OntheWilderSide

KPFK, a radio station in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, is part of the Pacifica Radio network. Pacifica stations are community radio stations which promote peace and free speech.

One of the endearing values of the Pacifica Network, is that they strive for grassroots democracy, and have elections for positions on the local and national station boards.

Donna K. Warren is a community activist, a green, and a former green candidate who is running for KPFK Local Station Board as a Listener Representative. Besides the fact that she is a great candidate, it is always nice for greens to have people who understand third party politics and our right to exist involved in the kinds of progressive organizations that greens support and work for.

I hope that you will vote for Donna K. Warren for KPFK Local Station Board. Please rank her high on your ballot, and please pass her name along to friends in the LA area. Ballots are due on December 11th (I think this is an ultimate deadline, like they have to be in, please check at the KPFK web-site.)

Some bio info for Donna K. Warren:
(more here)

In November 2006, Donna Warren was the Green Party candidate for California’s Lt. Governor. She is a Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) with 25 years of experience, including 20 years as an auditor with the Department of Defense and the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). She is currently president-elect for the Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Government Accountants (AGA) and the project coordinator for FACTS – Families to Amend California’s Three Strikes (law). In 2004, she served as the field coordinator for the ballot initiative Proposition 66 to amend California’s horrendous Three Strikes Law to violent felonies.

She started her grassroots activism in 1992 with Mothers ROC (Mothers Reclaiming Our Children) and “the Free the LA 4+ Defense Committee”. Since then, she has served on The Geronimo Pratt Defense Committee, The LA Unemployed Council, The Crack the CIA Coalition, Families to Amend California’s Three Strikes (FACTS), The South Central Coalition, and the council of the Green Party of Los Angeles County where she serves as the treasurer.

Donna Warren writes:
“I embrace progressive values and will help to bring environmental, social, and political equity to all Californians. I believe in reparations for African-Americans, a revision of America’s abhorrent legal laws which disproportionately imprison people of color, and equality to all people regardless of race, color, sex, religion, or national origin.”

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Post from “Green Commons” in praise of Donna Warren

Donna Warren’s Challenge

Donna J. Warren was the Green Party candidate for lieutenant governor of California in 2002 and 2006. She sued the CIA and the Department of Justice in 1998 for their complicity in the destruction of South Central Los Angeles by crack cocaine.

In late June 2004 Ralph Nader had a “spirited exchange” with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) in Washington. In July 2004 Warren wrote “A Letter to the Black Caucus from a Black Woman Living in South Central” that I consider one of the all-time great classic statements by a Green activist.

You don’t stop anything that hurts us!

You could have filibustered the tax cut for the wealthy, but you didn’t.

You could have demanded gas efficient car engines, but instead you sanctioned the SUV and gave the auto companies an eight-year holiday without requiring better gas efficiency.

You could have opposed genetically engineering foods, the petroleum industry, and the WTO, but you didn’t.

You could have opposed the federal crime bill which imprisons drug addicts for the drugs our government allowed to flow into the inner cities, but you didn’t.

You could have opposed the “leave no child behind high stake multiple testing fraud,” but instead you chose to sacrifice our children.

You could have said “no” to the Patriot Act, but you didn’t.

You don’t represent me!

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Link and text of full article by Donna Warren:

A letter to the Black Caucus from a Black woman living in South Central
by Donna J. Warren — July 16, 2004

“We respect your right to run, Mr. Nader. Withdraw.” – Elijah Cummings, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus of the United States House of Representatives

To Rep. Cummings and members of the Black Caucus,

You demanded independent candidates Ralph Nader and Peter Camejo withdraw from the presidential race in favor of NAFTA approving, Iraq invading, Afghanistan bombing, Sudanese pharmaceutical plant bombing, right-wing Israeli prime minister and murderer Ariel Sharon supporting, impeachment of George W. Bush for the forced removal of democratically elected President Jean Bertrand Aristide refusing, and mandatory minimum sentencing supporting – John Kerry.

Kerry’s contempt for human rights, international law, arms control and the United Nations is unforgivable.

“Anyone but Bush” was your cry when Nader and Camejo visited your offices in late June. But let’s be honest – when Bush delivered lie after lie after lie during his state of the union addresses, it was the Democrats who stood and clapped. The Democrats made the monster George Bush!

You don’t challenge the Democrats and Republicans in their abdication of our communities, but you challenge Nader and Camejo for fighting for our communities. During your meeting, you condemned Nader for choosing Camejo, who speaks Spanish fluently, because you fear Malcolm X’s friend will take away your brown votes!

Peter Camejo changed the minds and hearts of Californians to oppose California’s horrendous Three Strikes law during his campaign for governor. Three Strikes imprisons African Americans 12 to 1 for every white person for the same non-violent crime.

What have you done for us?

Does it matter to you that your constituents are hurt by redlining, lead-based paint poisoning, predatory lending, pay day loan rackets, and dirty meat? It matters to Ralph Nader.

Does it matter to you that student Nader challenged Harvard University when they published the lie that Blacks are inferior to whites? It matters to me.

Does it matter to you that only Nader campaigned in Ward 8 of the District of Columbia, exposing that 65,000 people live without a single supermarket, yet the District of Columbia has had Black mayors and a Black city council for the last 35 years? It matters to your constituents.

What are you afraid of? That Nader and Camejo may “mess up your little party” because they advocate for Black Americans and you don’t.

“Anyone but Bush” is your mantra. But even if Bush self-destructs, how can you support John Kerry without demanding a mandate? Corporate interests pull the Democrats 24 hours a day. Without a mandate to pull John Kerry in a progressive direction, there’s no way you can demand equity.

You told Ralph Nader you wanted him out of the race so Bush can’t appoint another right-winger to the Supreme Court, but let’s look at the record.

* Kerry promises to appoint anti-abortion judges while professing to protect a woman’s right to choose.
* The Senate Democrats confirmed right-wing Supreme Court Judge Antonin Scalia 98-0. Not one Democratic senator, including Gore, opposed Scalia.
* The Democrats could have blocked right-wing Supreme Court Judge Clarence Thomas’ confirmation – they were in control of the Senate – but 11 Democrats moved across the line to confirm Thomas 52-48 while Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell sat in his office twirling his thumbs.

You don’t stop anything that hurts us!

* You could have filibustered the tax cut for the wealthy, but you didn’t.
* You could have demanded gas efficient car engines, but instead you sanctioned the SUV and gave the auto companies an eight-year holiday without requiring better gas efficiency.
* You could have opposed genetically engineering foods, the petroleum industry, and the WTO, but you didn’t.
* You could have opposed the federal crime bill which imprisons drug addicts for the drugs our government allowed to flow into the inner cities, but you didn’t.
* You could have opposed the “leave no child behind high stake multiple testing fraud,” but instead you chose to sacrifice our children.
* You could have said “no” to the Patriot Act, but you didn’t.

You don’t represent me!

In 2000, Congressman Julian Dixon sold me out like a $2 dollar whore when, as ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, he announced the CIA was not complicit in the destruction of the inner cities by crack cocaine. I’m tired of being sold out like a $2 dollar whore by Black people living the good life as my representative in our nation’s capitol.

Thomas Paine said in the 1700s: “If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.” Ralph Nader and Peter Camejo are voices taking on the trouble of our day so that we and future generations may have peace.

Get off your knees and demand the Democrats stop sabotaging the Nader-Camejo Campaign. Demand Ralph Nader and Peter Camejo be included in the debates. Don’t go down like a punk. Remember the ancestors and stand tall!
Sincerely,

Donna J. Warren, a constituent

Donna J. Warren is the Green Party candidate for lieutenant governor of California in 2002. She sued the CIA and the Department of Justice in 1998 for their complicity in the destruction of South Central by crack cocaine.

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On a sidenote…
from Kimberly

We all know that elections get messy…everywhere. After all, there are always various issues–and factions–involved when the subject at the center is truly war, peace and presidential politics (which it is with Pacifica Radio, and it is with the Green Party). A small group of greens–including a man, Mike Feinstein, who has worked against me in the past in the Green Party–has made an odd attack on Donna Warren in this election. It mostly came as an unfortunate surprise to me when I found it among google news stories about “Green Party.” I wouldn’t even mention it, except for the fact that it peeked my interest, because the same man has hurt me and other green women in the past. And, also, the Green Party Black Caucus has an awesome story in support of Donna Warren. And, I really want to link you to that story! (And, thank the Black Caucus for being there, and thank them for posting the photo of Donna Warren for me to use.) -Kimberly Wilder

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