CALENDAR

(contact e-mail and phone number information is listed once, the first time the contact appears in the schedule)

GPNJ meetings and events:

Saturday, May 1, 10:00am: Monthly meeting of the Essex County Greens, 49 Park Street, Montclair. Info: Joe Fortunato (973-744-5958; EssexGrns@aol.com).

Sunday, May 2, 12:00n-5:00pm: The Middlesex/Somerset Greens will have a booth at the Highland Park street fair. Info: Anne Barron (732-545-4908; barron58@yahoo.com).

Mon., May 3, 7:00pm: Meeting of the GPNJ Diversity Committee, 49 Park Street, Montclair. Info: Joe Fortunato.

Wednesday, May 5, 7:00pm: The Hudson County Greens will meet at the Old Bergen Church, 2nd floor parlor, Bergen Ave. & Highland Street, Jersey City. Info: Claudette Meliere (201-868-4481).

Thursday, May 6, 8:30pm: Communications Committee internet meeting on EICN channel #acomcom. For assistance in getting online with us call 732-560-0276.

Saturday, May 8, 6:30pm: Monthly meeting of the Middlesex/Somerset Greens (note: because of Mother's Day the meeting will be held Saturday this month rather than Sunday). Location: Jane Hunter's house, Bound Brook. For directions, contact Jane (732-560-0276; janemhunter@worldnet.att.net) or Mark Grieco (732-545-5187; barnaby@thethinker.com).

Tuesday May 11, 7:30pm: Monthly meeting of the Mercer County Greens at the Lawrenceville Library, corner Alt. Route 1 and Darrah Lane. Nick Mellis has been speaking with representatives of Common Cause about the idea of a petition campaign around the issue of campaign finance reform at the local level. Info: Nick (609-393-4349; nick@newfrontierconsulting.com).

Wednesday, May 12, 8:00pm: The Hoboken Greens will be hosting a Green Awareness Party at the Liquid Lounge, 936 Park Avenue in Hoboken (see article below). Admission $5. Info: Miranda Spencer (201-798-3630; mirandasp@earthlink.net) or Lewis Pell 201-963-2177.

Wednesday, May 19, 7:30pm: Monthly meeting of the Bergen County Greens. Location: First Presbyterian Church (corner of Maywood Ave. and Thoma Street) in Maywood Info: Alvin or Katy Meyer (201-493-8044; meyera@earthlink.net).

Thursday, May 20, 8:30pm: Communications Committee internet meeting on EICN channel #acomcom.

Sunday, May 23

10:00am: GPNJ Executive Committee meeting at the Labor Education Center, New Brunswick, Room 115.

1:00pm: New Jersey Green Council meeting. Same location.

Events of interest to Greens:

Saturday, May 1, 12:00 Noon: March for Justice, an action to stop police brutality, sponsored by the People's Organization for Progress and co-sponsored by the Green Party and 16 other organizations. Gather at the Orange Police station at the corner of Tremont and Lincoln Streets, Orange. Info: Joe Fortunato.

Saturday, May 1, 1:00pm: The Eco-Chorale will be performing again this year along with the Solidarity Singers of the Industrial Union Council at the annual Mayday Labor Arts Festival held at the American Labor Museum/ Botto House National Landmark, 83 Norwood Street, Haledon. Info: Margie or Angelica, 973-595-7953.

Sunday, May 2, 4:00pm: Global Cinema Cafe presents a special double screening: "Banking on Life and Debt" and "Disaster and the Rebuilding of Nicaragua" (see details below). Guest speakers Lisa Zimmerman and Chuck Kaufman of the Nicaragua Network in Washington, DC, will introduce the film and lead a discussion with the audience afterward. Refreshments served. Location: Third World Center of Princeton University, corner of Olden Street and Prospect Avenue, Princeton. Info: 609-497-3998.

Saturday May 15, 8:00pm: Latin Dance Party to support the Pastors for Peace Caravan (medical and humanitarian supplies for Cuba). Special feature: Latin Dance Demo by Broadway Ballroom (9:00). Tickets: $10. Location: Arts Council of Princeton, corner Witherspoon and Paul Robeson Place. Sponsored by Hermanas: Sisterhood in Central America and the Caribbean; Women's International League for Peace and Justice (Central Jersey); Arts Council of Princeton. Info: 609-924-0455 or 609-448-3819.

Sunday, May 16, 2:15pm: Bergen County Citizens' meeting, Common Cause. Location: Central Unitarian Church, 156 Forrest Ave., Paramus. Info: 732-548-9798.

Wednesday May 19, 3:00-5:00pm: Birthday celebration and commemoration of the life of Malcolm X. March and Rally for Justice, Broad and Market Streets, Newark. The commemorative program will begin at 5:00pm at the Newark Public Library. Info: Joe Fortunato.

Friday June 4 thru Sunday June 6: National meeting of the Association of State Green Parties in Connecticut. Accommodations available upon request, observers welcome. Contact Bill Colucci, Nick Mellis or Tom Sevigny (860-693-8344; capeconn@rcn.com).

Saturday, June 5: Emergency Mobilization to Stop the War. National March on the Pentagon. Info: 212-633-6646; iacenter@iacenter.org; http://www.iacenter.org.

GREEN PARTY HOLDS ANNUAL CONVENTION

The Third Annual Convention of the Green Party of New Jersey was held April 11 at the Labor Education Center in New Brunswick. Over sixty Green Party members and supporters attended.

The morning session of the Convention included a review of the past year's Green Party activity and accomplishments by 1997-1998 Chair Gary Novosielski and 1998 Organizer Madelyn Hoffman. Facilitator Hally Abbott presented Gary with a plaque to honor his two years of service as GPNJ's first Chair. A variety of workshops rounded out the morning session. Workshop topics included: NJ Environmental Issues; Diversity (facilitator: Valorie Caffee); Your Right to Know (facilitator: Anne Barron); Spreading the Word & Recruiting New Greens (facilitator: Stuart Hutchison); How the Green Perspective Differs From That of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (facilitator: Bill Colucci);

Formulating a Statement on Kosovo (facilitator: Rena Amada). The latter workshop submitted the text for a potential GPNJ press release to the full Convention. After discussion of modifications and additions, a finalized version was adopted (printed below). As has become traditional, the Greens pitched in to provide a sumptuous vegetarian pot-luck luncheon. Entertainment was also participatory as the Eco-Chorale led the gathering in singing at the beginning of both the morning and afternoon sessions.

During the lunch break Arthur Kinoy, a member of the Green Party and a leader of the national Independent Progressive Politics Network, gave a rousing keynote address, calling for unity-in-action among progressive forces.

Green Party business was conducted during the afternoon session of the Convention. A proposal to make a significant change to the party's bylaws stimulated an interesting discussion about the appropriate structure for the organization. The essence of the proposal was that the Executive Committee be made explicitly accountable to the NJ Green Council, the latter being the more inclusive and representative body. During the discussion it was brought up that the Convention itself should be considered the highest decision-making body of the organization because it is the most inclusive and representative body. Although the proposal did not pass in the form in which it was presented, many members said that the proposal raised structural issues that merit ongoing consideration.

A proposal to serve only vegetarian fare at official GPNJ functions was passed. This was followed by election of 1999 party officers. Hally Abbott of the Somerset Greens was elected Chair by acclimation. The other party officers for 1999 will be: Joseph Fortunato (Essex County) 1st Vice Chair; Helen Francis (Essex County) 2nd Vice Chair; Earl Gray (Monmouth County) Secretary; Katy Meyer (Bergen County) Treasurer.

The Third Annual Convention made it clear that the Green Party of New Jersey is moving forward toward its goal of establishing a statewide political alternative built on dynamic local organizing in every county of our state. The group is inclusive of a wide variety of perspectives on political, social, and organizational issues, a healthy sign that we have the potential to appeal to a broad spectrum of New Jersey voters interested in new ideas and new directions.

Report on the Diversity workshop by Valorie Caffee:

We did two interactive exercises. Both were intended to lay a foundation upon which an organization can build so that the members of the Green Party would have a better understanding of their own personal responsibility for helping to make the Green Party a more inclusive organization. The exercises were also geared to helping workshop participants understand the importance of the Greens becoming good allies to other organizations, particularly ones they want to reach out to, versus using recruitment efforts in other organizations to try to increase diversity. There was a great deal of discussion during the second part of the workshop primarily focused around action planning. This was an introductory workshop session and we recognize that more must be accomplished for such a serious issue -- we hope people would like to have a series of workshops so that more can be accomplished.

Report on the "Spreading the Word" workshop:

Stuart Hutchison ("Hutch") moderated a short "ad hoc workshop" on "Spreading the Word & Recruiting New Greens" that was attended by 15 people. He outlined the proposal he has been endorsing for over two years to get all Greens to go forth into their communities to represent GPNJ before civic and social clubs and organizations around the state, in order to build the membership of GPNJ and make our party grow to the point where "the Green point of view" can't be ignored in New Jersey.

Some really brilliant observations and ideas were offered by Llyana Abbott and Sarah Fraser, who also raised the importance of greens going forward to the schools, colleges, and universities to organize younger people to get involved with GPNJ, of approaching "friendly faculty types" in a systematic way in order to get our people in front of students.

Last, Hutch said the party wouldn't grow if we leave it only to its officers to bring more people into GPNJ, that all regular members who are willing should be part of our "Speakers' Bureau" who can go before strangers to introduce them to what Green means. He said, "All you need to do is tell your story, tell people this is what you were taught growing up about our country, and what you learned about America -- just tell your story, and when you're ready, you can get with some people to practice your pitch, or get help in finding any facts you want to know that you believe can help you 'sell' GPNJ. It's amazing what you can say in 15 or 20 minutes. You don't have to be perfect, you can always say, 'I don't know the answer to that question, but give me your address or phone number and we'll get the best answer we can for you.'" Another suggestion that came out of the deliberations was the possibility of a door-to-door "Green Survey" which would not only get information from people when they opened the door, but would serve as an "ice breaker," starting conversations about the Greens.

FIRST GREEN ELECTED TO OFFICE IN NEW JERSEY!

Congratulations to longtime GPNJ member and outgoing Chair, Gary Novosielski, who was elected to the Rutherford, NJ Board of Education on April 20. In a field of six candidates vying for three open seats on the Board, Gary placed first, with 948 votes (53%).

This was his fourth attempt to win a seat on the Board in the last six years. With each run he garnered more votes than the time before, demonstrating the virtue of persistence. School Board members, although elected locally, do not hold municipal office, but rather are sworn as officers of the State, to perform a State function in a local school district.

The campaign centered on whether the district should build a middle school. Students now either attend the borough's smaller K-5 schools, typically closer to the children's homes, or the larger K-8 schools, which have better resources. Gary favored the current system of neighborhood schools, opposing encroachment of the proposed new school construction on a parcel of "Green Acres" dedicated open space. There were also issues of democracy and openness. Gary's campaign struck a chord with many voters by advocating increased public awareness and involvement in decision making, including the televising of Board meetings on the local cable access channel, the posting of the minutes and agenda of meetings on the internet, and strict adherence to Sunshine Law provisions dealing with closed meetings.

Campaigning was primarily via one televised "candidates night" in which all candidates fielded questions from the public at a meeting in the borough's public library. Letters to the editor figured heavily in the campaign, as did an endorsement by the local Taxpayer's Association, which published and distributed a flyer supporting Gary and two other candidates associated with him on a de facto "slate." The slate self-financed a trifold brochure, and had 9,000 distributed via two local newspapers. Gary did some door-to-door campaigning, some handshaking at a local Little League parade, and addressed the local teachers union (NJEA affiliate) to inform them about his views and past activism against school vouchers and privatization.

The joy on election night was overshadowed by the tragedy in Littleton, CO. Ironically, Gary first addressed the Rutherford Board of Education on the issue of conflict resolution (and related it to the US policy of bombing Iraq) back in 1991.

Reflections on my experience as GPNJ Chair by Gary Novosielski

The past two years as Chair of the Green Party of New Jersey have been an experience I'll never forget. I have been privileged to witness the birth and early childhood of an organization destined to be a major force for good in New Jersey politics. When I was first approached by the nominating committee in the days before our first Convention, I wondered aloud if they knew what they were doing. It seemed to me that newly formed political groups traditionally charged onto the scene with a strong willed charismatic leader firmly in charge, metaphorical sword in one hand and torch in the other, yelling "Follow me!" I knew that I was not that type. I thought they might be making a mistake, and I said so.

Two years later, there are some who might agree with that thought, but I am no longer one of them. I have come to learn that flashy groups often flare up and flare out, and charismatic leaders come and go (often sooner rather than later). But thanks to the hard work of so many individuals, I can take pride in what our Party has come to represent, and what it has been able to accomplish. I am proud of the thoughtful, committed citizens it has tended to attract, proud of its firm roots and its widening branches, its strong movement foundations, and its growing political muscle. I think I would be just as proud today if I hadn't been the Chair, but I'm privileged to have been allowed a unique vantage point.

I feel I have learned so much from these two terms that it is tempting to launch into a laundry list of advice for the next administration. Fear not. I shall resist that temptation completely. I leave the gavel in good hands. In fact, I commend the membership on making uniformly excellent choices of new officers. I would particularly like to thank those nominees who were not elected. You made the word "choice" a reality, and strengthened your party by your example. I would also like to thank those who offered amendments and resolutions, the ones that prevailed and the ones that did not. The best measure of the health of an organization is the manner in which it accommodates internal dissent. We handled ourselves well and maintained respect for each other in the process, and we are a better group for it. As always, there is broad agreement on our goals of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy, and nonviolence. More than ever, this is an organization that I feel it is important to belong to. It has been, and continues to be, a pleasure and an honor to work with all of you.

STATEMENT OF PROPOSED CANDIDACY FOR STATE ASSEMBLY

My name is Jay Fox and I am proposing to run for State Assembly this year as a Green Party candidate. I am a thirty-four year old civil litigation attorney with offices in Philadelphia and Camden County. I do not represent insurance companies or large corporations. My practice almost entirely represents plaintiffs.

I grew up and currently live in Camden County, where I intend to run for office. I graduated from Cherry Hill East High School and attended law school at Rutgers School of Law-Camden. As a result, my ties to my legislative district are strong. I have the support of numerous friends and business associates in this area.

I am not a Rep/Dem -- I have voted independent for the last ten years. I am someone that sits across from very poor clients, and understands that their chances to get ahead are quite limited, while the same forces that limit those chances continue to pick their pockets (with a smile, of course).

I have lived these last ten years unlearning much of what was taught to me about our society and our world. I have watched protections for our environment, protections for our health, and protections for a minimum standard of living erode, while protections for polluters, protections for the insurers, and protections for the highest classes of society find their way through our legislatures and courts.

Green is the color of life. It is a political tree that I want to plant, feed, and help grow stronger and more successful. I want my four year old daughter's generation to have an alternative that represents a balance point, where money is simply a tool to further the ideals of harmony.

I think that is a difficult dream. A professor of mine once said that social progressives are wonderful idealists, but terrible psychologists, because greed is such a powerful force. I respond that a majority can be very forceful in turning aside avarice.

However, creating that majority takes a lot of hard work. And it begins with small steps. My candidacy could be such a step. It is my intention to support my candidacy with an active campaign. I know I can put up at least 100 signs on lawns of friends and windows of local businesses. I can put together a team to canvas 1000 homes or more. And if we reach even 1 out of 100 voters with our message about the Green Party, that is 1% more thought placed in our direction than before.

Please feel free to email, write, or call me regarding this proposed campaign -- because I need your support in what I intend to start in Camden County, as much as I need your confirmation of my plan to run for office.

GRASSROOTS

BERGEN COUNTY GREENS ESTABLISH REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULE

The Bergen County Greens held their third organizational meeting on Wednesday, April 21. Several newly interested people attended as well as special guest GPNJ Vice Chair Joe Fortunato who spoke about, among other things, Green involvement in police brutality issues. Gary Novosielski reported on his election to the Rutherford Township Board of Education and Robert Meyer reported on a developing water quality issue in Bergen County. Robert also announced that he has secured a permanent meeting place for the Bergen County Greens. As of our next meeting, May 19, we will regularly meet the third Wednesday of each month, 7:30pm, at the First Presbyterian Church in Maywood. The church is easily accessible from Rt 17, Rt 4, and the Parkway. For directions or further information call Alvin Meyer 201-493-8044.

HOBOKEN GREENS FUNDRAISER/CONSCIOUSNESS RAISER

The Hoboken Greens will be hosting a Green Awareness Party, Wednesday, May 12, 8:00 to 10:00pm, at the Liquid Lounge, 936 Park Avenue in Hoboken. Featured performers will include popular jazz clarinetist Perry Robinson and the Green Party's Eco-Chorale. Admission $5. Info: Miranda Spencer (201-798-3630; mirandasp@earthlink.net) or Lewis Pell 201-963-2177. Directions to the Liquid Lounge:

From the NJ Turnpike, take Exit 14-C. When you get to the bottom of the hill you'll see the Holland Tunnel straight ahead. Make your first left at bottom of the hill and follow the windy road into Hoboken. Go straight till you get to the light at Washington Street, the main drag, and make a left (the only way you can turn). Go down to 8th street, make a left and go 3 blocks to Park Avenue. Right on Park, go up one block to 9th and then a bit further to the northwest corner -- Liquid Lounge is on the left. (Reason you can't just make a left on 9th street at Washington is it is a one way street in the opposite direction).....

Via public transportation: take PATH from 33rd St. line, World Trade Center, Newark or Journal Square to Hoboken. Get out, you'll be at River Street and Hudson Place. Walk 5 blocks west (away from the river) and 10 1/2 blocks north (streets are numbered and will increase as you walk north: 3rd, 4th, 5th..)

E.C. AND COUNCIL MEETINGS TO BE HELD MAY 23

The next GPNJ Executive Committee meeting will be held Sunday, May 23, at 10:00am, followed immediately by a meeting of the New Jersey Green Council at 1:00pm. All members are invited to attend and participate. The meetings will both be held in Room 115 of the Labor Education Center (corner of Ryders Lane and Clifton Avenue in New Brunswick).

Directions: Take the NJ Turnpike to exit 9; then Route 18 North (less than a mile) to Route 1 South. Proceed slowly as you get onto Route 1 South, because you want to make an IMMEDIATE right turn into the Sears parking lot. At the very back-left corner of the Sears parking lot there is an outlet road that leads directly toward the Labor Education Center parking lot (make a quick left after exiting the Sears parking lot).

GPNJ STATEMENT ON THE CRISIS IN YUGOSLAVIA AND KOSOVO

AGAINST THE CRIMINALIZATION OF A GENERATION!

On April 18 GPNJ Vice Chair Joe Fortunato attended a meeting of the New Jersey Coalition Against Police Brutality held at the home of Amiri and Amini Baraka in Newark. The meeting was called to discuss the events surrounding the deaths of Orange Police Officer Joyce Carnegie and Earl Faison. The latter died in police custody after being arrested as a possible suspect in the shooting of Officer Carnegie. Although Faison's death has been labeled as accidental by the authorities, Channel Two News has reported that there are apparently witnesses who say he was beaten by police and/or that his body had bruises which appeared to result from being beaten. One of the other men arrested, Terrence Everett, who has since been released and exonerated, also says he was beaten by police after he was arrested.

As a follow-up, on April 22, about 250 people gathered with the Faison family at police headquarters in Orange, to pray, light candles in his memory and to organize. The gathering heard from several speakers, including the Barakas, Larry Hamm of the Peoples Organization for Progress, spiritual leaders, community organizers and several victims of police brutality. Joe Fortunato spoke on behalf of the New Jersey Coalition Against Police Brutality. In addition to expressing condolences to the Faison family, he spoke about the necessity of Black, Latin, Asian and White uniting in the struggle against police brutality and the criminalization of a generation. The organizers then called for a major demonstration to be held Saturday, May 1, again in front of the Orange police station. A march through Orange, East Orange and possibly Newark was planned.

Clearly, this is an issue which has galvanized many people. The strength of the movement has forced the Whitman Administration to admit that racial profiling does exist in the practices of the New Jersey State Police. After strong public pressure, the State has finally dropped its appeal of the Soto case, in which a Superior Court Judge found that profiling was indeed taking place on the Turnpike.

GREEN TV AND RADIO IS ON THE WAY!

If you have a public access channel and/or a community radio station in your town, contact Starlene Rankin to get more information about a pilot being produced for a Green Politics News Show. The show will be made on videotape then dubbed onto a cassette and distributed around the country for Greens to sponsor on their local public access stations and community radio stations. The show will include International News, National News, State and Local News (which would be inserted by the local sponsor before it is cablecasted), interviews, Green public service announcements, etc. The plan is to start out this Fall with an hour long show, once a month, and work up to a weekly series. Contact Starlene Rankin (515-233-9654; P.O. Box 622, Ames, IA 50010; starlene@iastate.edu) if you are interested in sponsoring this show in your community; if you have good interviews already on tape; if you are willing to do interviews; and/or if you have interesting state or local news to share for the show. She's also looking for someone to do the dubbing and distribution of tapes that would be sent around the country.

GLOBAL CINEMA CAFE / NICARAGUA AID SHIPMENT

On Sunday, May 2, 4:00 PM, at the Third World Center in Princeton, the Global Cinema Cafe will present a special double screening:

"Banking on Life and Debt." Critics have called the policies of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund "a war on the poor." More than 90% of the world's population lives in countries trapped in multibillion-dollar loan repayment schemes, with terms dictated by the World Bank and the IMF. This film by Maryknoll World Productions explores how the policies of the World Bank and IMF have affected countries around the world. Narrated by Martin Sheen, Banking on Life and Debt takes you to three continents. In Ghana, touted as a World Bank model of success, poor villages cannot afford medicines. In Brazil, people eat from garbage dumps while crops are sold to pay off the world's largest foreign debt. In the Philippines a woman heads a grassroots coalition in the fight against paying the debts. This documentary shows how millions of children are sacrificed for the sake of "financial stability" and explores resistance efforts and alternative policies that promote humanitarian and sustainable development.

"Disaster and the Rebuilding of Nicaragua: Hurricane Mitch, the Relief Effort, and the Attempt to Reconstruct a Country." A new film by acclaimed director Victoria Maldonado who spent months in Nicaragua filming the overwhelming effects of the worst natural disaster in the country's trouble ridden history. The combination of the hurricane and a ten year war and its aftermath have left Nicaragua in a state of severe distress. Maldonado reviews the ongoing relief efforts from around the world, which are well intentioned, but not adequate to address the scale of devastation. Maldonado also explores new approaches individuals and groups are taking, including the effort to promote debt forgiveness as a form of international disaster relief. Global Cinema Cafe info: 609-497-3998.

If you want to help out, the Princeton/Granada Sister Cities Project and SALTY DOG are sponsoring an Aid Shipment to Rebuild Nicaragua (deadline is May 10). A container shipment will deliver humanitarian aid to Nicaragua in this critical time of rebuilding after Hurricane Mitch. The aid will be sent to MASINFA, the regional disaster relief organization in Nicaragua. Aid can also be earmarked for Casa de La Mujeres, the women's health and support center in Granada, if so desired (Granada is Princeton's Sister City, an ongoing relationship of over ten years). Wanted: school supplies, sporting goods, medical supplies, seeds, foodstuffs, agricultural tools, kitchen supplies, bicycles, cash funds (no clothing or shoes at this time, please). Drop off location: Crafts with a Conscience at SALTY DOG, 4 Spring Street in Princeton. Info: 609-924-0455.

MINUTEMAN III PLOWSHARES ACTIVISTS SENTENCED

Reprinted from: wrl@igc.apc.org (War Resisters League)

Sachio Ko-Yin of Ridgewood was one of two peace activists sentenced on February 18 in Denver Federal District Court for "sabotaging" a nuclear missile. His sentence is 30 months in federal prison, plus the government has claimed damages of over $20,000. The Plowshares activists commemorated the 53rd anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, last August 6 by using sledgehammers to symbolically disarm an active U.S. Air Force Minuteman III nuclear missile silo in northeast Colorado. They also painted images of a gravestone and a broken rifle (the international symbol of disarmament) on the underground silo's concrete cap.

Ko-Yin, 26, is a nursery school teacher. He and Daniel Sicken of Vermont represented themselves in a three day trial last November and were found guilty of sabotage, conspiracy, and destruction of government property. A formal defense was prohibited, such as the "necessity defense" or "Nuremberg defense." The act of beating swords into plowshares is one of over 60 similar Plowshares actions that have occurred since 1980. Information on the "Minuteman III Plowshares" can be obtained by contacting the "Sachio Ko-Yin / Daniel Sicken Support Committee," 10 East Ridgewood Ave. #19, Ridgewood, NJ 07450; email MJameson@lenoxhill.org.

Definition

How do you know what a thing really is if you don't have anything to define it by?

Who makes words: stop, lima, lentil, bean, green, orange?

Who defines what colors are and how they should be?

What if there are a thousand senses that we don't have?

What if we're so pathetic, all the other life forces in the universe refuse to communicatewith our society?

We have a strong lack of morals and intelligence, and we smell bad.

Peoples' lives revolve around "money," which is nothing more than a bi-product of our diseased society.

Not only that, but we take the wrong measure of what human life should be worth.

In the cases where we should be valued, we aren't, and vice versa -- things that can't be helped are dwelled on; and the things that can be helped are procrastinated until it's too late.

And maybe it is too late.

But can't we get a mistrial? Because all the odds were against us?!

Sometimes, you just have to deal with it.

-- by Llyana Abbott, age 15

ENDNOTES:

The GreenGram is circulated monthly in an effort to keep all GPNJ members informed about recent matters and upcoming events. Members are encouraged to provide brief submissions of news items or opinions, as well as event announcements. The deadline for the June issue will be May 28. Please submit material for inclusion to: Jane Hunter (732-560-0276; janemhunter@worldnet.att.net).

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GreenGram

Green Party of NJ Member Bulletin P.O. Box 9802, Trenton, NJ 08650

To subscribe, become a member! www.gpnj.org

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