Grassroots campaigning and childish dreams

[diamondsoul]

Some thoughts this morning from my blog entry. We keep hearing that Kucinich is too far left, too dreamy, too unrealistic, etc. etc. This is my response to those things.

"Just in these few months since this movement to elect Kucinich became so important to me, I've met people from all walks of life. From young teens who want a better world, to elderly retired people who just want to live out the rest of their years with a little security. I've met Viet Nam veterans and been reminded of the horrors of war, I've met police officers and been reminded of the violence on our streets and the futility of locking people up for carrying a quarter ounce of marijuana. I've met little 6 yr old children who brought tears to my eyes when they say things like "I like Mr. Kucinich because he wants people to stop hurting each other.". Does it get any more simple or just~~ in your face than that?

And why do we do that, anyway? Let go of that stunning simplicity of childhood thinking? I really think we MAKE things more complicated than they need to be for some bizarre reason. Why is that? I don't think I've ever heard anything so simply logical as just don't hurt each other! Why does that simple suggestion seem so difficult for rational adults to live by? These kids make me think. They galvanize me to do something and not just sit back and say it's all hopeless. It can't possibly be hopeless if even the children can come up with simple answers like that.

Just don't hurt each other. Department of Peace. War is not inevitable. Childish? Maybe so, but you know, maybe there's something to be said for childish thinking after all."

[blm]

1. There's a great book, Peacemaking Among Primates

that should be required reading for EVERY person in government.

Nice post, diamondsoul.

[diamondsoul]

3. Oh goody, another addition to a loooong list!

:D of books I need to read, that is.

I've heard a lot of people Dems and Repubs alike saying "stop with this for the children stuff" or variations on that theme. As a parent, EVERYTHING I DO is FOR THE CHILDREN. I mean how can we NOT try to change things for the children?

I remember my kids looking to me for cues on Sept. 11th. I remember how we were all terrified beyond words, and I remember having to scrape myself together and be a MOM to my babies. I remember some of the other kids wanting to be at my house because I didn't let fear rule here. They were allowed to laugh and play and not think about the horrors of what had just happened, and they were grateful for that. They deserved it, even more, they have a right to it. These kids have a RIGHT to feel safe in thier own homes, and the only people who can make that happen are the adults around them.

So why are we so willing to allow ourselves to be terrified by invisible threats to "Homeland Security"? Why do we look at this color bar and actually take it seriously? Does anyone believe that if terrorists want to inflict damage on the US this alert system will stop it from happening?

We do this stuff to ourselves and when a handful of people rise up and say "ENOUGH! This is such a load of nonsense!" people think we're nuts. Jeez, people, break the spell already! We let these idiots scare us half to death and then wonder why we can't break free. Well we CAN, but just like my sig quote says, WE CAN NOT BE AFRAID!

[Rainbowreflect]

2. Great post.

Kucinich has made believe the dream is possible again. I have not believed in a long time.

[genius]

4. Kucinich's campaign will detemine if the American dream is real

Clearly Kucinich is the best qualified of the candiates. Even the supporters of most other candidates reluctantly admit that Kuinich is the best on all the issues. When Kucinich wins the Presidency, it will be a true rags to success story. There were times in Kucinich's life when he was homeless but he never gave up on his dream. His incredible victories in 50-50 areas have shown that he appeals to both Democrats and Republicans. If his district is half Democrat and half Republican and he wins by 74 per cent, that must mean that his great ideas appeal even to Republicans (who vote more often than Democrats). Bush will be just one more Republican than Kucinich will succeed in soundly beating.

[FluxRostrum]

6. That's what I'm afraid of

:scared:

[MrPeepers]

7. I'm not so sure.

I hate to make my first post on a note like this, so first let me say Hi. Proceeding on.
I would have to disagree with your assessment that Kucinich is the best qualified candidate. Compared to many of the other candidates, with the exception of Rev. Sharpton for example, Kucinich has a very weak political background. For example, his actions in office while mayor of Cleveland leave something to be desired. That is to say, he effectively bankrupted the city. He certainly lacks the experiance of say Senator Kerry, who spent 18 years on the Senate Foreign Relations comittee and was a key figure in the creation of much of today's gay rights legislation, to name but two of his accomplishments. I have serious reservations about Congressman Kucinich's abilites to handle International Crises for example, or to manage an economy the size of that of the U.S. Also, if one of the big questions hovering over Gov. Dean's head is his viability in a general election, that question looms tenfold greater over Dennis Kucinich. This virtually unheard of congressman from Ohio truly stands no chance whatsoever in a general election against the President. One need only look at polling data from innumerable sources to verify that fact.

[diamondsoul]

8. Welcome Mr.Peepers. :)

I can respect you having your own view of Kucinich, and I don't see anything particularly flameworthy in what you've had to say here. Let me refute a few of your points, if I may.

When Kucinich took office as Mayor of Cleveland, the city was already in default on it's loans. Kucinich didn't cause that, it was dropped in his lap from day one. The sole contribution he made to the City remaining in default was refusing to sell the local power company known as Muny Light. Here's a brief version of the story-

"Cleveland Magazine offered this summary: “Kucinich refused to yield to bankers who gave him a choice: Sell the Municipal Light System to the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. or the city will go into default. The mayor said no.”

When Kucinich refused to sell Muny Light, the banks took the unprecedented step of refusing to roll over the city’s debt, as is customary. Instead, they pushed the city into default. It turned out the banks were thoroughly interlocked with the private utility, CEI, which
would have acquired monopoly status by taking over Muny Light. Five of the six banks held almost 1.8 million shares of CEI stock; of the 11 directors of CEI, eight were also directors of four of the six banks involved.

By holding to his campaign promise and putting principle above politics, he lost his re-election bid and his political career was derailed. But today Kucinich stands vindicated for having confronted the Enron of his day, and for saving the municipal power company. “There is little
debate,” wrote Cleveland Magazine in May 1996, “over the value of Muny Light today. Now Cleveland Public Power, it is a proven asset to the city that between 1985 and 1995 saved its customers $195,148,520 over what they would have paid CEI.”"

So that point doesn't hold up. Next you want to compare experience according to accomplishments. If you must, however I don't mind having a few flops out of a man who proves he's willing to go to bat for me and my family. I'm kind of funny that way. :D

"While hundreds of community hospitals have been closed throughout the country, Kucinich led a powerful citizens' movement which reopened two Cleveland neighborhood hospitals."

"As chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (which is the largest congressional caucus). Kucinich has promoted a national health care system, preservation of Social Security, increased Unemployment Insurance benefits, and the establishment of wholesales cost-based rates for electricity, natural gas and home heating oil. When the Supreme Court ruled that mandatory arbitration could be a condition of employment, Kucinich introduced a bill to reverse the Court's decision."

"He has been recognized for his advocacy of human rights in Burma, Nigeria and East Timor. Together with the late Rep. Joe Moakley (D-Mass), he has led a concerted effort to close the School of the Americas, which has been an incubator of human rights violations in Central America. On the eve of the World Trade Organization's Seattle conference, Rep. Kucinich organized 114 Democrats to help convince President Clinton to seek human rights, workers rights and environmental quality principles as preconditions in all US trade agreements."

There you have just a few of Congressman Kucinich's accomplishments, and a short list of international acclaim. I've no doubt that he'll be equally well recieved in Canada in the very near future and any other nation he manages to travel to and deal with.

As for managing the economy, he's got quite a few good ideas about that as well, but I suspect this post is long enough for the moment. All my quotes came from this page- http://www.kucinich.us/aboutdennis.htm

But there is a good deal of information to be found right here in DU in this discussion-
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=108&topic_id=10913&mesg_id=10913

I urge you to take another look at the Congressman and come to your own conclusions rather than fall for the common and oft refuted pundit/Freeper/opposition points used to make him less appealing. Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton were equally unknown and both of them took a seat in the Oval Office.

[renie408]

12. Does he have to?

I mean, manage an economy the size of the US's? Or handle an international crises alone? Does the President REALLY micro manage all that stuff or do they appoint really smart people to do it for them? Of course I think the President needs to understand the economy and he would certainly have to be strong, intelligent and canny to manage the White House, but an administration is just that.

[diamondsoul]

13. Wow! Thanks, renie, for adding this to the table.

Excellent point that I didn't even think to hit on.

[blm]

15. Hi Mr. P...although

I am a Kerry supporter, I support Kucinich's candidacy, as well. You would be surprised how much the two have in common. I wouldn't depend on what the common spin is about either of these great men. They both know what it's like to go up against entrenched power and fight for the right thing.

[diamondsoul]

16. Really??

"You would be surprised how much the two have in common."

Kucinich and Kerry?? Now that's a new combination for me.:D

Kerry just seems a little more militant to me than Kucinich, not necessarily in a negative way, just unappealing to me personally. Interesting to know that a Kerry supporter sees similarities, I haven't run across that too much from your ranks, thus far.

[AnAmerican]

5. Touche diamond

This is an excellent post. Far too much cynicism and jaded thinking have invaded our national psyche. Kucinich offers that which even children can appreciate.

How often have we heard the phrase "out of the mouths of children"? They see the world in way that adults seem to have lost...a way of looking that defies "accepted logic".

I wish more adults could remember what it is to view the world through the eyes of a child. We would all be better off.

[JohnKleeb]

11. that natasha shes a smart cookie

makes me look apathetic and I am 16 and shes a poet too, lets let that girl live her dream and get a Kucinich presidency.

[Desertrose]

9. diamondsoul...your name is perfect

it is so fitting and so descriptive of many who support Dennis....

Peace is inevitable.....having an open heart and trust of a child is what will get us there....not easy to do in this current world. ...but we have to make our world safe for or children & grandchildren...

Dennis is truly a bright light in this world who gives me great hope,too. I have not had that in a long long time...believing like a child is not necessarily a bad thing....

Peace
DR

[diamondsoul]

14. Funny, I never put my screen-name

and Dennis Kucinich together until I read your post. I've been using it for...oh gosh, a good three years now, at least.

I think that's why I have such a strong sense of knowing him. He has that same quality I see in myself, the best of myself. That drive to make things better, to always improve, polish, trim away excess, right the wrongs, and see people happy, healthy and enjoying life.

There are some things going on behind the scenes just now that I can't divulge yet, but I'm very excited about them. I think the motivation of Kucinich supporters is going to sparkle and shine just like my screen-name, and that's going to make things take off.

[JohnKleeb]

10. thanks a morale booster

We need to do those often, it is tough being in the shadows but we can win and those cynics well enjoy your socialized health care, department of peace, public pre school, and public college, and peace.