PREPARING FOR THE 2020 ELECTION
PREPARING FOR THE 2020 ELECTION: WILL IT BEGIN REAL DEMOCRACY OR END ITS DREAM
NOTE: WHILE THIS SPACE WAS DEVELOPED AS A PLACE IN WHICH TO POST UNANSWERED LETTERS WRITTEN TO PUBLIC OFFICIALS ABOUT PUBLIC ISSUES, THE FACT THAT THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN HAS BEGUN BEFORE THE END OF THE FIRST YEAR OF THE PRESIDENT ELECTED IN 2016, THE LETTER BELOW IS BEING POSTED SHORTLY AFTER SENDING IT OUT, BEFORE ANY CHANCE OF REPLY IS POSSIBLE, AS A MEANS OF POSTING ISSUES THAT WERE IGNORED IN THE PAST 8 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS AND BY THE CANDIDATES IN THE 2016 CAMPAIGN. IT IS UP TO THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO BE EXCLUDED FROM EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC LIFE, HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED, AND ARE INCREASINGLY DEMONIZED, SCAPEGOATED, AND DENIED MOST, IF NOT ALL, FACTUAL AND EQUAL INCLUSION, ESPECIALLY FOR VOTING, WORKING, HOUSING, HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION, NEWS COVERAGE, HOME OWNERSHIP AND LEGAL REPRESENTATION IN CIVIL AS WELL AS CRIMINAL CASES.
Dear Presidential Nominee Advocate:
I am grassroots/working class leader of women of color, many other women's interests, a supporter of many cultural and community interests, including the disabled, seniors, LGBTQ, religious equality (but not promotion of religion in government) justice with legal representation in civil cases equally with justice in criminal cases, medical coverage for all, real support for consumers-not the mere symbolism offered by the Federal Consumer Bureau, redress for those who lost their homes or whose resources were drastically diminished by corrupt banking practices, corrupt banking practices in the student loan system, ending the historic and continuing illegal removal of women's reproductive organs and/or sterilization of hundreds of thousands of women against our will every year, addressing the massive number of medical malpractice incidents for which plaintiffs cannot get attorneys to secure redress of these grievances, and implementation of federal compliance reviews of education and employment at all levels of education in the US, from K-12 all levels of higher education and community education. In every presidential election in the past 48 years, people from these groups, especially women of color who vote at thehighest rates, have offered national voter campaigns in support of Democratic and/orGreen and Progressive candidates. All of them have wanted our volunteer service, our donations and our votes. None of them have been williling to reciprocate with support for us in thess issues, including Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders and Jill Stein. The impact of shutting us out has been not only the loss of the presidence,but of control of both houses of Congress, governorships and state legislative positions. Most foolish of all, the Democratic insiders, even now, continue to plan and conspire to keeping themselves in control, even if it assures greater empowerment of the minority white nationalist/ Nazi /KKK / white supremacist/ groups and their controllers--the 1% most wealthy oligarchy.
We are constantly told that "we" are included when we are marginalized in the most extreme manners. For example, women of color receive 48% of the housing foreclosures, while white men, white women andmen of collor collectively receive 52%, but this is ignored. Women of color have the least wealth of all groups; receive the least benefit of higher education, especially in terms of salary; have the highest increasing rates of incarceration and HIV/Aids; and, along with Transgender people are the most murdered. The Civil Rights Movement and Women's Movement most benefitted white women and men of color--least benefitted women of color. We are the least represented in government--only 5 US Senators have ever been women of color in the entire history of this nation. Our status in this courntry has never improved. Women of color have been on the bottom of this society for more than 600 years.
This letter is to address the suggestion that Senator Al Franken be supported as the next president of the US. In fact, some of us have already thought of his in that role. We have been discussing this.Women of color make up16 to 18% of the voters and could be the determiners of the outcome of the election of President, Congress and state positions. However, this will not happen if the chosen Democratic candidate does not include women of color and all of those identified in the top paragraph.Nor will the grassroots/working class voters support the current or past platforms of the Democratic Party. We want a platform based on truth, honesty, equality and justice for all. We want new candidates who have documented credibility based on actions in our communities. We want campaign staff hired to paying, meaningful positions, not only opportunities to volunteer. We want significant representation on the Transition Team and to participate in establishing a list of diverse, representative candidates from all groups with documented histories of work in all of our communities. We will not vote for Democrats, Greens or anyone else who runs only because they are against Republicans. We will not vote for Republicans based on bullying, advocacy of any form of injustices, nor for 3rd parties which don't address our issues.
Al Franken is appreciated for not participating in the apparent corruption of those in denial about the actions of Americans involved with undermining our election in concert with foreign government/s. There appear to be many elected officials on the wrong sides of things. Senator Franken is not a perfect candidate but is commended for his positive growth since first elected to office. If he listens to and represents the masses, he can become the president that the majority have longed for. If he accepts our help, as is now being offered, he can not only win election but transform the nation into the aspired visions in our formative documents which have yet to be implemented or exist. It is also possible that another candidate could address these issues and win our support.
There are many people, including but not only women of color, who are interested in working together to build, for the first time, the winning collaboration in the election of the next president.
This is to let you and our readers know that there are many of us with education, skills, experience and talent who will support candidates who include us among those represented by those elected, though we are often unknown and/or are enduring our own trials with all manner of discrimination. women of color vote at the highest rates of all voters, yet all Democratic presidential candidates in 2008, 2012 and 2016 rejected the offer of women of color for a national women of color campaign of support which was repeatedly offered in 2016 to Bernie Sanders and Jill Stein. Women of color make of 16% of voters. In each of these elections we could have been the decidiing numbers but we were not wanted. This demonstrates that not all of the social problems demeaning, demmoralizing and destroying of our nation are the fault of Republicans. If the nation is to get on the right path, women of color, men of color and poor white women, as well asl other groups subjected to abuse, discrimination and other injustices, must be specifically included in national goals. It is not enough to presume our inclusion in programs and services because, in reality, we are marginalized and excluded.
I hope this letter reaches many people--voters, candidates and those promotingthem, as well as those already elected, and that the information provided receives serious consideration. If it does not, the nation is not well served by the majority. We must all fully participate in all aspects of the country, or it will not survive as a democracy--a dreadful future for us all.
In the spirit of the Declaration of Independence, we draw these words: In every stage of . . Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. . . . . [rejecting any tyrant, dictator or other corruptly installed oppressor declare that] a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. . . . .
We have warned {those who who have been unjust] from time to time of attempts by their [representatives] to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. . . . . We have appealed to . . native justice and magnanimity . . [Too many] . . . have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. . . . . . . . We, therefore, the Representatives of the [ u]nited States of America . . . . . . . . . . do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of [this Country], solemnly publish and declare, That . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor [as follows:]
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution [equally in every aspect and benefit, to be immediately forthcoming and implemented] for [all in]the United States of America.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Brooks