| Comments:
Subject: Republicans for Pillsbury
"This Republican is voting Green this election."
Paul W.
Subject: Middle East
"I am concerned with your stand on the Middle East. My belief is that Israel deserves the unfailing support
of the U.S. for the following reasons:
Israel is the single successful and true democracy in the
region and should be backed. Israel has been fighting against annihilation
since its inception in 1948. It is fighting hard for its very survival, not
just on ideological grounds. Israel has been a friend to the US, during
the Gulf War for example demonstrating restraint in response to SCUD missile
attacks.
I believe that a good friend like the US has an obligation to tell Israel
when it is overstepping its rights and to facilitate a peaceful end to the
hatred that has been focused towards Israel. However, the subtle
implication that somehow the guilt in the region is completely equally
shared causes one to overlook the truths that the mandate of the PLO is the
destruction of Israel, not merely the formation of a Palestinian Homeland.
I urge you to reconsider this position- being a humanitarian does not mean
just rooting for the perceived under-dog or victim. One must look deeper to
see who are all the victims.
Thank you for your time."
Marci
Dear Marci,
Thank you for your comments. In determining what the appropriate US government role is in the Middle East, I think the US has to choose either (1) to be Israel's ally, as we have been for 50 years, or (2) serve as a mediator to broker a peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The US cannot do both, because of the obvious conflict of interest of providing arms to one side, but not the other. Drawing on my 13 years of experience as a mediator, the only way for the US to become "an honest broker" would be for the US to cut off military aid to Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Israel and other nations in the region until a comprehensive peace agreement is reached.
In my opinion, given our important historic relationship with Israel, I think we should choose to maintain that alliance and give up unilaterally trying to broker/impose a Mideast peace agreement. Other neutral nations, such as Norway, Switzerland, or the Vatican, which are not giving military aid to either the Israelis or the Palestinians, can much better serve as effective mediators of a Mideast peace agreement in the context of an international conference with Israel and the United States on one side and the Palestinians and their Arab allies on the other side.
peace, salaam, shalom,
Charlie Pillsbury
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Subject: Reparations
"In my opinion, all you are doing [by raising the
issue of reparations for slavery] is taking a
heated conflict and trying to promote your
agenda. I personally do not agree with
Reparations for the descendents of Black
Slaves. What is truly ironic is that the
movements main speaker in Washington DC this past
week was a Muslim Leader; Nation of Islam..."
Regarding the subject of reparations, I am simply taking an idea that was proposed by a Republican Congressman 135 years ago and saying that the idea is just as valid now as it was then.
And, at least, we should have a discussion about this idea as a matter of simple justice, as a Democratic Congressman suggested 13 years ago.
(1) In 1867, Rep. Thaddeus Stevens, R.-Pa., proposed legislation that would have compensated free male slaves with 40 acres of land and $100. The legislation didn’t pass. Nor has legislation first proposed in 1989 by Rep. John Conyers, D.-Mich., to study the effects of the institution of slavery on contemporary life.
Neither Mr. Stevens or Mr. Conyers are
"hate mongers" like Mr. Farrakhan; they are reasonable men with a reasonable idea, which I would support whether or not I was running for office.
Charlie Pillsbury
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Subject: Department of Peace
"Please make the bill to establish a Cabinet-level Department of Peace that is currently gathering dust in Congress a cornerstone of your campaign.
I think it's one of the most inspired and necessary legislative initiatives to come out of Washington in
years."
Alan
Alan, It is good to hear from you. Thanks for your support. I will raise this issue in my campaign, and if elected, you can count on me co-sponsoring Kucinich's bill to establish a Cabinet level Department of Peace.
Charlie Pillsbury
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Subject: Rosa DeLauro
"Thank you, Charlie, for daring to oppose
Rosa DeLauro. As her responses to every
letter I have written her indicate, she does not
represent the people of the 3rd District unless
they have plenty of money to contribute to her
campaign. Sadly, this seems to be the case
with pretty much everyone in Congress. While
these increasingly Orwellian times we find
ourselves living in do not give me much cause for
optimism, I sincerely hope that the Green Party
can break through this November and provide a
voice of sanity and reason in Washington, where
there currently is none."
Meredith
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Subject: American Expansionism
"I am a Canadian living in Alberta. I am an advocate for
human rights. I would like to know your stance on the
mid east conflict and on American expansionism especially concerning
Canada. If you could email me i would greatly appreciate it."
Humza
You can read my stance on the
Mideast conflict on my website here: Issue
Positions.
I would like to know more about how you think
"American expansionism" is affecting Canada. One concern I have is how so-called "free trade" treaties, like NAFTA, are used to override and subvert labor laws and environmental regulations aimed at protecting Canadian, Mexican and US citizens.
Charlie Pillsbury
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Subject: Political Culture
"I just wanted to say that you're doing a
great and needed job in trying to change the
American political culture."
Solveig
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Subject: War on Drugs
"I would like to know where Charlie stands
on the drug war? What are the alternatives
that he promotes?"
Clifford
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Subject: Republicrats
"It's good to see the Green Party running
candidates against entrenched politicians such as
Rosa DeLauro. The problem with both the
Democratic and Republican parties is their
inability to wean themselves from corporate
money. I used to be a committed
Democrat. Since the rise of the DLC, and the
Democrats support for welfare reform, NAFTA and
the WTO, I have decided to vote for new ideas and
new candidates.
Go Charlie!"
Jeff
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Subject: Greens and Libertarians
"I have been looking into several alternative political parties lately and it seems to me the Green Party and the Libertarian party have some common
goals. Is it impossible to have the Libertarians and Greens work together to take back this country from big interest groups."
Frank
Frank: I would be interested in what goals you think that the two parties have in common. My only contact with the Libertarian Party during this campaign came when both the Greens and the Libertarians were leafleting at the Post Office on Tax Day. Our leaflet pointed out how much the Republican and Democratic tax cut benefited upper income taxpayers, and also how much of our discretionary federal spending went to support a bloated military budget instead of being used to meet the health and education needs of people. The Libertarians were distributing a leaflet calling for the abolishment of the income tax.
It doesn't seem to me that the two parties, therefore, have enough in common to support the same candidates. I do think that the two parties could work together on issues on which they agree; for example, ending the failed drug
war and instant runoff voting.
-- Charlie Pillsbury
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