Grassroots Activism Takes Root: Greens Say Two-Party System is Broken

Green Party Candidate for Tennessee’s Second District Norris Dryer. (The Herald/ Submitted Photo)

With the election season looming and President Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney vying for the independent votes that will most likely decide the outcome, local third party groups have become all the more important. One of these groups causing a wave in the two-party system is the Knoxville Green Party.

“The two- party system is hopelessly broken because of the fact that neither major party will go along with legislation that the other party might get credit for,” said Secretary of the Knoxville Green Party Norris Dryer. “While Greens are generally more closely allied to the Democrats on social issues, we feel that both major parties are totally under the control of corporate America, vulture capitalism, and its lobbyists.”

Norris said some of the core values of the Green Party are grassroots Democracy, ecological, social justice and non-violence.

“On major issues, we are pro-choice, pro-equal rights for all citizens, including the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community,” he explained. “We support gun control measures, while recognizing Second Amendment rights and support major cuts in defense spending since, at present, the U. S. defense budget is roughly the same as all other nations combined.”