Chlorophyll

Here's an opinion piece that says, in essence, that Dean Zimmerman might well be guilty, but let's keep some perspective on the whole thing.

I have to agree. I think Dean probably blew it, but it's also true that he was targeted by the FBI. Why? This case is getting considerable press, certainly more than comparable crimes by corporate politicians. This is because Greens have higher standards to begin with. If a corporate politician gets caught with their hand in the cookie jar, that's normal. If a Green gets caught, that's news.

We don't do ourselves any favors denying that he took money. This is, however, a teachable moment. We should take this opportunity to reassert both our support for Dean as a person (however fallible) and for very high ethical standards for politicians at all levels. We have gotten ourselves into a dirty system, and this time, some of the dirt stuck to us. That does not mean that we shouldn't elect more Greens, though. Quite to the contrary, we should be electing all the Greens we can to the system, so that we can change the very nature of the system.

Dean was tested, and in this case, he failed the test. We can all learn from this, not just Dean. This incident points up the importance of ethics and transparency in politics, but it also reveals other things. It shows that the FBI will target non-corporate politicians. It shows that we Greens need to give our candidates and elected officials strong guidelines together with our support. And it shows that the corporate media love to see a politician fall, and especially a Green.

Let's not have any more, OK?