Send message; vote Kucinich
Opinion piece originally published in the Statesman Journal
Send message; vote Kucinich
April 13, 2004
I saw Dennis Kucinich speak in Salem recently. He convinced a lot of people to vote for him in the May primary. "While the Democratic nominee may be a foregone conclusion," he said, "the Democratic platform is not."
Here is an example of the Kucinich platform not seen in John Kerry's: A new system of delivering health care to all people that takes the burden off employers and uses health-care dollars for actual services (not insurance and pharmaceutical industry profits). We already pay for universal health care but we're not getting it.
Another Kucinich idea: Hand over Iraqi administrative and security responsibilities to the United Nations. Have the U.N. administer Iraqi oil reserves (not U.S. oil companies). Then rotate our troops out over a three-month period.
If we stay in Iraq much longer we will have to bring back the draft. (It's already under way.)
If you want to make people the priority of the Democratic Party again - vote for Kucinich in the primary. Send the Democratic National Committee a message, help shape the party platform, then vote for a "better" Kerry in November.
-Melanie Zermer
Salem
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