By Don Fitz

In 2017 my Green Papers article, “Any White Cop Can Kill a Black Man at Any Time,” told how St. Louis cop Jason Stockley killed a 24-year-old black man, Anthony Lamar Smith.  Though Stockley claimed he had fired in self defense when Smith pulled a gun on him, evidence showed that he had planted the gun after the killing.  When Stockley was found “not guilty” protests by thousands in St. Louis lasted for months, just as in 2014 when another white cop, Darren Wilson, killed Michael Brown in neighboring Ferguson.

Green Party leaders are calling for Congress to take swift and decisive action following an horrific mass shooting on August 3 at the Cielo Vista Mall Walmart location in El Paso, Texas, that has left at least 20 dead and dozens injured; and an early morning shooting on August 4 in a Dayton, Ohio, entertainment district that left 9 people dead and 16 wounded.. This weekend’s violence follows on the heels of a shooting in Gilroy, California, which left 3 people dead and 13 wounded. There have been 32 mass shootings in the United States this year.

The Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) endorsed Paul Glover as candidate for Governor at their state convention on March 18. A resident of Philadelphia, Glover is a long-time social entrepreneur who has founded 18 campaigns for ecology and justice. He has authored six books on community power and previously taught urban studies at Temple University and ecological economics at Philadelphia University.

Glover urges Democrats and Republicans alike to quit expecting urgent change through the traditional parties, saying, "The Republican Party is no longer the party of Lincoln. The Democratic Party is no longer the party of FDR. Instead, both are dominated by major corporations and their lobbyists." As a Green Party candidate, Glover will accept no corporate or PAC funding.

The Green Party of Philadelphia supports Philadelphia students participating in today’s National School Walkout to protest Congress’ inaction on gun control legislation. A vast majority of Americans support more gun control and our government's years of inaction is yet another example of how we do not have a functioning democracy. Today we stand with the students and call for action on gun control in the Pennsylvania legislature.

The recent gun control legislation passed in Florida marks a major victory for student and family activists from Parkland. "We salute the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School for turning this tragedy into a call to action. It's thrilling to see young people stepping so powerfully and fearlessly into the role of activist to create the change they want, need, and deserve," said Michael Georgeson, GPOP City Committee Recording Secretary.

From GPNY Co-Chair Gloria Mattera:

Today my sadness for those who continue to lose loved ones to preventable gun violence is accompanied by the pride I feel for my son Peter Sweeney and his fellow students at Brooklyn Tech High School for participating in today's historic, nationwide walkout for serious action on gun control.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The National Women's Caucus of the Green Party of the United States has endorsed the March 24 "March for Our Lives" and other student walk-outs in protest of gun violence in their schools in the wake of the horrific mass murders at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018, in which 17 people were killed and 14 were wounded.

Slayings at schools where parents trust that their children will be safe and protected appear to be on the rise. The Chicago Tribune has written that between 2000 and 2010, of the recorded 57 shooting incidents in 36 countries, 28 of them occurred in the United States.

Everyone is pointing fingers left and right. However, nobody is calling out the Broward School Board and the Superintendent for their lack of action on ensuring school safety for the past decade. As a candidate for the school board and a friend of Stoneman Douglas students, I've called for the resignation of the Superintendent. Someone has to take responsibility for this lack of action.

With white supremacy plaguing communities of color, we can not back down from defeating this monster. The monster of gun culture, which is rooted in white supremacy and toxic masculinity. We must stand with with the youth of Stonemam Douglas and of the country, who are demanding radical change.

Action, not thoughts and prayers, are needed to solve this problem.

Yesterday's tragedy in Las Vegas is the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. Yet again we are forced to bear witness to our friends, neighbors and fellow citizens falling to a domestic terrorist attack. Every time this happens hopes and prayers are shared by politicians who witness these tragedies. These politicians have the power to make change, and change never happens. They wait, there is yet another mass shooting, and the cycle tragically continues.

What is meant by "community building" and what does it have to do with crime?

Host Don Fitz and guest Johnathan McFarland, who is the Green Party Candidate for Mayor of St. Louis, discuss causes of crime, including the criminalization of drugs like marijuana and heroin, along with use of body cameras by police and gun control. They explore economic issues such as the use of Tax Increment Financing (TIFs) by the City, a $15 per hour minimum wage, loan accessibility for first time home buyers and jobs and unions. They look at what schools could do to reflect the African American experience and how City policy could reflect needs of people who live in the City.