• How come I, SKCM Curry, am a registered darker green USA?

• 1. Registering Green is a way of bringing about the kind of world I want. Party affiliation is like a vote, only more powerful and cumulative, as it doesn't begin and end with an election. I join the political party that stands for my values, instead of settling for something less.

• 2. Registering Green makes a clear and effective political statement. The Green Party of the United States has experienced extraordinary growth since 1996. The more people who register Green, the stronger the Green Party will be, and the more all parties will take green issues and green voters seriously.
• 3. Registering Green does not limit my voting options in the general election. Since I can vote for any candidate, choosing a political party is really about what I believe in - and making it happen. political party registration is the closest thing to proportional representation we have in this country: It provides a strong indicator of which issues are important to the populace. Re: #3, of course registering Green means you can't vote in the Democratic Primary. This is an issue for many people who want to vote for Kucinich, as I have heard from them many places I have done voter registration. I ask folks to please switch to Green after the primary.

• 4. The Green Party does not accept money from corporations. Individual citizen support and grassroots democracy are the foundation of the Green Party. Big-money interests cannot buy their way into the party.

• 5. The Green Party represents most Americans' views on war, environmental issues, health care, campaign financing, population growth, corporate power, genetically modified foods, and marijuana use.

• 6. The Green Party is the party of peace and justice. Both the Democrats and the Republicans are supported heavily by the alcohol industry, the weapons industry, the fossil fuels industry, (etc.). Greens are activists for peace, health, justice, and the wellbeing of present and future generations. We take the long view.

• 7. I often tell people that voter registration is like voting 364 days a year -- and on the last day, Election Day, how you vote should be a matter of conscience, not mindless party affiliation. Check out these "Register Green" buttons and refrigerator magnets, available at cost www.cafepress.com/EasyGreen . They are pretty cool, as they will stick to white boards and Starbucks notice boards for months before they are liberated.
• 8. We Greens are working to ensure strategic planning and training on the four key pillars * as well as work to clear the four current blocks to “people of color” joining the our political party on a mass level on every level national, state and local level (White Privilege ,Voter Fraud, Dismantling all “ism” and enforcing the 1962 Voter Rights Act )

• In states like California where voter registers is by political party(1)(2), I urge everyone to help turn America green by registering for your State's Green Party affiliate.

Notes:

(1) In states like Georgia that don't do voter registration by political party, go to your state party's web site to find out how you can join your local Green Party.


(2) In States like North Carolina where we do not have Ballot Access yet, contact your State Party to help with Petition drives.

*
The Four Pillars of the Greens are the foundation of the party. These values are inseparable from each other and often overlap. While there are slight differences in the interpretation of the Four Pillars, at the root of it, Greens envision a world of happy, healthy, dignified people, living in sustaining and sustainable communities, on a thriving planet.


Ecological Wisdom
More than stop-gap solutions like recycling, this means living in harmony with our surroundings. Humanity is not separate from nature, nor do individuals live in isolation from each other. Our actions and lifestyles inevitably have an impact on our human and natural environment. We seek to minimize our negative impact and maximize our positive impact on both. We must live as Thoreau did: deliberately.


Social Justice
The promises of our Constitution and society are meant for all people, regardless of our superficial differences, including economic disparity. Everyone deserves the chance to live a healthy, meaningful life. Greens help individuals reach for that life. Further, we oppose efforts by business or government to infringe on the human rights of citizens of other nations, whether they are in the United States or at home.


Grassroots Democracy
The legitimacy of government is derived from the voluntary consent of the governed. The closer the decision-makers are to those who be affected by the decision, the more effective, efficient, and accountable government is. This value is based on Greens' unshakable conviction that people everywhere have the right to, and capacity for, self-determination.


Nonviolence
Violence is morally wrong and logistically ineffective, because it treats the symptoms of problems, not the root causes. Greens acknowledge the need to take desperate measures in self-defense in life-or-death situations, but non-violence to us means actively working to build a world where this is unnecessary. We also categorically reject the death penalty.
everywhere have the right to, and capacity for, self-determination.