the 100 Year March

 

April 28, 2003

 

 

Segmentation: A Serious Challenge for the Liberal Community

 

I have had the good fortune to meet many dedicated individuals working on behalf of many vital causes for the betterment of life. People are very passionate about their cause(s) whether they dedicate themselves to Education (American Federation of Teachers, California Teachers Association), the Environment (Greenpeace, Sierra Club), Peace Activism (Peace Action, United for Peace and Justice, Praxis Peace Institute), World Hunger (Food First, Oxfam), Civil Rights and Liberties (ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center) and many other incredible organizations like Doctors Without Borders, Habitat for Humanity, National Priorities, etc.

 

In considering all of the organizations, all with crucial goals and objectives, each group, through its volunteers and membership are energized and continuing to move forward despite a very difficult time in America. Much of the progress in environmental areas, civil rights and liberties and other evolutionary steps we have made after years of effort are quickly being negated by the Bush/Cheney Administration, and will continue to erode through this administration and through its Judicial appointments long after we elect new leadership in America. And our thought about new and elected leadership must not constrain itself to the Executive branch. We must give a new, elected administration access to liberal-oriented Legislative branch as well. Only then can America begin to assess and repair the incalculable damage that has been inflicted upon the world and America by the current administration.

 

Two issues are clear. We must unify the Liberal and Liberal-Moderate part of the American voting population, and we must mobilize immediately so we can be well-prepared for the 2004 Primaries.

 

All of this leads to the question, how can we, all working along different, yet important paths effectively unite without losing the momentum or focus on our various causes and concerns?

 

We, at the 100 Year March are working toward resolving the segmentation issue. We are becoming a web-portal for a large, and fast-growing membership and network of organizations. We have assembled an elementary, preliminary Platform statement for 2004.  We need your review and feedback so we can turn the Platform into a document we can all stand behind. Once we have consensus, we ask that each organization and your membership urge political party leadership to integrate and adopt the platform for their candidates. We would like to begin the Platform 2004 campaign no later than the end of May, 2003.

   

Many of you are already familiar with the 100 Year March, and thus know that we are evolving several components of our website such as:

 

• Our extensive links to over one-hundred like-minded organizations.
• Our bulletin board area for discussion, feedback and for you to enter and maintain information about local events.
• A letter-writing area to assist you in contacting your legislators and media about common concerns and issues.
• A Public Policy and Platform Statement for 2004
• A soon to be ready Candidate and Elected Official Detail and Summary Rating System (based upon stated positions, voting records, funding and organizational-backing.
• An organized boycott of direct or indirect pro-war involvement by business, also coming soon.