PHILADELPHIA – The Green Party of Pennsylvania reaffirms its core principles of peace and social justice in condemning the horrific mass shootings and the ideology that produced them.

Seeing people and planet as things to be conquered lies at the root of violence.

Green Party of Pennsylvania

www.GPofPA.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

CONTACT:

Alan Smith & Sheri Miller, Co-Chairs of Green Party of Pennsylvania, media@gpofpa.org

The Green Party promotes non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward lasting personal, community and global peace.

We seek to join with people and organizations around the world to foster peace, economic justice, and the health of the planet.

In the wake of these events, we encourage everyone to do the following:

Reach out to the marginalized, those traumatized and fearful. Comfort and protect them.



Visibly and vocally speak out against white nationalism, fascism and all the other-isms that fuel this violence.



Speak firmly against the practice of using black and brown people, immigrants and Muslims, and other marginalized peoples as scapegoats for wretched economic and political systems.



Educate yourself and others about the connections between seeing each other as enemies and competitors and the violence it produces here at home and abroad.



Be a living example of peace. Act in solidarity with the oppressed and marginalized at home and abroad. Practice compassion and understanding. Learn and practice peace and conflict resolution.



The machine that is producing this destruction will be stopped when we refuse to be cogs in it. As Bayard Rustin said, "we must tuck our bodies in places so wheels don't turn." We must make this existing paradigm obsolete.

Begin today creating a new world where people and planet are not seen as expendable. Act now as if our lives depend on it, because they do.

"Mirror Terror"

a poem by Alan Smith

August 4, 2019

People in cages, gunned down at all ages.

Dehumanized.

Involuntary interment, for our own “betterment.”

Dehumanized.

From nuclear bombs in Japan to drones in Afghanistan.

Dehumanized.

From white supremacy to capitalist patriarchy.

Dehumanized.

From materialism to consumerism.

Dehumanized.

From imperialism to neo-liberalism and all other -isms.

Dehumanized.

Violence. Violence. Violins scream echoing our terror.

Violins moan as our cries they mirror.

This is not pretty music to our ears,

But a summoning of our worst fears.

Terror. Terror. Terror. Tearing us apart.

From alienation to isolation, tearing up our hearts.

From El Paso to Ohio, making us cry, "Oh!!!"

To find the antidote, we must sing a different note.

For the seas to calm, "Viva! People, planet and peace!" must be our song.

Look hard in the mirror, beyond the terror.

See a new world where we are together.

No longer dehumanized, beyond fear, we all rise!

The Green Party is an independent political party that stands in opposition to the two corporate parties. GPPA candidates promote public policy based on the Green Party's four pillars: grassroots democracy, nonviolence, ecological wisdom, and social justice/equal opportunity