority of American
citizens, all of us who opposed the idea of war in the Middle East (and
who still think it's not in the best interests of our country) are distressed
that our young men and women have been put in harms way for reasons that
are turning out to be unfounded in fact. Yet, because our legally elected
officials in the U.S. Congress have abdicated their duties under the Constitution,
it is left to the citizen-taxpayer to protest this misuse of our country's
power and prestige for short-sighted goals. Yes, we support our young
men and women in what looks like a war overseen by armchair generals (some
call them chickenhawks). Yes, we want to see a democracy in Iraq. But
any truly democratic government in any Arab country would immediately
request the removal of all U.S. forces. How long will we occupy Iraq?
Will Syria be next, and then Iran? What about rebuilding Afghanistan?
What's happening there? What about Osama? Remember him? What about the
current promotion of irrational fear to allow the curtailment of our Bill
of Rights? And here at home we need true national health insurance, campaign
finance laws with teeth, reform of the property tax/school tax mess, an
honest assessment of the failure of our stupid "War on Drugs, and on,
and on, and on. These are the problems and questions facing Americans
in the coming months and years. We need sober, informed, public discussion
of these issues, not a bunch of bobble-heads and yes-men marching us into
the 21st century with drums beating and flags flying. Let us hope that
some presidential candidate in 2004 will speak for all Americans, not
just the affluent minority.
Hugh Mason, Rathbone
Neighborhood Schools - The Corning Leader - 4/5/03
To the editors: With the end of Option 2, we as a community have the
ability to avoid the damage of sprawl that would have drained our city
and placed students in a large school diminishing the quality of the educational
experience. Now with the Quantum Leap initiative, we have the chance to
create a progressive education system that emphasizes the attainment of
knowledge. We can now focus our attention on this project. For it is with
reform in education that our community can avoid manufacturing future
workers in a factory-like setting. Neighborhood schools can be the place
where our children can be educated to be public intellectuals, able to
engage in critical discourse. They can be able to engage in acts of informed
dissent such as that toward the war in Iraq. As the peace movement recognizes
that this war has a complex history with hidden agendas, it is necessary
that we cultivate future generations that are able to analyze current
events and be willing to question the status quo. They must not be passive
consumers of the media and the government, but fully engaged as citizens
equipped with the intellectual tools to be empowered. There must be changes
in our educational process to allow for this to happen, and Quantum Leap
may be the first step. Education is a vital process that must be qualitative,
and avoid the churning out of students that can not think for themselves.
It is not only counterproductive to our society, but negatively affects
the global value of peace.
Darin Robbins, Corning
Green Party Denounces War - The Corning Leader
To the editors: Upon entering a new year with hopes for peace, we are
faced with a possible war in Iraq and a continuation of the War on Terrorism.
Sadly, both are predicated on a course of action that does not deal with
the prevention of future conflict. Looking at the history of Iraq, we
find that the use of chemical weapons against the Kurds was in our government's
knowledge during the 1980's, and a recent report shows that 24 American
companies supplied weapons material to Iraq during that time. In terms
of ending terrorism, we are given the false solution of giving up civil
liberty protections and prosecuting suspects without due process. We are
faced with our government deceiving us about the nature of these international
situations. In Iraq, we are predisposed to believe that they have weapons
of mass destruction regardless of findings of the U.N. inspectors. We
have plans to attack no matter what Iraq does. In fact, the U.N. resolution
calling for Iraq to disarm also calls for other countries in the region
to disarm, including Israel. In terms of terrorism, there is no dialogue
about social and economic justice that would take away the motive for
terrorists. The Green Party is the only political party that opposes a
war in Iraq and the War on Terrorism. It is the only party that believes
peace must take a stand and demand no military actions that will cause
violent repercussions in the future.
Darin Robbins, Corning
Decriminalization of Marijuana
To the editors: The recent conviction of Ed Rosenthal in California demonstrates
the deficiencies of the War on Drugs. Under federal law, Mr. Rosenthal
was charged with selling marijuana, even though his activities were approved
under California's medical marijuana law. In fact, the jury that found
him guilty felt they were coerced into rendering a decision that ignored
the actual legality of medical marijuana. This demonization of marijuana
can also be seen in the misleading television ad campaigns that incorrectly
associate marijuana with terrorism, domestic violence, and date rape.
These are specious arguments that ignore the qualitive difference between
marijuana and addictive drugs such as heroin and cocaine. The ads against
marijuana are deceitful in too many ways to describe, but they all further
an incorrect legal belief that possession is equal to intent to sell.
Under the current federal laws, judges are made powerless to make decisions
based on the specific case before them, and are required to send first
time "offenders" to jail rather than treatment. The drug laws in New York
state are even more severe, furthering the misguided belief that marijuana
is a dangerous drug. The Green Party believes that the decriminalization
of marijuana, even at a gradual pace, is a realistic approach to dealing
with the criminal drug trade and refocusing on curing real addictions.
Darin Robbins, Corning
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