To the Editor:

North Carolina now has five political parties represented on the ballot. They include the Republican Party, Constitution Party, Libertarian Party, Democratic Party and Green Party. Most of these organizations encourage people to join them. The Green Party seeks to join with others to foster peace, economic justice, social harmony and a vibrant economy. 

Green Party values include the following: 

• Grassroots democracy giving every person a say in the decisions that affect their lives.
• Ecological wisdom understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from nature.
• Non-violence alternatives to our current pattern of violence in our families and in the streets of nations around the world.
• Social justice and equal opportunity for all persons to have the rights and opportunities to benefit equally from the resources provided us by society and our environment.
• Decentralization of wealth and power from centralized social, political and economic institutions that benefit a few.
• Community-based economics that create jobs and provide a decent standard of living for all people while maintaining a healthy ecological balance including health and wellness in our communities.
• Feminism providing more cooperative ways of interacting which respects differences of opinion and gender.
• Respect for diversity that values culture, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity.
• Future focus and sustainability to protect valuable natural resources, safely dispose of all waste we create while developing sustainable economies that don’t depend on continual expansion for survival.
• Personal and global responsibility in which individuals act to improve their personal well-being and enhance ecological balance and social harmony.

If you have interest in an organization that clearly defines and lives its values, please Google WNC Green Party to learn more.

Ron Robinson

Sylva