With the rest of the world “going green,” shouldn’t you consider the same on November 2? Green-Rainbow Party candidate Jill Stein firmly believes in the voices of real people on real issues on which the other candidates shed little light.

As a doctor, she advocates overall health physically, economically and democratically. She is a strong supporter of sustainable living and believes that local farming will lead to better nutrition and healthier lifestyles. A cleaner, better, and greener future can be possible through her progressive plans for the people of Massachusetts. Many people are uninformed or ignorant of the detrimental effects of our energy crisis. Biomass energy has been viewed as a carbon neutral source of energy, but this is far from the truth. Biomass requires a large increase in logging and the burning of the wood not only releases air toxins, but also releases more carbon dioxide per unit of energy than coal. The long term effects of this practice are rarely examined, as it is harmful to the soils and natural agricultural processes. She hopes to incorporate more renewable energy sources into our state, such as solar, hydro, and wind power and plans to work closely with the Department of Environmental Protection in order to do so. “I will make it a priority to pursue decisive energy conservation efforts, to improving efficiency, and to investing in environmentally sound renewable energy. Biomass must play no more than a very limited role in our energy future.”

College students should look to Jill Stein concerning her views on higher education. As a Harvard graduate, she realizes that everyone deserves the right to an education. She plans to put an end to the continuously rising costs and fees within public universities. She is in favor of changing the ways that MCAS scores are used in elementary education, as they have a tendency to focus more on higher scores instead of the individual students. Primary education is the foundation for the rest of these children’s lives; we should be in support of allowing them to participate in the process of learning instead of focusing too intently on the results.

She opposes big business and believes that small communities will thrive if small businesses are provided the funding to make it possible. She hopes to provide 50,000 green jobs in small communities in order to reduce the unemployment rate to stop the increasing gap between rich and poor. She doesn’t advocate funding for the multibillion dollar a year war in the Middle East and believes that we should bring the soldiers home and fix our economy here.

One issue barely touched by the other candidates is a sensible reform on marijuana laws. She is in favor of the legalization of marijuana in Massachusetts, and advocates doctors prescribing medical marijuana for those who benefit from its use. Her views on marijuana reform are clear: “Our current approach to the regulation of marijuana is a failure. It has resulted in a massive black market that is creating violence in our communities and pouring hundreds of millions of dollars each year into the pockets of criminal supply networks … And the most that can be achieved is to keep a few people from purchasing an herb that appears to be much less harmful than alcohol or tobacco.”

Running alongside Deval Patrick, Tim Cahill and Charlie Baker, Green-Rainbow Party candidate Jill Stein goes the extra mile to improve the overall well being of the people of Massachusetts. She ties together the issues that affect us; from environment sustainability to general health to stimulating economic growth; all to to benefit the people. Democracy once was a way to voice the opinions of the people, and Jill Stein does exactly this. She is in support of the people and provides real solutions to real problems. Referring to the current government positions, she states “Business as usual has not been delivering for the ordinary people.” Yes, ordinary people like you and me.

Jill Stein will be speaking at University of Massachusetts on October 28 at 4 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom, endorsed by the UMass Cannabis Reform Coalition. All are encouraged to attend and ask questions. The elections are November 2.
April Lachapelle is a UMass student. She can be reached at [email protected].