July Membership Meeting Sets Stage for Expanded Engagement

See below the joint statement from the Baltimore County and Maryland Green Party to the LWV:

Debate on immigration- Green Party statement
Dear League of Women Voters of Baltimore County:

Immigrants in the United States are under attack. Arrests, deportations, and verbal, physical, economic and legal harassment of immigrants are on the rise. The Baltimore County Green Party and the Maryland Green Party stand with immigrants, and oppose these escalating attacks. Normally, we would welcome the invitation by the League of Women Voters to include the Green Party in a debate of all Maryland ballot-status parties on the subject of immigration. We would be happy to have the chance to publicize our program in defense of immigrants and to point out the fallacies and backwardness of the policies followed by the Republicans and the indecisive waffling of the Democrats.

Unfortunately, however, the League has made a major error by inviting the white supremacist hate group, FAIR, to participate in this debate. Not only will they participate in the debate, but they are to be given a privileged position of longer speaking time than the ballot-status political parties. We are aware of the fact that FAIR pretends to have modified its policies, and to now be a “former” white supremacist hate group, but research clearly shows that this is inaccurate. We believe, at this point in this discussion, that the League is aware of these facts, and is persisting in its policies despite that awareness. Doing so provides a white supremacist hate group with a legitimizing public platform, and that invitation must be rescinded.

Free speech means that the government cannot restrict our speech or writing. It does not mean that a private organization like the League must provide a platform for racists to be heard. As a country, we have already decided that all people are to be treated equally, and that white supremacy and racial hatred do not have a legitimate place in our society. There is nothing civil about including racist views in a debate. We find it extremely hypocritical that the League, which often excludes Maryland ballot-status parties from political debates in our state, is now arguing that free speech requires them to sponsor and legitimize a white supremacist group like FAIR.

We demand that the League retract the invitation to FAIR. If that is done, the Green Party is eager to participate in the debate. If the invitation to FAIR is not revoked, however, the Green Party will not participate in a debate with a hate group. We urge other political parties to follow the same course of action.

Sincerely,
Virginia Rodino Co-Chair Maryland Green Party
Ian Schlakman, Co-Chair Maryland Green Party
Theresa Alexander, Co-chair Baltimore County Green Party
Mark McColloch, Co-Chair, Baltimore County Green Party