A Row to Hoe
A Row to Hoe
Green Party Perspective
By Liz Smith-Anderson
First published in YC Magazine
Originally, I was going to address the Green Party’s stance on recent Israeli acts of terrorism in Gaza…but now I find myself so hopeful, so full of patriotism that I can hardly stand to pen words of denouncement and anger. Not today, maybe not ever again. Who knows?
What I do know is that it is time to be accountable. I speak not only of myself but of all American Citizens. In keeping with my promise to Think Globally, Act Locally, I will begin here at home.
I watched of the inauguration of our 44th President on the 20th of January. It was with much pride and good bit of relief that witnessed the peaceful transfer of power possible only because of our collective democracy. Barbara Feinstein said it best when she said: “The freedom of a people to choose its leaders is the root of liberty. In a world where political strife is too often settled with violence, we come here every four years to bestow the power of the presidency upon our democratically elected leader. Those who doubt the supremacy of the ballot over the bullet can never diminish the power engendered by nonviolent struggles for justice and equality, like the one that made this day possible. No triumph tainted by brutality could ever match the sweet victory of this hour and what it means to those who marched and died to make it a reality. Our work is not yet finished, but future generations will mark this morning as the turning point for real and necessary change in our nation. They will look back and remember that this was the moment when the dream that once echoed across history, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial finally reached the walls of the White House.”
Barack Hussein Obama gave an inspiring talk. He again roused in me a desire to serve my fellow citizens by being the very best I can be. I was reminded that it was up to all of us to join together in a collective/bipartisan effort that will contribute to correcting what is wrong with our government and doing away with those practices and policies. On the other hand we have been charged with mindfully and peacefully maintaining our freedoms by establishing a working government that serves the people as the people serve each other.
How blessed we are to live in a nation that welcomes and treats as equals all persons, of all colors, of all faiths, and hopefully someday, all sexual orientations. It is up to us to be good citizens and be willing to stand up to help be part of a working America. We need to count our blessings and remember that all faiths are welcome, not just one.
My only complaint about the inauguration is this: Was all the Christian prayer really necessary? While the messages of both ministers were fitting in a private setting (i.e. inside the church, temple, synagogue, and mosque) it disturbed me to see the line of Separation of Church and state blurred so readily. I take no issue with anyone’s belief and know that our religious freedoms are part of what makes this Nation great but I fear the insertion of Christianity in public events excludes a great number of people who are good citizens. The display was nothing less than an endorsement by our Government of religion. Until we include all religions (or none at all) to the table of government sponsored events, then we need to revert back to silent prayer or a moment of silence. Our government was founded on the promise that no person of authority would interfere with a person’s private relationship with God.
Mine is a minority opinion here in South Carolina. It seems that around here no one but the Christians have a voice and that it unfortunate. I often wonder at how horrified many of our citizens would be if they had a Gather at the Pole for Allah day at school. Would you keep your child home? I bet there would be a few but I also believe that there were many who voted for change and hopefully will also be willing to stand up and say: Enough!
Enough government waste, enough government interference. Enough! Only by banding together will we be able to affect change. We have a full plate right here at home. My dream is that all concerned citizens will now take up the mantle of change. Oh to see groups emerge to clean the Catawba River and stop development on its banks and flood plains. Community Gardens in every neighborhood, air quality improvement and alternative transportation implementation. A comprehensive network of Bicycle LANES (real ones please) that are not torn up for airport expansions less than a month after they were ‘put in.’
We have a long hard road ahead of us but by working together the solutions for our biggest problems will become feasible. Together we can rebuild our Nation by being responsible citizens. It will be by the sweat of our brow and the power of our mind that we move our country towards sustainability. We have come to the point where it is necessary to speak out when you hear lies, work hard to provide for yourself and your family, contribute to your community in any way you can, and to take action by banding together to become a force the government has to reckon with.
It is my hope that one day in the not too distant future that we see Green Party, Independents, Libertarians and Undeclared persons serving in elected positions. From the Rock Hill City and York County Councils to the State House and beyond, it is time to move forward by releasing what is past, as past and reconciling ourselves to a very long row to hoe.
To quote Dr. King: “Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better.”