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Green Party Candidate Charlie Pillsbury's
Announcement
New Haven Green, Wednesday, August 28, 2002
The New Haven County Green Party nominated me on February 20, 2002, to
run for Congress. For the last six months, scores of Green Party volunteers
have helped me collect over 3,600 signatures of registered voters from 24
towns in the new 3rd District. We submitted these signatures to the Office of
the Secretary of State by August 7 to secure a place on the ballot in November.
Last week we learned that more than enough signatures had been validated,
and yesterday the State Green Party filed a formal Statement of Endorsement
of my candidacy, as well as of the candidacies of other Green candidates
running for the Connecticut General Assembly, some of whom are here with
me today.
As the culmination of my successful petition drive, I lift up the 5th verse of
Psalm 20: A Prayer for Victory:
"May we shout for joy over your victory,
and in the name of our God set up our banners.
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions." Ps. 20:5 (NRSV).
I like the play on the word "petitions"; I think the Psalmist would have, too. I
also like Psalm 20, because the 7th verse highlights one of my major
campaign themes: the United Nations' International Decade (2001-2010) for a
Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World.
"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
but we will remember the name of the Lord our God." Ps. 20:7 (Gideon).
The Democrats and Republicans are talking about the "war on terrorism", but
I will be talking about the "terrorism of war." I am making the official
announcement of my candidacy at the foot of a War Memorial for this area's
"Heroic Sons Who Fell in the Service of Their Country" fighting World War I, the
so-called "war to end all wars". Before our government places any more trust
in chariots and horses and sends our sons and daughters off to attack the
people of Iraq and possibly start World War 3, it is time to shout the words of
that late great patriot and prophet, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:
"A true revolution of values will lay hands on the world order and say of war:
'This way of settling our differences is not just.'…A nation that continues year
after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of
social uplift is approaching spiritual death."
THE REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., APRIL 4, 1967
My candidacy as an independent Green Party candidate will transform this
year's political debate and challenge the current political culture, which is
dominated by violence and greed.
I will point out how our government is placing too much trust and investing too
many federal dollars in unnecessary and costly weapons systems at the
expense of this District's health, education and welfare.
As we remember the victims of 9/11 and their loved ones, I will explain how
we can fight terrorism with intelligence, law enforcement and international
cooperation and challenge our currently flawed "war on terrorism", which is
killing hundreds more innocent people, creating more terrorists, wasting
billions of dollars and making our world more dangerous for all of us.
I will talk about drug addiction as a public health problem, not a criminal
justice problem and challenge the failed drug war, which is putting sick
people, especially young people, in jails instead of hospitals and treatment
programs.
I will advocate for universal health care and challenge the insurance
companies and HMOs that are profiting from health care instead of providing
health care to all Americans, including the very Veterans who have fought our
nation's wars.
I will argue for the public financing of elections and point out that corporations
have given over one billion dollars in campaign contributions to both
Democrats and Republicans in the last decade.
As an independent Green candidate, I will remember that the Declaration of
Independence begins: "We, the People…", not "We, the Corporations…." I will
fight for the federal incorporation of all corporations and will not take
campaign contributions from Big Business and Corporate PACs, as the
"Enron" Republicans and "Arthur Andersen" Democrats do.
My candidacy and my campaign will guarantee that all these issues, so
important to the people of the 3rd District, will be not only be raised, but also
debated. And I look forward to these debates. When I announced my
candidacy six months ago, Congresswoman DeLauro welcomed me into the
race and said she looked forward to debating the issues. Now it's up to you in
the media to make sure these debates take place and are covered. As
candidates, we owe it to the voters of the 3rd District to hold public debates.
The incumbent has only participated in two debates in the 12 years she has
been in office. This fall there will be three debates. The Republican candidate
and I invite Congresswoman DeLauro to join us in these debates, so the
people of the 3rd District can decide whose ideas they like best. Public
dialogue is at the heart of representative democracy and at the center of my
campaign to be the next representative of the 3rd District of Connecticut to the
Congress of the United States.
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