arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

USGP Advisory on detention of a Green at Maine airport
by Starlene Rankin, USGP Media Team Monday November 05, 2001 at 03:12 AM
starlene@greens.org Chicago, Illinois, USA

CORRECTION of erroneous information in press reports on the detention of a Green at Maine airport

THE GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES

PRESS ADVISORY
For immediate release:
Sunday, November 4, 2001

Contacts:
Nancy Allen, Media Coordinator
207-326-4576, nallen@acadia.net
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator
202-518-5624, scottmclarty@yahoo.com


CORRECTION of erroneous information in press
reports on the detention of a Green at Maine
airport


WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green Party organizers are
attempting to confirm a report from sources in
Maine that a Green was detained by officials at
Bangor International Airport because of her
political affiliation.

Greens support measures to keep air traffic safe
during the current crisis, as long as
constitutional rights are not violated and people
who engage in nonviolent political dissent are
not targeted. Numerous Green Party organizers
and activists have flown over the past weeks
without incident, and they have complied in every
way with airport security measures.

PLEASE NOTE: Recent press reports on the incident
contained incorrect information about the
affiliation of the Green Party member, stating
that Nancy Oden is a "coordinating committee
member" of the Green Party of the United States.
Ms. Oden is not a member of the party's
Coordinating Committee (which consists of
delegates from affiliated states), but of a
different organization.

The Green Party of the United States is the only
Green political organization organized nationally
as a party, in which at least 31 states are
represented (with other states' memberships
pending). It organized the Green National
Convention in Denver in June, 2000, at which
Ralph Nader was nominated to run for President,
and is recognized among Green Parties around the
world.

The Green Party of the United States has filed
papers with the Federal Election Commission for
recognition as a national party with national
committee status, and expects an announcement of
the FEC's decision within the next few weeks.

Media inquiries about national policies and
activities of the Green Party should be directed
solely to the Green Party of the United States,
through its media representatives as listed in
the heading above. To contact state Green
Parties, visit the Green Party of the United
States web site <http://gpus.org> and follow the
links to the state parties and their contacts and
web sites.


MORE INFORMATION

The Green Party of the United States
http://gpus.org


END

Why is GPUS playing dirty politics?
by Paul Monday November 05, 2001 at 09:45 AM
webmaster2globalcircle.net

Why is a newly formed splinter faction of the original Green party in the US since 1986 playing dirty politics and placing sectarian differences above loss of civil liberties?? Instead of rallying around and supporting a fellow Green and ANYONES loss of civil liberties they're busy attacking and putting out misleading propaganda.Shame on them!!!

http://www.greenparty.org

WHO'S NEXT???-GPUSA-US Green Party leader Oden a Victim of Dirty Politics

As a member of both Green parties, I must protest Starlene Rankin's "USGP
advisory on detention of a Green at Maine airport" at
http://www.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=83634&group=webcast . Her
failure to support a
fellow Green manhandled by the military and barred from her flight raises
disturbing questions about Rankin herself.

The GPUSA statement on Nancy Oden's airport ordeal needs no "correction"
from Rankin, as it is clearly labeled "GREEN PARTY USA COORDINATOR DETAINED
AT AIRPORT" (GPUSA) -- SEE http://www.greenparty.org/bangor.txt .

The real confusion arises from Rankin's attempt to conceal the fact there
are TWO Green parties. She is NOW working for Green Party of the United
States - GPUS, but in fact she WAS the office secretary for Green Party USA
-- GPUSA-- until recently-- when she deserted under a cloud of allegations
of embezzlement and sabotage against her employer, GPUSA. She fails to
mention these publicly known facts. Also missing is any mention of her
long-running war against Nancy Oden, the very subject of the Maine airport
ordeal. Some have called Rankin's post dirty politics.

Yet Rankin made the astounding claim: "The Green Party of the United
States is the only Green political organization organized nationally as a
party". One can imagine why she would like people to believe that.

The confusion over party names is not the fault of the Green Party USA.
The Green Party USA has been the Green Party for years, and held national
conventions since 1984. SEE http://www.greenparty.org/intro.html

But it wasn't until July 1, 2001 that the Association of State Green
Parties formed a national party called Green Party of the United States
--GPUS. SEE GPUS own page at http://www.greenparties.org/fec/fec.html .
"7.01.01 - In our annual meeting in Santa Barbara on July 27 and 28, the
Association of State Green Parties will vote on whether to form the
national Green Party of the United States" And SEE GPUS own page at
http://gpus.org>/press/pr_07_30_01.html "July 30, 2001: Greens Create
National Party - Santa Monica, Calif. -- Green Party leaders today
celebrated the formation of the Green Party of the United States"

The choice of party name, Green Party of the United States, is
unfortunate. But of course the confusion was predicted by the 16-year old
Green Party USA when GPUS announced themselves last July as THE ONLY Green
Party of the United States.

For those interested in facts, there's an interview with Nancy Oden at
http://www.wartimeliberty.com/article.pl?sid=01/11/03/1813233 -- AND The
Bangor, Maine paper report is at
http://www.bangornews.com/editorialnews/article.html?ID=44958 . Even AFTER
she was completely searched and cleared, and her baggage, she was STILL
barred from her flight, or any other flight out of there. Officials did not
report that she refused any search. IF she had, you can be certain they
would have told the paper, and the paper would have reported it. The
officials did not report any kind of disturbance or prohibited items on her
or in her baggage, nor any abusive language or threats from her. Note:
Nancy Oden is a 60-year old activist. Does anyone seriously believe they
had any legitimate reason to bar her from her flight to her party
convention, and forfeit hundreds of dollars she paid for her ticket?

Some political enemies are claiming it would be happening to others, if
her account is true. But it IS happening to others, and probably far more
often that we hear about. People lose their jobs when it gets back. But
here's one such story, from a Sacramento reporter.
http://www.newsreview.com/issues/sacto/2001-10-25/cover.asp#

A Green Party leader in Canada --Joan Russow, PhD-- was "tagged" as a
terrorist threat and barred from the APEC convention THREE YEARS ago
http://www.green.ca/english/news/nr980929.htm . She found out by accident
that she was on a secret hit list.

We know thousands of activists have been stopped at border crossings,
airports, train stations etc where WTO meetings were scheduled in different
countries. We saw police using video cameras to record marchers. We know
they use face recognition computers for matching records on people.

Bangor International Airport is a jumping off point for Canada.

Nancy's enemies on the Right insist she wasn't on any target list. THEY
haven't had problems with the law. Yet Nancy is a well known, highly
visible activist in Maine, a veteran of Monsanto campaigns and antiwar
efforts, among others, and her signed articles have been published in Maine
newspapers. Of course the FBI knows who she is. They know who everybody is.

Unfortunately, Nancy's flight plans were public information in advance,
and serious activists have serious enemies who work covertly with
intelligence and law enforcement.

--paul, webmaster http://globalcircle.net
networking for ecology, justice, and all our relations