I believe:

• Black Lives Matter! Until we have an end to systemic discrimination and police brutality in our communities of color we cannot say that all lives matter.

• In Love! Love is the basis for all my actions, thoughts, emotions, compassion and anger. Love is my religion. I struggle with my faith in, and daily actions with, Love.

• In Peace! I believe war should only be used as a last resort in defense of your country.

• In equality for all people.

• In freedom of religion as long as no one is harmed! I believe that religion has been the largest historical contributor to war, genocide and colonialism in our world. Spiritual life is more important then religion.

• In free universal healthcare from cradle to grave.

• In free and equal education for all PK-four years of University. (At the very least we should have free Community Colleges and Trade Schools.)

• Most student loan debt should be cancelled or reduced significantly. (This would have a huge positive impact on the national economy.)

• In feminism and that it is more then just the advocacy for equality but a way of life. For me being a feminist means fighting for social justice and peace with compassion, care and empathy.

•  That our political system is corrupt and both the national Democrat and Republican parties are corrupt and out of touch with the masses. We must reform our political and electoral system to be more inclusive and democratic encouraging greater political diversity.

• I would be a Democratic Environmental Socialist if that party existed. I am most politically aligned with the 10 Key Principals of the Green Party: Grassroots democracy, Social justice and equal opportunity, Ecological wisdom, Nonviolence, Decentralization, Community-based economics, Feminism and gender equality, Respect for diversity, Personal and global responsibility, and Future focus and sustainability.

•  The indigenous peoples of the world are the true caretakers of their lands and must have greater participation in deciding what happens to the environment within their regions so that indigenous life and culture can remain sustainable.

• All life on our increasingly fragile planet is interconnected! The cascading affect of species extinction will create greater suffering for humans in the future.

•  The Earth, her ecosystems, bio-regions, environments, water, resources, and living creatures have rights that supersede short-term economic prosperity for a few humans.

•  All people, plants and animals have a right to clean water.

•  Climate Change is humanities largest immediate threat and that we are in the process of real and destructive environmental consequences to our dependence on unsustainable economic growth, chemical and energy production.

•  Climate Crisis mitigation is possible and we must immediately push our corporations and governments to change industrial, economic and political policies and systems to prepare rapidly.

•  We have to stop using plastic and clean the ocean of our accumulated trash.

•  We can feed the worlds people but we must stop overfishing and meat production promoting sustainable agriculture and food production while making distribution and costs more equitable.

•  We must stop producing nuclear waste through military and energy production! Already we will be paying the price over the next thousands of years for our proliferation of nuclear power and weapons and the resulting environmental and human nightmare.

•  The military-industrial complex is the real “Deep State” in our country. The U.S. is largest seller of weapons in the world, we help start and push for wars so that we can produce and sell more bombs, missiles, bullets, guns, fighter jets, drones, mines, and other military equipment.

•  We must cut the defense budget so that we can provide adequate education, healthcare and social services. We are 4.25% of the worlds population and account for 37% of military spending in the world, roughly the size of the next seven largest military budgets around the world, combined. For every dollar China spends on its military, the U.S. spends $2.77. The approved 2020 Department of Defense discretionary budget is approximately $721.5 billion.

• We cannot call ourselves a beacon of freedom, democracy and human rights.  We imprison more people per capita then any other country in the world. We do not have a fair and just political or economic system.

• Unregulated capitalism is the greatest threat to peace and the environment. This permeates all industries from energy, weapons, financial, and healthcare.

• All of Earths people have the right to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” as stated in the Declaration of Independence.

•  This country founded was on colonial and racial oppression and genocide, that over the centuries this prejudice and deep fear have permeated much, if not all, of our governmental and private institutions including education, law enforcement and the criminal justice system.

•  Regardless of how our country was created, I believe in the words and ideals of the Constitution that declare: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

• I believe in the power of family that binds people and is the foundation of our communities. I understand that the family does not necessarily mean parented by a male and female. I believe that family is evolving and should include all those who join together in family regardless of gender, sexual preference, race.

• I believe in the International Declaration of Human Rights adopted by all members of the U.N. in 1948: “Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world…” It goes on to lay out 30 fundamental rights including  -

• We all have the right to: live in a fair and free world without discrimination; privacy; the freedom to think what we want; to decide to marry or join families; to practice any religion or no religion; to leave a country or migrate to protect ourselves or our families; to peacefully assemble and protest; to take part in the political life of our countries; to affordable housing, healthcare, education and childcare; help if we are ill or old; to work and earn a livelihood and to join and form unions to protect workers rights; the right to rest from work and to relax. We also have the right to be free from slavery, torture, unfair treatment or detainment. If we are detained we have a right to a fair public trial. We are all equal before the law and our human rights must be protected by the laws of our countries. No matter where we go in the world these rights remain intact and no country or person can take them away. We have a duty to other people, and we should protect their rights and freedoms.