About this IssueIf you've seen AMBER WAVES OF GREEN in the past, you may be surprised by its changed appearance. (The previous printed edition was a newspaper tabloid format; this one is a magazine layout.) The new format is a result, not of a different esthetic sensibility, but of the technology available to me. It will probably remain this way as long as I am responsible for assembling it.Some of the articles in this issue have a distinct slant on questions that Greens continue to debate. For example, there are at least two opinions as to whether or not we should endorse progressive Democrats. One of these opinions is strongly presented in "Blame the Democrats ...." If you disagree with the views expressed there, "Don't get mad; get even." Write an article communicating your take on the question. But please don't limit yourself to disagreeing with what has been previously published. Write up your successes, public meetings, failures, collaboration with other groups, and opinions. What's going on with Perrier and Great Lakes oil drilling? There is plenty of historical material on these issues, but articles describing what actions are currently in the works are what's needed as well as news about any other threats, environmental or otherwise, to our well-being. In future issues, I would also like to include a report from every local, even if it is simply meeting dates and places. It's your paper, contribute your news and your thoughts. Linda Manning Myatt Donate Your RebateThe government will be sending you a fat check sometime this year. But how happy can you really feel, knowing that your vacation has been paid for by cutting the budget for things like AIDS prevention and special education funds for handicapped children - a budget so dirty it caused one Republican senator to actually leave his party in disgust? If only there were a way to protest the cut AND put the money to good use ....Well, if you believe that we are basically dealing with dirty money here, then why not "launder" it through the world's greatest united political force for sustainability and social justice - the international Green movement? You may want to give money to the Green Party of Michigan for debt reduction, or to your own local for the beginnings of a candidate support fund. Get creative! Then you can send a little postcard to the White House thanking Governor Bush for the dough, and reminding him that it will be used to fund an increasingly powerful organization whose main priority will soon be to throw him out of office. So who wants to stick it to Dubya and help save the world at the same time? If you can donate even part of your Bush tax rebate, please consider helping the Green Party this year. Amber Waves of Green, published quarterly, is the official publication of the Green Party of Michigan. It is written by members and friends of the party and assembled by Linda Manning Myatt. Aside from celebrating spacious skies, and purple mountain majesty, it serves to promote the Ten Key Values of the Greens: Ecological Wisdom, Grassroots Democracy, Social Justice, Nonviolence, Community Economics, Decentralization, Feminism, Respect for Diversity, Personal and Global Responsibility, and Future Focus. Submission of articles by E mail or disc is preferred: almyatt@earthlink.net. Snail mail can be sent to 50 Woodward Heights, Pleasant Ridge, MI 48069. The Green Party of Michigan can be contacted at: Green Party of Michigan, 548 S. Main St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104, or phone (734) 663-3555. On the Web, visit http://www.migreens.org, where there is a feedback form, or send E mail to migreens-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.. |