Sunday, October 19, 2008

My 14 year old daughter shares her thoughts...

I debated posting this, but after she wrote this report, my 14 year old who is disgusted with the political process was even more disgusted with some of the comments she received from classmates when she turned this paper in. A good many of the boys in her classroom stated to her that a woman should not run for president and then there were those who were not even aware that there were third party candidates running for office. This is the same child who unfortunately experienced a hateful phone call from an Obama supporter who thought she was me when she answered a "private" call that she thought was from her boyfriend. I asked for her permission to post her essay and she granted it. As a parent, it's sad that so few parents and our educational system teach our children that there is more...My child is the only one who knew about Washington's speech...

McKinney and Clemente: Power to the People

In 1796 the first President of our Nation, George Washington warned us in his Farewell address that we should not let "the baneful effects of the spirit of party" enter our political system. Candidates like Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente who are the Green Party Presidential and Vice Presidential representatives show that part of our nation still believes that the two main parties should not be in total control. The courage it takes to run a presidential campaign where you know the media will not give you equal or fair coverage is one of the reasons I selected these candidates to write about. McKinney and Clemente as the first two women of color to ever be on a presidential ticket on a majority of states in the US is a historic first that I think deserves attention.

The platform that McKinney and Clemente have on the economy, education and foreign policy is very detailed. On the economy most of what they have stated is about equal pay for equal work and the need for our government to do more to insure that people have the right to a job. They feel too many minorities and the poor do not have access to jobs and that the government should do more for people than businesses. On education, it's stated that they feel everyone who wants to go to college should be able to without being thousands and thousands of dollars in debt when they are done. Inner city schools would get more help in their idea of what the Department of Education should do and there would be more affordable day care programs to teach preschoolers and to help parents be able to go back to school. McKinney and Clemente both oppose the war in Iraq and our government spending billions of dollars on war. They would create a "Department of Peace" to try for more peaceful answers to some of the problems in the world. Bringing troops home from over 100 countries where they are stationed, cutting funding to the Pentagon and the Department of Defense and sending the Army Corps of Engineers to nations to help them build infrastructure are some of the plans they have.

After I decided to write about the Green Party's Cynthia McKinney for President, I found out just how hard the media and the other two parties make it for anyone to find out about them. They aren't allowed at any of the debates, they aren't supported by any of the unions or any of the other groups that are in power here in the US. Picking her and Rosa Clemente to write about is more of a protest vote because I don't believe that either of the other two main candidates or Parties really cares about us. All they care about is getting elected and trying to keep their power. Both political parties have been promising people things for years that they never do. Money and power is more important to them than every day people. Some people believe that voting for a third party candidate is a "waste of their vote" and I don't agree with that. I feel that it's also one way to tell the two main parties that they are doing a really bad job and people are tired of it. My mom always tells me "those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it" which seems true. We didn't listen to George Washington. McKinney and Clemente campaign slogan of "Power to the People" is what they are trying to do, give power back to the people rather than the parties, so if I could vote, they are who I would vote for.

6 comments:

Holly said...

She's definitely her mothers daughter, isn't she? LOL! WTG kid, that was AWESOME!

Anonymous said...

She make's excellent points. I understand support for the Green Party: They have adopted an explicitly anti-speciesist platform (although they cannot muster the courage to follow this logic to its conclusion: veganism), and for years now, their efforts to establish a platform for "women's rights" is encouraging.

Her suggestion about the educational system are insightful.

Unknown said...

True, Holly, it showed me that she actually has been listening all of the times I blathered on about history and politics.

Alex, thanks, the boys making the comment about a woman should not run made her disgusted because she had already expressed the concern that men would never let a woman win. Actually hearing that voiced made her realize that if something isn't done that will never change.

When we talked about this last night when I asked her if it was okay to post what she wrote, she doesn't blame just the educational system, which was interesting. She said it's also the fault of the parents for either not knowing about the other parties and history that she felt the kids who didn't know or had the attitude that women shouldn't run got that from their parents as well. That is true.

Robin said...

I'm impressed. I hope she received an "A" on that paper.

I'm still debating with myself, on who I'm going to vote for. I don't think voting for a 3rd party candidate is a wasted vote. You're voting for who you truly believe in, instead of who you think is more likely to win. There is no waste in doing that. That is contributing to the Spirit of being an American. I also believe if people really voted that way, we would see true change in how things work in Washington.

Cyberseaer said...

Very well written. Now can you ask her what is the biggest problem in our nation today? Maybe nuclear arms? A little Carter joke there for those who didn't get it.

She's a bright girl, like her mommy. A bit too idealistic, but that's not a bad thing. If she keeps at it, maybe she can change things for the better for her and the next few generations.

Anonymous said...

Does she know Elvis Costello?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOOUtOf1--M

Tune in, turn on, turn out.

dk