After finishing up at the Green Party Convention, we decided to do a “Keystone State Tour” through Pennsylvania. In Lewistown, my son Joseph and I played basketball on a Sunday afternoon with a group of high school students. They were, by far, some of the most respectful, well mannered youth we’ve come across in the country. I have often talked about the degree of civility in general (and youth respect for adults in specifics) that we’ve lost in this country. The next day I told reporter that, not only have we lost civility, but we’ve lost a good deal of common sense. Fr. Bateman at Sacred Heart Church here has a bumper sticker that shows a little unborn baby in the womb with the words: “At 24 days the heart starts beating.” To think this is anything other than a small human being is, well, so tremendously devoid of common sense. I also said that in the face of global warming, I looked at the environment as a Pro-Life issue as well. “No environment, no life,” I said… In Dubois, Pennsylvania, I told ABC News that Liz and I are running as “concerned parents” who want to make sure there is an environment (read: world) left for our children. What sane parent wouldn’t? The next day during a whistle-stop event in downtown Dubois, I told a reporter from the Courier-Express newspaper that we must cut back on our fossil fuel use exponentially (read: sacrifice) and in tandem increase exponentially our use of solar, wind, geothermal and other forms of clean, renewable energy.
7/15/07
We traveled from the debate in D.C. to the Green Party National Convention in Reading, Pennsylvania. The three days at the Convention were a whirlwind for us. I had declared to vy for the Green Party nomination among a field of some 10 (or more) candidates. Our platform (with a few exceptions) lines up closely with such Green Party “Values” as: grassroots democracy, social justice, decentralization, community-based economics, diversity… Another value is ecological wisdom, which we believe, in the face of the mounting global warming crisis is key to making it through this stage of history. And the Green Party, by far, has the sanest plan for reversing global warming, in my belief… The first day of the Convention, our family was interviewed by Reading’s newspaper. The next day a story appeared saying that this “family from Cleveland” strongly backed many of these values. What’s more, the story carried a cute picture of our four-year-old Jonathan passing out information… Later in a press conference, I said that our administration would not only push for Americans to cut back dramatically on their fossil fuel use (in tandem with phasing in much more clean, renewable — wind, sun, geothermal… — energy; but I would turn the White House “green,” with solar panels, a wind turbine and a perma-culture in the front yard. “I would then sell organic tomatoes through the fence to spend down the national debt,” I joked (sort of)… The Convention was replete with a number of good workshops. Of the ones I attended, I particularly liked Greg Gerritt’s: Green Economy Primer for Candidates. The premise is that “prosperity is only possible in a world in which ecostystems are being restored to health, violence is being eliminated, and justice and democracy are real rather than phony.” Gerritt said we have to think “holistically,” as opposed to our currrent rather myopic system that, for the most part, revolves around money and ideas. There must be a tangible “greening” of the economy, he said. One of the participants explained some 60 towns in Sweden have gone to ‘green economies’ where there is, for instance, friendly competition in “who can cut their carbon dioxide emissions the most…” Note: During the Candidate’s Forum Friday evening, I said I was your “average Joe concerned Midwestern parent.” And what I was most concerned about was, in the face of catastrophic Climate Change, whether our children would even have a world to live in in the very near future. That is starting to ‘play well in Peioria these days.’ As it should.
7/12/07
In the last entry, I talked about participating in a debate among independent presidential candidates at the National Press Club in D.C. One of the questions dealt with each candidate’s stance on abortion. Green Party nomination candidate Kent Mesplay said he didn’t personally like abortion and saw it, to a degree, as “violent.” This, in turn (and to a degree), would seem antithetical to the Green Party’s belief in “non-violence.” However, Mr. Mesplay also said he believes, ultimately, that it is the woman’s right to choose. Our campaign carries a “Consistent Life Ethic” that sets us against abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, poverty, pollution, nuclear proliferation… and anything else that can end life prematurely. Note 1: While I disagreed with Mr. Mesplay’s stance on abortion, I found him to be thoughtful and well versed on many of the “Green Party’s 10 Key Values,” many of which we line up with as well. Note 2: Early into the debate, Daniel Imperato (an international businessman) said he was so committed to his run that he “flew in from London” just to attend the debate. I told him I could trump that. I said I was so committed that I’d driven in from Cleveland with three young children in a small motor home to attend the debate. Point: Schriner.
7/11/07
I participated in a debate at the National Press Club in D.C. yesterday. The debate was among presidential candidates seeking the Green Party nomination. Marvin Kalb, the well-known former CBS News correspondent, moderated the debate. (The event was put on by the Independent Greens of Virginia.) The whole thing was actually quite stimulating.
7/7/07
We have crossed the Ohio line and are heading east to Washington D.C. for a debate at the National Press Club between several independent and Third Party presidential candidates. The debate is scheduled for Tuesday and is sponsored by the Independent Greens of Virginia. More on this later.
7/6/07
average JoeOhio Tour cont.: The family and I stumped in downtown Athens, Ohio, yesterday, passing out flyers in front of Brenen’s Coffee Shop. A photographer from the Athens Messenger made it a point of noting how many people were stopping to talk and learn more about the campaign. “More than most politicians I’ve seen here,” he said… We then headed north to Buchtel, Ohio, (pop. the only gas station closed a couple months ago). At St. Mary of the Hills Church, Fr. John Mucha said that this school district was the poorest one in the state. Fr. Mucha is originally from Cleveland and said he has spent considerable time learning the history here …in order to understand the people. He said the area was predominately Irish coal miners who had extremely hard lives in the mines. As a result, said Fr. Mucha, there was more proclivity among many of the men to drink excessively, creating all the attendant domestic and community issues — which can, sometimes, play themselves out in successive generations… We then headed into Green Run, Ohio, where I passed out campaign info to a couple guys talking in a front yard. One looked at the “average Joe” title on the card and enthusiastically said: “This is cool as crap!” I took that as an endorsement. Note: Later we stopped in Crooksville, Ohio, which is the “Clay Capitol of America.” The high school teams are called the: Crooksville Ceramics. And I’m not making this up!
7/5/07
I gave a talk the night before last at Presentation’s Ministries in Peebles, Ohio. (Presentation is a Catholic Retreat House and the ministry also distributes the booklet One Bread One Body.) I said that I’d just heard that in Timua, Kenya, families live in homes that are the size of, say, a master bathroom in this country. There is no running water, no electricty and children sleep on dirt floors. Our platform calls for most people in America, at the very least, to go to house sharing, halve expenses, and send the savings to the Third World… We then traveled on to Waverly, Ohio, for the 4th of July. During a Mass there, Fr. Adam said true “liberty” (on a higher plane) is about the freedom to live things like the Beatitudes, or not. “Blessed are the peacemakers… etc.” After stumping in Waverly, we headed on to Athens, Ohio, where our family watched God’s ‘fireworks’ last night. A thunderstorm.
7/3/07
average JoeOhio cont.: Went to an excellent talk by Paul Egan at Presentations Ministries in Peebles, Ohio today. In analyzing Corinthians in the Bible, Mr. Egan drew some modern day parallels. He said, for instance, that dressing modestly is becoming a tremendously big issue — not only on the streets, but even among church attendees. A woman in the audience said she believes Soap Operas these days are nothing but “soft porn.” And yet another woman said the magazine racks in the grocery stores these days amount to nothing but soft porn as well. My wife Liz said she knew of someone who would regularly turn the magazines over while waiting in line — “right in front of everyone.” Liz added that today in America it’s essential to protest, loudly, for what’s right. I agree. Mr. Egan ended with: “You have to fight for truth.” Note: Mr. Egan also referred to the Bible passage that says it’s better to have a millstone (big stone) tied around your neck and be thrown into the sea, than to (spiriually) mislead a child. I couldn’t help but think you’re a parent who is sitting children down in front of most of modern television — and all it’s tremendously influencing, corrosive messages — well, you might want to get fitted for the millstone, now.
7/3/07
average JoeOhio Tour cont.: I met Debbie Schachner in West Union, Ohio, yesterday. She was on a walk — from coast to coast. During the walk, she is raising funds for a library in Timau, Kenya, where she was a volunteer for the Action for Water and Education Foundation (AWE). During an interview with Ms. Schachner, 31, she said the abject poverty in Timau is palpable. She explained many families in Timau (pop. 100,000) live in dwellings comparable to a “master bathroom” in a home in America. They have no running water, no electricity, children sleep atop old clothes on the floor and food consists primarily (and there isn’t much) of bags of beans and corn. Ms. Schachner, who is from O’Fallon, IL, said she found the difference in lifestyles between America and Kenya, over all, as striking. What’s more, she said in America there is “hope” for most children growing up. Whereas in Kenya, there’s little “hope,” of anything better. With a new library, Ms. Schachner is trying to bring a bit of hope. She has raised some $50,000, so far, on a walk that has spanned more than 3,000 miles to date. For those who want to donate: AWE Foundation (attn: Kenya Library) 4286 Burkey Rd., Youngstown, Ohio 44515; and to visit Ms. Schachner’s website and follow her trail, see: www.walkingwithfaith.com Note: Ms. Schachner was introduced to the congregation at Sacred Heart Church in West Union. Fr. Ted Kossee said we are in the throes of extensive world hunger (especially in the Third World), some 86 diseases there are still no cures for (especially in the Third World), a lack of clean drinking water (especially in the Third World)… He said God’s people in America, in the face of all this, are called to help in dramatic ways.
6/30/07
I attended a Memorial Service in Cleveland last weekend for Bruce Edward Horner, an Army medic who was killed in Iraq this month. His brother, Doug, is a good friend of mine — and a peace activist. Doug is also the pastor of St. Paul’s Community Church in the heart of the city here. (Half of his congregation are homeless people.) Doug gave an emotional talk about his brother and ended by saying if the sniper would have gotten to know Doug, he never would have killed him. The service ended with the song: Let There Be Peace On Earth. Note: Afterward I told a reporter from the Cleveland Plain Dealer that as Doug was a soldier for God and for his convictions, so is his brother — who works in his own “war zone” in inner city Cleveland. What’s more, I added that our country would be a lot better off if there were more brothers like Bruce and Doug.