A Way of Life by Enrique Cardiel

I am registered with La Raza Unida because to me it represents my way of life. A way where we make sure that all have what they need to thrive and grow. A way were we have to be strong enough to take care of each other. We the idea of “we the people” taking care of our common welfare is a reality.

We need by the people and for the people to be a strong reality. The market is not providing jobs, housing, or quality health care. So we need to find ways to make that happen. The people who have chosen to register LRU are some of the most dedicated advocates and I am proud to stand with them to make the world a better place for all of us.

I will continue to be registered LRU because our government has chosen to redistribute the wealth toward the wealthiest of society. That needs to change, and it will not change without a strong people's movement and political parties that are openly for regular working people. We need a family friendly economy and real democracy! And I believe that's what LRU stands for!!!

Why I Support LRU by Robin Gibson

I am a registered socialist. When I registered, I thought if everyone who turned 18, who didn’t feel Democrat or Republican, registered as a different party, whichever party most closely aligned to their ideologies, we could dispatch with the two-party system, and begin to create a government that represented what new voters really wanted for their country. I acted as my best instincts told me, and I’ve never regretted it.

Now, 17 years later, my political affiliation is mostly a point of personal pride. Some states in the U.S. have had an S.W.P. candidate for president on the ballot in recent years, but not New Mexico.

Two years ago, I got a postcard from Enrique Cardiel, inviting me to a gathering for “people registered with progressive parties.” Most of them were L.R.U., and I think there may have been a couple Greens there too. I was disappointed not to meet other Socialist Workers, but Enrique and co. explained to me that they were considered socialists for the most part, and he explained to me why.

“I think being socialist means we take care of each other,” he said, and that pretty much fit with everything I’ve been trying to verbalize about my idea of government. We choose to live together in communities, and we elect a government to make sure our communities are as productive as possible. We all pay dues (taxes) to pay for agreed upon necessities, like roads, schools, police, firefighters, etc., and we make sure that everyone in our community is cared for. The L.R.U. works to ensure everyone has access to the communal amenities their taxes have paid for. The L.R.U. works to ensure everyone is represented by our elected government.

Our taxes pay for the roads we drive on, the schools our children attend, the safety regulations that control the food we eat; the safety net that surrounds each of us when something terrible and unexpected happens. I am happy to pay for that safety net, because I see people every day who might fall, and I know I am no so far from the edge. The L.R.U. party works to ensure everyone has access to that safety net, even if they aren’t corporate lobbyists or high-dollar contributors to someone special’s campaign. I love the L.R.U.’s platform of The People. The People are the ones doing the work, paying the taxes, using the services. If the people we elect to represent us aren’t doing the job, we need to replace them with People Like Us, who WILL represent us.

Each of us, teacher, nurse, letter carrier, sanitation worker, administrative assistant, administrator, is a soldier on the ground. We live and work in the state and country governed by Santa Fe and Washington, D.C. We deserve to be led by people who live like us, think like us, who REPRESENT us. That is why I support L.R.U.

Voting as Part of Community Organizing by Roberto Martinez

I became a member of La Raza Unida in 2003, after getting to know party members in Albuquerque who are also involved in other organizing efforts for social, environmental and economic justice. I am a member of the party because I'm tired of voting for the lesser of two evils, and want to do my part to elect good people who will represent my vision for a better world. But most importantly, I want to be part of a movement that uses voting as part of larger community organizing strategy to create justice for poor and working class communities.

I am Committed to the Party by Aurea Cardiel

I am registered and I support La Raza Unida Party, because it reflects my values and beliefs. La Raza Unida represents community and caring for one another. It also is family friendly and keeps in mind future generations as well as the present generations, which is very important to me as a single mother. I want to make sure that this world is better for my son when he is grown and raising his children.

I also grew up with in this party. I was part of La Raza Unida Youth Committee and from that experience I have learned so much. I learned of past revolutions and revolutionaries, of my culture, of current issues facing our communities, and of life skills. La Raza Unida has been a big part of my growth as a community activist/organizer.

La Raza Unida has made a huge impact on who I am today, and that is why I am committed to the party.

Welcome Home By Rusita Avila

I am from Albuquerque. I went away to school at 18 years old and gained my voice. I was extremely involved in student movements while at Brown University in Providence, RI. I developed more as a community organizer and was ready to fight all injustices every place they showed their ugly faces. I returned to Albuquerque in 1994 to find a void. I found my home with LRU.

I quickly got involved in LRU as a supporter and helped with the youth organizing. For a long time I was a “Democrat supporting LRU”. It took awhile to overcome the fear to commit to LRU as my political party.

I changed my party affiliation to LRU because of the party platform of supporting all people’s struggles and fighting against all injustices. LRU is inclusive and welcomes everyone. It’s important to me that it is family friendly, gay/lesbian/bisexual friendly, and puts at the forefront workers' rights. A living wage is the only way people can live.

I also like saying that I’m “La Raza Unida” whenever someone tries to get me sign up to vote or lobby a candidate or issue. It’s still in style!

In Lak Ech: Tú eres mi otro yo By Maria Brazil

In Lak Ech: Tú eres mi otro yo. Si te hago daño a ti, Me hago daño a mí mismo. Sí te amo y respeto, Me amo y respeto yo.

You are my other me. If I do harm to you, I do harm to myself. If I love and respect you, I love and respect myself.

The Raza Unida Party represents the potential to reach this ancient concept that was taught through action by my parents and grandparents. The platforms that are presented by the LRU show these ideas as a way to move toward a more just and equal society. Without organization and an understanding of our past and present we cannot dream a future. The reasons that the LRU began still exist. Without a way to organize ourselves we are scattered. Third party options are needed as a way to truly be able to express our desire for a better world…more voices, better outcome. That's why I am registered LRU.

An Invitation to LRU by Maria Munguia

I moved to Albuquerque ten years ago. Being invited to register LRU was, to me, an invitation to become part of a community of gente that cares about each other. I am passionate of many things in life, but being an advocate for social justice is the most compelling.

Because its Time! By Aine Brazil

Because it is time for politicians to truly represent the people. It has been long enough that the public has had to choose between the better of two evils. It should not be like this. We as hard working people, deserve to vote for a party who we can actually count on to fight for us, and who we are proud to endorse. It is time for unity as working class people to come together and ask for what we need to nourish the education, heath care, economy, and environment of our community.

41st Anniversary of La Raza Unida

Today marks the 41st Anniversary of La Raza Unida Party! And commemorating this on the Bernalillo County La Raza Unida blog will be the writings by members and supporters of La Raza Unida. They have written as to why they are registered LRU or why they are supporters of LRU.

The first post will go up later tonight!

1,000 Women March - Save the Date

1000 Women March:
New Mexico Families on the Rise

Save the Date!

On February 11, 2011 women from communities throughout New Mexico will gather in Santa Fe to make our voices heard by the administration of Governor Susana Martinez.

One Proposal for Third Party Work

Much of this relates to the work of LRU. Moving to unity and beyond sectarianism will be a major move forward for democracy. A multi-party democracy is possible and will improve our lives by increasing our voices!

Here is an excerpt...
"We need an alliance culture that is about respectful listening, cooperation and the common good (“an injury to one is an injury to all”), as distinct from the currently-dominant culture’s individualism, power-seeking and greed. Indeed, today’s right-wing culture has evolved into a mean-spirited, dishonest and violence-producing approach to politics that is a dangerous and very real threat to our common survival and progress. To the extent that we model a very different way of standing up for our beliefs in an organized way, to that extent will we win over large numbers of people and, over time, expose and isolate the ultra-rightists."

And here is a list of common demands that the author proposes, most of which are on the LRU platform:

*Debates that include all candidates,
*Proportional representation,
*Instant runoff voting,
*Campaign finance reforms,
*Tamper-proof and open-software computer voting machines,
*Abolishment of ‘corporate personhood,’
and Repeal of restrictive ballot access laws.

St. Paul to Implement Instant Runoff Voting

St. Paul, Minnesota will be implementing an Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) approach that will allow up to 6 candidates to be ranked. This is an important change and by going up to six choices, there is a message of trusting voters to be able to deal with more than one, two or three choices. Often critics say this is too complicated, insulting the ability of voters.

Unemployment Kills

It has been known since the 1800s. Yet we allow government and corporations to promote the idea that there is a need for unemployment, that it - like poverty - is inevitable. Neither poverty nor unemployment is a natural phenomenon. They are created by policies and actions of those in power.

In the US we talk about nearing a 10% unemployment without talking about the people who have been hidden. In the 1980s President Reagan took out the "discouraged worker" (those who have given up looking for work) from the number of unemployed. Some estimates are that these workers are another 10%. So in reality close to 1 in 5 workers is unemployed.

That is why full employment policies are good for health. Full employment policies are good for families. And Full employment policies are good for the economy.

It is working people who drive the economy. They don't make enough to hoard money away like the rich, so their income goes into products and services that keep people working. That's a reality that our corporate news doesn't promote. Unemployment kills - literally.

Beyond Elections Part 16

A great summary for an important documentary on deepening our view of democracy.

Beyond Elections Part 15

Democratizing Democracy! That decisions go beyond a hand full of people is a major shift. Much of the "Progressive" movement now doesn't question that it should be a handful. In fact their idea of "revolution" is to change the handful of decision makers to a nicer gentler type of decision makers.

Beyond Elections Part 14

Given that in Brazil the Worker's Party has elected Brazil's first female President this video becomes more important to understand. And given that it takes a Worker Party candidate to declare the goal of ending poverty while neo-liberal and neo-conservative parties take poverty as a permanent part of the landscape it will be interesting to watch how "liberal" countries (US, Canada, Australia, and England) respond to her and working-class policies!