FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Alan Burns - (704) 408-7088 (w), (704) 333-8147 (h), aburns2@carolina.rr.com
Gray Newman - (704) 609-3160, dibloc@aol.com

CHARLOTTE: The North Carolina Green Party has endorsed the comments made by Minneapolis Councilwoman Natalie Johnson Lee after last night's State of the Union address. At a rally outside the Capitol, the Greens' spokeswoman offered a peaceful alternative to President Bush's call for unilateralism and military action.

"The President promised a policy of war on Iraq," said Lee. "In response, the Green Party offers the only national security policy that really works: A policy whose goal is peace, not war."

In his State of the Union speech, the President repeatedly mentioned important and pressing issues about which he, his party and his political allies have a long history of doing nothing. Issues like the environment, health care and the ailing economy.

Even in the Democratic Party's rebuttal, Governor Gary Locke of Washington State made only generalized objections without offering any concrete proposals or even pointing out the obvious contradictions between Bush's words and his actions.

By contrast, Councilwoman Lee's speech laid out a four-point program for peace in the world. She proposed that the United States (1) stop the global trade in weapons, (2) offer economic assistance to the poor countries that currently breed terrorists, (3) consistently support democracy abroad, even when elected leaders don't align ideologically with the United States, and (4) reduce our dependence on unstable Middle East regimes by developing clean sources of energy now, not waiting 15 years for hydrogen fuel cells.

Lee also called for renewed support of civil rights, for stronger social support programs to aid the poor, for environmental protection and national health care, for a strong labor movement, and for fiscal responsibility in future tax cuts.

According to Lee, our major-party leaders have lost touch with the American people.

Alan Burns, co-chair of the North Carolina Green Party, said, "Bush's economic and environmental agenda since the last State of the Union address has been a disaster. Too many jobs have been lost in North Carolina while this President seems intent on one issue -- taking this country to war despite worldwide opposition and little support here in the U.S.A. He is clearly out of touch with working people."

As Lee said, "Millions of Americans want peace, want equality, want social justice. We are with you. We know that another world is possible. If we will it, and act on it, it is no dream."

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