August 19, 2007
In 1999 many Americans envisioned how we could get back to the democracy we thought we had. I worked hard for the Green Party and Ralph Nader because I realized that would bring about many of the changes necessary for survival.

Our country has always been governed by a group of people. The way any president is perceived depends upon that group. At the end of World War II, many were talking of the direction our country should take. One group wanted to continue the struggle for a democracy of the people, by the people, for the people and all that entails. The other thought that being governed by strong, powerful economic and banking interests would benefit all. It is obvious who won, and also obvious they were wrong. They have been able to survive and thrive while our planet and most of the Earth's communities – humans, air, water, soil, animals, birds, bees, plants, insects, bacteria and so on – are dying.

My father told me when I was a child, "If humans cover the planet with pavement, they will go mad." I've watched it happen. We have forgotten who we are. We have forgotten that what we do to Earth, we do to ourselves. All decisions we make must be made with that in mind.

What can we do, and how do we start? I wish I knew. I do know that 2008 is too late. I called for a grassroots uprising on July 4, thinking it was the perfect time to think about what independence is! It didn't happen. We need a peaceful coup d'etat. We need to rid ourselves of the government we have and put in place those who will make decisions with the Earth in mind.

In no time, we could end the occupation in Iraq, join the billions who have said no to war, stop giving away public lands to private interests, start really educating in public schools so that they work for all, subsidize small businesses, farms and communities working to sustain themselves, stop the billions spent in campaigns by completely changing the way campaigns are handled, penalize endeavors harmful to earth, stop this war-time economy which has been enriching only those who already have too much, and put in place a peace-time economy which would help everyone.

People have never realized the power they have. All of us who envision a very different world than the one we're living in must be part of this movement and find our place within the ranks.

Marion Leonard