Anti-war slate rallies in Detroit

A campaign rally of anti-war Green Party candidates, members and supporters was held Nov. 4 at the historic Central United Methodist Church in downtown Detroit. About 100 people attended the event, which was hosted by the Stop the War Slate. The evening began with a delicious meal prepared by Debbie Johnson and Joyce Sole, including desserts and beverages that activists contributed.

The audience heard short talks and remarks by candidates on the Green Party ticket in Michigan: Fred Vitale (State Rep., Dist. 3), Derek Grigsby (State Rep., Dist. 7), Kristen Hamel (State Rep., Dist. 1), Bill Opalicky (State Senate, Dist. 14), Candace Caveny (U.S. Congress, Dist. 10), Kevin Carey (State Board of Education), Michael Merriweather (Wayne State U. Board of Governors), Margaret Guttshall (WSU Board of Governors), Lauren Elizabeth Spencer (MSU Board of Trustees), Doug Campbell (Governor) and David Sole (U.S. Senator).

Sylvia Inwood, a leader of the Green Party of Michigan and the National Women’s Caucus of the GPUSA, emceed the rally and introduced the speakers. Other participants included Abayomi Azikwe, a founding member of the Michigan Emergency Committee Against War and Injustice (MECAWI), whose organization allied with the Greens in an effort to make the election a protest against the war in Iraq.

Lou Novak, chair of the Wayne County Greens, urged activists to take campaign literature to get out in the final three-day push before Election Day, including mass distributions at polling places on Nov. 7.

Elena Herrada, a Chicana community leader and advocate for the rights of immigrants, spoke about the daily struggle to stop deportations and detentions of undocumented workers.

Mee recited three of her political poems, each a call to awakening and struggle. Mee has presented her poetry to students on college campuses as well as high school students, using her poems to try to raise consciousness and ideas of solidarity in young people.

David Sole, Stop the War Slate candidate for U.S. Senator on the Green Party ticket and a member of Workers World Party, was endorsed by the Western Michigan U. newspaper, the Western Herald, in its Nov. 2 issue. Based on the majority vote of the editorial board, the paper stated: “For United State[s] Senator, we would like to endorse David Sole. He is anti-war and has fought hard against many of the injustices of American Foreign policy. Being from a third party, the Green party, he should make for a positive change in the Senate.”

Stop the War Slate member Lauren Elizabeth Spencer, an MSU sophomore, on Nov. 6 received the endorsement of the State News, the MSU newspaper. The editorial stated in part, “Spencer will, without a doubt, stand up for students’ rights and issues, while bringing a much needed viewpoint to the board.”

It was announced at the Nov. 4 rally that Sole’s anti-war campaign for U.S. Senate has succeeded in raising more than the $5,000 in donations needed to make his candidacy “official,” according to Federal Election Commission standards.