I was looking o­n the Net for a particular Dennis Kucinich speech that shows how spiritually minded he is, when I came across something in his Martin Luther King Day speech that echoes what I wrote in COULD WE SPARK A CAMPAIGN?. After I saw the movie, 8 Mile, what I wrote about came from thinking the country could not sustain with pockets that are as abysmal as the o­ne in Detroit — and that cleaning up our pockets could be a tipping point to cleaning up the world and making us a species that can live together in peace. What I wrote was through a lens of altruism, where the rich need to take poverty o­n. Kucinich suggested it be addressed from the even deeper perspective of human rights. He said:

Once again the hopes of people of two nations are being smashed by weapons in the name of eliminating weapons. Let us abolish weapons of mass destruction at home. Joblessness is a weapon of mass destruction. Poverty is a weapon of mass destruction. Hunger is a weapon of mass destruction. Homelessness is a weapon of mass destruction. Poor health care is a weapon of mass destruction. Poor education is a weapon of mass destruction. Discrimination is a weapon of mass destruction.Let us abolish such weapons of mass destruction here at home.

Let us use hundreds of billions of our tax dollars, which some would cast upon Iraq in bombs and warring troops, instead for the restoration of the American Dream, to rebuild our economy and to expand opportunities for all. We have a duty to assert our human needs as a people and not to yield them for the base concerns of an unresponsive government: We have a right to a job. We have a right to decent housing. We have a right to health care. We have a right to food fit to eat, air fit to breathe and water fit to drink. Peace is a civil right which makes other human rights possible. Peace is the precondition for our existence. Peace permits our continued existence.

The Kucinich speech I actually was looking for is “Spirit and Stardust,” from the middle of last year. I guarantee that you never have read a speech from any politician that has the depth and breadth of this o­ne.  Have you ever heard a politician say anything like this?

We need to remember where we came from; to know that we are o­ne. To understand that we are of an undivided whole: race, color, nationality, creed, gender are beams of light, refracted through o­ne great prism. We begin as perfect and journey through life to become more perfect in the singularity of “I” and in the multiplicity of “we”; a more perfect union of matter and spirit.

The media are treating the Kucinich candidacy as if he has no chance to win. I wonder. That Paul Ray survey a few years ago, that most of my readers will be familiar with, made big noise telling us there were enough “Cultural Creatives” in the United States to elect a president. Could Kucinich, who figures to get all the votes of such people, succeed out of who he is and not what he spends to sell himself? Maybe he's got his candidacy sewed up already, and doesn't have to waste his energy fundraising. It would be interesting if o­ne of the big progressive websites opened a voting opportunity for us, where the objective was to count votes of people already sold — with an honor system not to vote more than o­nce, so an assessment useful to the campaign might be made.

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COMMENTS

From: Maireid Sullivan [maireid@optusnet.com.au]

I am wondering what you think of the fact that Marianne Williamson is Dennis Kucinich's “guru” according to the LA Times piece o­n him. Do you think she may have written ALL of his speeches? – since politicians do have speech writers. Are you in a position to find out – since you know her personally? Could you? It would be very important to know if he is capable of writing those pieces – including his brilliant statements o­n the issues, which I agree with entirely. Oh, wouldn't it be lovely to have such a mind in politics.

Suzanne to Maireid:

I don't know what the story is about why they are together so much — she shows up where he is a lot, sometimes with him speaking and her not. I am told it's not a relationship. But the first speech of his that was so visionary and spiritual was o­ne he gave to ADA, when he was staying at the home of Lila Garrett, president of ADA. She said he was writing it out at her place.

From: Yvonne Garcia [yvonneg@tampabay.rr.com]Subject: Kucinich from Truthout: “Obviously Oil”

Truthout has fresh articles everyday, and I always read them. They are very non-establishment. [I agree– especially for listmember William Rivers Pitt, whom we frequently post….ST] I went to Kucinich's site and emailed them to let them know I am voting for him. Did you know he is o­ne of the senator filing suit against Mr. Bush and friends?

After watching The Pentagon Papers, I want to scream and tell people, HOW CAN WE JUST SIT HERE AND WATCH THEM DO THIS SO BLATANTLY?

I can overdose o­n all of this, and I have to balance it with Swimme and meditation, etc.

From: Fred Burks [mailto:fredburks@earthlink.net]

Thanks, Suzanne! I prefer to call it deep-hearted stuff rather than high minded. Thanks for your interesting articles o­n Kucinich. He's awesome! I've been following him for about nine months. Last weekend I attended an awesome speech he gave at the Young Visionaries Conference here in SF. Those in control definitely don't like him. I saw an article in the SF Chronicle about a month ago stating that in the first polls in Iowa, “an unnamed Democrat” was in the lead! Have you ever heard of a poll not naming who was in the lead? I'm fairly certain it was Kucinich who had a powerful time stumping in the state prior to the poll. If all the info o­n 911 gets out within the next year, I'm almost certain Kucinich will win.Take a look at the two-page 9/11 summary I have with links direct to major mass media articles strongly implicating those in power. If you agree it's powerful, consider sending it out to all you know. o­nce this document starts spreading across the internet, even the most conservative war hawks will begin to question what's really going o­n. Thanks so much for all your great work and you have a rich day!

From Suzanne to Fred:

It is breathtaking to see how real intelligence has been put to such good use here o­n the Net.  I feel like I am an observer to what you propose, though, rather than an advocate.  There's too much there and I'm to small an operation to dig into all of it myself so that I'd be able to argue o­n behalf of all the points in the story.  But with this information being so well collected and the blessing of the Net, it will have plenty of power to seep into the general understanding.  If the piece starts circulating, I can pop it o­n my home page under a new category I have of pieces in wide circulation.Interesting about Kucinich.  The media is totally dismissing him, but I wonder about that.  We may put out a “counter” for people o­n the Net to check in if they are for him — am talking to the campaign about that.  It might demonstrate that he  has significant support.

Suzanne to Dennis Kucinich:

I'm o­ne of your worshippers out here. My website is full of you — for instance, http://www.theconversation.org/nichols.html. I've sent you notices before, but I understand you can't be responsive to all your email. Now I have an idea.

I have a suggestion for how to proceed with transforming the world situation. There's a problem with calling for peace. The idea needs an action.   Have a look at something I wrote:  Could We Spark a Campaign?  This could be the action.

From: Carol Rosin [rosin@west.net] President, Institute for Cooperation in Space

Thanks for your always wonderful ideas, including this o­ne. Your heart is so alive and you have done and do so much. Thanks, too, for including me o­n this list [I copied my email to Kucinich to some friends of mine, like Carol, who work with him….ST]. You are such a master networker, and an inspired thinker from your heart. So when I got your note to Dennis it activated something in me to write to you about another contribution to how to get to peace and stop war. Because I saw 8 Mile, too, and I understand. Maybe you will hear this and help. Together, we can do something spectacular.

Dennis Kucinich is obviously champion of all progressive issues. But most don't yet know much about the part that I believe will be the most important part of his “win win platform.” This is a part that will attract the right of center and the swing vote, as it will stimulate the economy, provide national and world security, end war (literally “cap” the war industry), and transform the war industry and mindset in an Aikido fashion that will “give the boys something else to do.” There will be more jobs and training programs created than during any hot or cold wartime. And R&D programs will now be dedicated to producing clean and safe technology, products and services that will be applied directly (not just as spin-offs) to solving urgent and potential problems of humans and other animals and our environment. o­nce the ban o­n space-based weapons that Dennis is calling o­n all world leaders to sign is turned into law in 2003-4, money and brains will be freed up to R&D such ventures as clean and safe alternative energy sources. Satellites will be used not as force multiplyers in war games, but for all the good purposes these extensions of man's minds can do with them, including seeing where the sick waters are so we can clean them up, where the suffering people are so we can send troops — not with weapons, but with food and medical supplies, and to verify arms agreements including the elimination of nuclear weapons and other dangerous technologies.

Bush has officially committed to deploying missile defense by 2004…inexorably linked to and aimed at deploying space-based weapons by calling them “merely tests.” This is more dangerous than words can describe, but most people are being distracted by the war, and other vitally important issues. So few even want to hear about this part of the “solution,” yet it is the missing element and the part that will show Dennis Kucinich is the kind of Commander in Chief people really want — who can and will lead the troops, and, in fact, the entire military industrial lab university intelligence (NASA and other international space organs) complex in the US and around the world, out of this old earthbound paradigm that OKs suffering and destruction, and into the new space age paradigm where war is archiac.

From Suzanne to Carol:

Many cheers for what you are doing, which I bet is well known to all the people o­n this list, who would be in total agreement and support for it. And gratitude, too, for your carrying this ball for so long, and now for your liaison with the darling of all of us. Did you recruit him for your cause? Even more cheers for you if you did. He is so different from all other politicians — even the good liberals and the radical left talk justice, but not consciousness. I am astounded at how this single political voice speaks with such a depth of awareness that either no o­ne else in politics has, or they consider too dangerous politically to talk about. So that leaves every spiritually minded person in the country without representation, and I'm sure with a passionate willingness to support a Kucinich presidential run. I am an idealist, and with the country so imperiled it seems perfectly logical to me that we can get him elected. A kind of Billy Wilder movie.

I think aligning and coalescing so that we are in mutual support for the good things is vital. There's too much of gadflies making brilliant criticisms of this ghastly administration, but too little coming together to be a force. That's a function of a lack of vehicles. Like why doesn't the Progressive Caucus get all sympathizers to be signatory somehow? There's not a place where we can work together to forge a new national understanding. It would include your cause, and then some. The Democrats have crapped out, so that some other auspice is needed. Why doesn't Dennis be a rallying point for an intelligent conversation to forge alignment? (I have another piece posted that's a follow up o­n what I sent to Dennis — see WHAT'S NEEDED IS A NEW NATIONAL UNDERSTANDING.)

I'm happy to strategize with you. Ask us for pointed actions and we'll be there! What can we do?

Making sure Dennis sees my email is what you could do for me.

From: Linda Genutis [LGenutis@aol.com]

Re: “It would be interesting if of the big progressive websites opened a voting opportunity for us, where the objective was to count votes of people already sold.” I think the idea is an excellent o­ne. I live in the Cleveland area and I'm a member of a well known Irish political family made up of politicians, county administrators and county prosecutors. Although I don't know Dennis personally, my sister and brother-in-law have worked with him in the past and they think he's the best thing since apple pie. I agree. I'm thinking about volunteering at his campaign office, but I have to wait till I find out my schedule for the rest of this year. I agree with you that it would be helpful for Dennis and all of us to have a better idea o­n the number of potential voters for his candidacy. I'm curious how a website such as the o­ne you are proposing can be set up. As always, I'm available to help set up such a website and maintain it. I'll look into this more. If you have any other suggestions, let me know.

From Suzanne to Linda:

Great, Linda. I began by just floating this idea, while wondering how to make something work. Am copying this to Yvonne Garcia, who optimizes websites to get them high o­n searches, could be part of such a thing, and to Allen Branson, who's helping me with my site and conspiring with me about things to do. If we set something up, maybe we'd first go to the big liberal sites to get their support to make it THE thing to do, not just some fringy do-gooding. I don't know Kucinich, either, but I'm o­ne person away from him through several friends of mine, for whatever that's worth.

From: Yvonne Garcia  [yvonneg@tampabay.rr.com]

I will contribute the how to o­n ranking high…we would want to plan that into the creation of the site so it's not an afterthought…count me in!!

From: Allen Branson  [allen@mightycompanions.org]

Perhaps more than just getting a good idea of the numbers, such a site becomes the rallying site for cultural creatives. As numbers grow (via the polling), courage grows. When those of us in this demographic start really seeing just how many of us there are, we begin to feel empowered to take that step beyond the “protest” vote and toward the “let's elect this guy” vote. Getting people to show up and register themselves as a cultural creative could be newsworthy in and of itself, especially if the numbers start looking impressive.

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