We are feminists who consider the Bush administration a danger to our
country and the world, and see a regime change in 2004 as the highest political
priority. Rather than waiting to hear what all the Democratic candidates
have to say, then jumping on the bandwagon of the least offensive, we decided
to make our own list of priorities and see who agrees with us. Here's our
list:
We want a candidate who will stop the war on the poor. Though
an estimated 20 -29 percent of Americans live in poverty, the Republicans’
new tax code penalizes the poor and rewards the rich. Women on welfare are
forced into low-paid jobs, even in the absence of childcare. Food pantries
can no longer meet the demand of the millions of the poor, both employed
and unemployed. When anyone mentions these facts, the Republicans accuse them
of inciting a "class war," but they are the ones who have started this war,
whose victims are disproportionately women, children and people of color.
We want a candidate who stands for peace, respects international
treaties and institutions such as the U.N. and the International Criminal
Court, and tries to resolve problems through negotiation. We are horrified
by the fact that our country started a war for no clear reason, on the basis
of lies and distortions, in defiance of international law and world opinion,
and without concern for the lives that would be lost. Far from protecting
us from terrorism, such military adventures can only increase our vulnerability
and feed the rage and ranks of those who seek to harm us.
We want a candidate who will defend the separation of church
and state, and the individual rights guaranteed us by the Constitution.
The Bush administration has instituted detention without trial; secret military
tribunals; and hugely increased government surveillance of our citizens.
We want a candidate who opposes discrimination based on sexual
orientation or gender identity, and who stands for women's reproductive
rights and recognizes that these rights depend on universal health insurance.
The right to choose means women are entitled to abortion, if that is their
choice, and to all the social supports necessary to raise children, if that
is their choice. The Bush administration is seeking to appoint judges who
will undermine these rights.
We want a candidate who will address questions of global economic
imbalance and stand up for the rights of immigrants. International
financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank, led by the U.S., have
imposed “structural adjustment” policies that relentlessly increase the
gulf between rich and poor countries -- driving many of the world's poor
to come here, legally or illegally. We call for an end to the harassment
of undocumented workers by the INS and the political persecution of immigrants
of color--the round-ups and detentions. We are a "nation of immigrants"
and should embrace this heritage.
We want a candidate who will challenge racism domestically and
internationally; who understands that affirmative action is still needed
and that our schools have been re-segregated; and who will take a stand
against the Republican Party’s use of stereotypes to spread division and
fear, from Reagan's "welfare queens" to today's demonized version of Islam.
Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate who not only agrees with all these
points but has developed policies to support them: starting a cabinet-level
Department of Peace; supporting unions and the right to organize; cutting
the bloated military budget; restoring environmental regulations and launching
a “Global Green Deal” to benefit developing countries; withdrawing from NAFTA
and the WTO and challenging IMF/World Bank policies; repealing the “Patriot
Act”; upholding Roe v. Wade; working for universal health insurance; and abolishing
the racially and economically biased death penalty.
Because we feel that he comes closest to representing our priorities,
we have decided to support Dennis Kucinich for President and hope you will
join us by signing this statement. Of course this does not preclude our voting
for whoever gets the nomination; this is about whom to support in the primaries.
Molly Ivins has put it: Vote your heart in the primaries, vote your head in
November. If Dennis wins enough hearts, there won't be any contradiction.
Original Signers:
Barbara Ehrenreich, a political essayist whose most
recent book is Nickel and Dimed: Surviving in Low Wage America
Angela Gilliam, professor and scholar of Black feminist anthropology and international feminism
Ynestra King, a writer and activist specializing in environmental,
feminist, and disability issues
Gail Lerner, an organizer in the global women's movement, who
has worked with several United Nations agencies and international NGOs in
the U.S. and abroad
Grace Paley, a writer and peace activist whose works include Enormous
Changes at the Last Minute, Later That Same Day, and Just as
I Thought
Rosalind Petchesky, an international feminist activist and Distinguished
Professor of Political Science at Hunter College and the City University of
New York
Digna Sanchez, a Latina community activist in New York, president
of the Aspirante Alumni Fellowship
Meredith Tax, a novelist, essayist and international organizer
of feminist writers, whose books include Rivington Street and Union
Square
We urge you to take action now by signing the statement!
We hope if you are signing this that you want to help Dennis Kucinich
win the nomination and would like to be involved when he comes to campaign
in your district. You don't have to give us your address and phone number
but it would really help if you did, and we promise not to share it with
anyone but people working on the campaign.
Eligible signatories: Residents of the United States of America
Sign petition
Please note: All your contact information will be private, available
only to people working on the campaign, and not posted on the web. Only
your name and professional identification, if any, will be posted.