My mother, Monda, requested that I post a Government Class Essay. Here Mom:
You can probably tell from having me in your class, Ms. Rutberg, that I ask a lot of questions. Prior to the in class debate, political discussions were between my parents and I would occasionally chime in and ask a few clarifying questions. My mother considers herself an Independent Liberal and my father calls himself a Democrat. Mom’s sources are Mother Jones and various independent newspapers,and Dad watches the news (sometimes MSNBC and CNN) and reads the big newspaper.I never asked too many questions and formed my own thoughts—Democrats are good,Republicans are bad, Greens will never be in office and Libertarians are anti-government idiots.
I never cared about politics because it’s obvious that Obama was the best candidate for office. Yeah, I didn’t follow the elections, but he’s black and he was campaigning for Change so he must be a well-rounded candidate. But during the debates I was suddenly intrigued by the Green Party and had questions outside of the group’s presentation. So today I went online and did some of my own reading; I read the Green Party 10 Key Values and found that I appreciated the honesty and focus on long term environmental, social, and economic improvement.
For example, the Democrats claim that they want peace between Palestine and Israel, but their policies show that they support Israel over Palestine, and their support for Israel helps to aid the conflict between thetwo states. The Green party calls for an end to favoring one side over the other and to instead favor peace between the two states, which is something Iagree with over the Democrats. The Green party’s view of war and foreign affairs in general is very similar to mine- their call to stop trade with any country whose workforce or environment is being exploited. Also, although Obama previously stated that he did not support war in Iraq or Afghanistan, he recently approved a troop increase for Afghanistan.
The civil liberties that the Green Party supports seem more genuine than what the Democratic has to offer, specifically when it comes to gay marriage and the legalization of marijuana. The Democratic Party claims that they support gay marriage, but when Barack Obama campaigned for presidency he said that he did not support gay marriage because he was afraid of losing voters. Any candidate who feels that it is okay to compromise their own beliefs and the rights of citizens just to keep their popularity is not campaigning ethically. Also, the Green Party is in favor of the legalization of marijuana,which I also support for both personal and economic reasons. The Democratic Party can’t seem to make up their mind on where they stand on the issue- they definitely support medical marijuana, but are not giving a clear message on what they think of legalized marijuana for recreational use. They are being unclear on those issues, whereas the Green Party is not shy or afraid to state its opinions.
On the other hand, when I read the Green Party view on economic sustainability I felt skeptical. As hopeful as I felt when I read about ecological economics, I also remembered why I made the initial stereotype about them being a bunch of peace loving hippies that could never be in office. But then again, they want to instate citizen control over corporations, a view that puts a lot of trust into their supporters, and I agree with.
The Green Party and Democratic Party do share a lot of the same views, which is why the deciding factor for me to choose between them is not really due to their policy but what I believe each party stands for. The Green Party believes that a large central government will not be able to reflect the views of the whole country very well. They know how much say money, power, and partisanship can have in the decisions that people in the White House make, and that is why they support grass roots democracy and more power for smaller communities where each individual voice can be heard. The Democratic Party seems much more concerned with power in senate and combating the Republican Party instead of doing an honest job and trying to prove their real worth. The Democrats haven’t done much in office so far and seem much more concerned with maintaining a moderate, agreeable stance that wins them a majority rule.
While I always bee lined into the Democrat category with my classmates since 9/11 when I thought it was the only way to disassociate myself with the wrongdoing Republicans, I am now beginning to see their media driven moderation. I do not consider myself a Green or a Democrat, but Independent and open to consideration on both sides. But I still think Libertarians areanti-government idiots.
