Remembering Brigid McDonald, CSJ – 1932-2026

Last Friday I attended the Celebration of Life for my dear friend Brigid McDonald, CSJ, who died October 2 at the age of 94.

Brigid was one of the renowned and much-loved McDonald sisters, four biological sisters who all joined the Sisters of St Joseph of Carondelet – St. Paul Province.

Eldest sister Rita passed in October 2023.

You may recall I had the honor of delivering a “homily reflection” at the funeral of second eldest sister Kate in February 2024.

The last (and youngest) of the McDonald sisters, Jane, is currently in hospice care at Carondelet Village in St. Paul.

Above: The McDonald Sisters (from left) Kate, Brigid, Rita, and Jane on their parents’ farm near Watertown, MN, back in the day.

As I’ve previously noted, I have Brigid to thank for my involvement in the Twin Cities justice and peace community. Our mutual interest in Celtic spirituality brought us together; we both attended a class on the topic at the College of St. Catherine in the fall of 1996. She invited me to join the weekly vigil outside of the corporate headquarters of Alliant Techsystems, which at that time was Minnesota’s largest military munitions contractor.

Left: With Brigid (right) and our mutual friend Sue Ann at my 50th birthday celebration in October 2015.

As I note on my Faces of Resistance website, it was my participation in this weekly vigil and the community that faithfully gathered for it every Wednesday morning come rain or shine, that introduced me to the crucial role that militarism plays in U.S. foreign policy. It also made me aware of many other justice and peace issues, their underlying causes, and various creative and nonviolent responses and alternatives to them. This awareness compelled me to get involved in a range of social justice issues and to creatively document via photography, the people I encountered and the events I witnessed, participated in, and, in some cases, helped facilitate.

Such activity was very energizing and ensured the building of lasting friendships with many interesting and inspiring individuals, including, of course, Brigid and her sisters.

Above: Standing at left with Brigid outside the Hopkins, Minnesota corporate headquarters of Alliant Techsystems, where with other citizen-activists from 1996 to 2011 we would vigil each and every Wednesday morning for peace and an end to war profiteering.

Spun off from the Honeywell corporation in 1991, Alliant Techsystems was at one point the 23rd largest supplier to the Department of Defense of component parts for weapons ranging from cluster bombs to guidance systems for Cruise and Pershing nuclear missiles. It also had international sales offices in 33 countries – including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Malaysia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, India, Pakistan, Greece and Turkey. At one time, the corporation was the largest manufacturer of antipersonnel landmines in the United States.

Left: Jane McDonald at the Alliant Tech vigil, July 1997. “The drum beat is a symbol of the heartbeat of the earth and the pulse of the people,” said Jane when I took this picture for my Faces of Resistance exhibit. “It calls us to conscience; calls us to honor the earth, its resources, and its people. Working to stop military madness is part of this honoring.”

My parents, Gordon and Margaret Bayly, visited me in the Twin Cities from Australia in July 2005. In the image above, Mum (center) and Brigid (right) are pictured with (from left) Marilyn, Betty, and Pepperwolf at the weekly Alliant Tech vigil.

Brigid and her sisters’ mother was also named Margaret. I like that we have that in common.



Above: Kate, Rita and Brigid with Marv Davidov, Barb Mishler and Betty McKenzie, CSJ.

Marv (1931-2012) was a longtime justice and peace organizer and activist in the Twin Cities. A Freedom Rider in the early 1960s, Marv later founded the Honeywell Project in 1968 and the Midwest Institute for Social Transformation (MIST) in the 1980s.

Above: That’s Brigid and Jane beating their drums at the Vigil for Solidarity with LGBT Catholics, an event that saw over three hundred people gather at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota on December 2, 2007.

We gathered to express our disagreement with then-Coadjutor Archbishop John Nienstedt’s declaration that people who encourage and support their LGBT family members and friends are “cooperating in a grave evil.”

All four McDonald sisters are strong allies of the LGBTQ community, and for many years Brigid served with me on the board of the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities (CPCSM).



Above and below: Taking time out with Brigid and a number of our mutual friends at a local piano bar – May 18, 2008.



And there were no sad songs for us, no siree. Instead we led the crowd in some rousing anti-war songs, which was no doubt a first for this particular establishment!



In the summer of 2008 my older brother Chris and his family visited the Twin Cities. Pictured above are my nephews Mitchell, Liam, and Brendan with Marguerite Corcoran, CSJ and Rita McDonald, CSJ.



Above: With Brigid and my nephew Brendan – August 1, 2008. During the visit of my brother and his family, Brigid arranged for a lovely pool party at the home of our mutual friend Molly Culligan.



Above: Brigid with my nephews Brendan and Liam.


Above: With Brigid and our friends Molly Culligan and Michael Zieghan at 24th annual Bloomsday celebration at the University Club in St. Paul – June 16, 2009.

Bloomsday in St. Paul also celebrated a little something Australian as Brigid, Molly and Michael (who accompanied us on guitar) joined with me in a rousing rendition of “The Wild Colonial Boy.”

Brigid also sang beautiful renditions of “The Green Fields of France” and “Little Town In The Old County Down,” while Molly performed her famed Molly Bloom soliloquy.

As well as singing “The Wild Colonial Boy,” I also read an excerpt from Jamie O’Neill’s novel, At Swim, Two Boys. For more about this book (and to read the excerpt I shared), see my 2008 post, A Beautiful Novel.

Above: The McDonald sisters – October 2012.

The following video shows Brigid and her sisters singing their appreciation for Marv Davidov in 2010. Brigid was an incredible lyricist! She could change the lyrics to any song to fit any kind of celebratory occasion . . . or protest.

Above: At the 2014 Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Ministries Foundation Gala at the Minneapolis Hilton. Pictured with me from left: Rita, Kate, Brigid, and our mutual friend Kathleen.

This annual event helps raise money for the St. Mary’s Health Clinics. These clinics are an ecumenical ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and are located throughout the Twin Cities metro area. They offer primary care, referrals to specialists, laboratory, radiology, in-patient, and prescription medications – all free to patients who otherwise would have no access to medical care.

Above: On the afternoon of Friday, January 30, 2015 I hosted a tea party for a number of the wise and inspiring women in my life. Pictured from left: Brigid; Marguerite Corcoran, CSJ; Rita McDonald, CSJ; Theresa O’Brien, CSJ; Paula Ruddy; Rita Quigley; Florence Steichen, CSJ; and Kate McDonald, CSJ.

Above: Brigid at an anti-war protest in November 2015.

Above: Brigid with Peggy O'Connell, the actress who portrayed her in Doris Baizley’s 2019 play, Sisters of Peace.

Above: Brigid’s annual St. Patrick’s Day party – March 17, 2016. Pictured from left: Darlene, Kathleen, Brigid, Tom, and Kate.

Above: Another one of Brigid’s St. Patrick’s Day parties. This one was in 2012.

Above: With Brigid at a tea (and mimosa) party I hosted on January 15, 2017. (For more images and commentary, click here.)

Above: Brigid with a photo of herself as a child having tea with her dog! This photo was taken at my January 20, 2018 tea party.



Following is Brigid’s eulogy, delivered by her cousin Mike last Friday.

Good morning, I am Mike Neaton, one of the many favorite cousins.

Envision a 19-year-old, overwhelmed by the Vietnam conflict, standing on a desolate railroad track to help interfere with ammunition transfer. In sight is a little woman approaching and soon beaming with a greeting. . . . Sister Brigid enters my life as she has so many others.

Brigid is many layered . . . a second grade teacher who could identify with a child, combining lessons and play. Often teaching with Gerbil races, songs, and shenanigans. An example of kids being in on a secret happed when she greeted parents at the rear of the classroom. She would have a mannequin hand up the sleeve of her habit, and when ending the conversation, she used it to shake hands and leave it with the visitor.

Everyone was made to feel supported and that extended to all those underserved.

Brigid evolved from the religion of “expected obligation,” expanding to a spirituality of humanism anchored to justice and love. It was nurtured in the Spirit of St Stephen’s Community.

Defiant to keep her religion alive. When she was refused the host because she was wearing a rainbow sash, Brigid reached in the chalice, snatched a host, and declared: “I came for Jesus and he is coming with me!”

In her commitment to fight against the capitalistic-propelled military, she spent countless hours joined with Women Against Military Madness (WAAM), AlliantTech protesters, Vets for Peace, those protesting for Free Palestine and gay rights, and against Line 3, and many others to bring justice. She developed deep ties with many, especially her siblings. Brigid devoted her life to protecting ordinary people and making change.

Several years ago at the Irish Festival ticket booth, three of us were passing out WAAM flyers. A young cop asked us to move to the public sidewalk sixty feet down the incline. Mary Beaudoin and I obeyed. Brigid moved only eight feet. The cop told her again to move to the sidewalk. Reluctantly, she moved another eight feet. Out of frustration the young cop said he was getting his superior. Hearing this we marched up to encourage de-escalation. I looked up to see an older beefy 6’2” cop right out of Heat of the Night towering over Brigid and getting right in her face . . . and then he kissed her.

Shocked, I asked what in the hell just happened. Brigid’s response: “I was his favorite 2nd grade teacher.”

For many years she organized a huge St Patrick’s party; a true Irish event – complete with a singing dog. The “parade contingency” was called the “Brigidtine Society.” We championed to bring back the snakes (a symbol of female power). Each year she instructed us to enter the parade at the precise number of 33-and-a-half, unknowing we were illegal; non-permitted . . . just contributing to the merriment.

Not to be overlooked with all her zest for life, she was a serious activist. I ask the activists present who have stood with Brigid for justice please stand and share a moment of silence in unity. You will carry Brigid’s spirit forward.

Thank you.

I conclude this tribute to Brigid with the following 5-minute extract from the 2003 documentary, Four Sisters for Peace. Created by a class of sixth to eighth grade students at Southside Family School in Minneapolis working with their teacher Susie Oppenheim and the artist Media Mike Hazard, this film is rated “R” – for rebellious.

See also the following chronologically-ordered posts:
• Beginning the Process (2006)
• The Inspiring Brigid McDonald, CSJ
• Reflections on Associate/Consociate Programs by Joan Chittister
• Remembering Rita Steinhagen, CSJ – 1928-2006
• Making My Consociate Commitment (2008)
• Celebrating Bloomsday 2009 in St. Paul (and with Kate Bush)
• A Visit to the Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet – St. Louis Province
• The Vatican and U.S. Women Religious (2009)
• Joseph of Dreams
• Honoring Kathleen Judge, CSJ – 1935-2013
• In Wintry Minnesota, An Australian Afternoon Tea
• Three Winter Gatherings
• Celebrating the “Sisters of Peace”
• Remembering Rita McDonald, CSJ – 1922-2023
• Remembering Kate McDonald, CSJ – 1929-2024
• Two Responses to Today’s Mass Shooting in Minneapolis
• 20 Years of Saying “Yes” to the Charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet

“I Go Before You Because I am Beyond the Ego. Reach, Therefore, for My Hand”

I choose to start this week with what is for me a particularly meaningful and beautiful passage from A Course in Miracles.

This “passage” is comprised of the last three paragraphs of Section V (“The Undivided Will of the Sonship”) of Chapter 8 (“The Journey Back”) in that part of A Course in Miracles known as the Text. And who is speaking these words? The image at left provides the answer to that question.

I share this passage with no accompanying commentary or interpretation, just an invitation to whoever has come across it here and chooses to read it, to take from it anything that for you “shimmers” with deep truth.

___________

When you unite with me you are uniting without the ego, because I have renounced the ego in myself and therefore cannot unite with yours. Our union is therefore the way to renounce the ego in you. The truth in both of us is beyond the ego. Our success in transcending the ego is guaranteed by God, and I share this confidence for both of us and all of us. I bring God’s peace back to all His children because I received it of Him for us all. Nothing can prevail against our united wills because nothing can prevail against God’s.

Would you know the Will of God for you? Ask it of me who knows it for you and you will find it. I will deny you nothing, as God denies me nothing. Ours is simply the journey back to God Who is our home. Whenever fear intrudes anywhere along the road to peace, it is because the ego has attempted to join the journey with us and cannot do so. Sensing defeat and angered by it, the ego regards itself as rejected and becomes retaliative. You are invulnerable to its retaliation because I am with you. On this journey you have chosen me as your companion instead of the ego. Do not attempt to hold on to both, or you will try to go in different directions and will lose the way.

The ego’s way is not mine, but it is also not yours. The Holy Spirit has one direction for all minds, and the one He taught me is yours. Let us not lose sight of His direction through illusions, for only illusions of another direction can obscure the one for which God’s Voice speaks in all of us. Never accord the ego the power to interfere with the journey. It has none, because the journey is the way to what is true. Leave all illusions behind, and reach beyond all attempts of the ego to hold you back. I go before you because I am beyond the ego. Reach, therefore, for my hand because you want to transcend the ego. My strength will never be wanting, and if you choose to share it you will do so. I give it willingly and gladly, because I need you as much as you need me.

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• A Course in Miracles: A Gift of Peace
• Why A Course in Miracles Is Not “New Age”
• Mysticism and Miracles
• Gifts of Abundance
• Choosing to Awaken
• Choosing to Understand
• I Am One With the Beloved
• Being One With the Beloved, the Source of All Things
• The Mystic Jesus: “A Name for the Unalterable Love That All of Us Share”
• Your Peace Is With Me, Beloved One
• Dwelling in Peace
• The Peace of God
• You Are My Goal, Beloved One
• Be In My Mind, Beloved One
• Stepping Out of Time and Resting Your Mind
• Resting in the Presence of the Beloved
• In the Stillness and Silence of This Present Moment
• The Beauty and Challenge of Being Present in the Moment
• Today I Will Be Still
• I Need Do Nothing . . . I Am Open to the Living Light
• Aligning With the Living Light
• An Expression of Humility
• A Course in Miracles and the Sufi Way
• “The Thoughts of God Are With You”


Related Off-site Links:
Foundation for Inner Peace – “Scribe-authorized publisher of A Course in Miracles.”
9 Lessons from A Course in Miracles to Transmute Fear into Faith – Shannon Kaiser (Thrive Global, September 7, 2020).
The Deep Wisdom of A Course In Miracles: An Interview with Marianne Williamson – Aubrey Marcus Podcast (December 24, 2024).

Image: Artist unknown.

“There Is Hope”

Today Lula won. And with his victory it is reaffirmed that Latin America can write its own future, without external tutelage or imposed recipes. Down with colonialism, down with intervention! Sovereignty and social justice are not negotiable.

This result is not only Brazil’s, it is a message for the entire region. Against those who seek to divide us, plunder us, or decide for us, the peoples of Latin America raise our voices for integration, cooperation, and peace. Hope is not naive: it is organization, participation, and dignity.

Let no foreign power, no corporate interest, and no colonial legacy impose itself on our people again. Latin America deserves to be free, sovereign, and just. There is hope for Latin America!

Bora Lula!

– Gilda Lemos
via social media
October 25, 2026

Reports BreakThrough News:

Workers’ Party leader and incumbent president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has defeated far-right Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in Brazil’s runoff election. Flávio, son of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, had clinched a first place victory over Lula on October 5 in the first round of elections. Since then, progressive movements had focused on intense street mobilization and outreach on social media in an effort to flip the vote.

In recent weeks, reports emerged that U.S. tech giant Meta had had been favoring Bolsonaro’s content across platforms and deliberately restricting Lula’s.

On election day, further interference in favor of Flávio was registered when right-wing leaders in several states considered progressive strongholds, intentionally cut or decreased transportation services, directly infringing on Brazilians’ right to vote. In response, the electoral court extended voting for two hours.

Today’s outcome marks a significant defeat of the pro-U.S. far right in Latin America.

Related Off-site Links:
Brazil’s Lula Wins “Historic Victory” Against Right-Wing Trump Ally Flávio Bolsonaro – Olivia Rosane (Common Dreams, October 25, 2026).
Lula Wins Fourth Term as Brazil President After Historic Upset Over Far-right Flávio Bolsonaro – Tom Phillips and Tiago Rogero (The Guardian, October 25, 2026).
Trump Critic Lula Wins Reelection in Brazil, Securing Fourth Presidential Term – Eleonore Hughes, Mauricio Savarese and Anna-Catherine Brigida (AP News, October 25, 2026).
Bolsonaro Calls for Annulment of Election After Loss to Lula – Bloomberg News (October 25, 2026).

UPDATE: Lula Shock Upset, Bolsonaro Refuses to Concede: An Interview with Juan David Rojas – Breaking Points (October 26, 2026).


See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• “A Blatant Call by the U.S. Empire to Resuscitate Western Colonialism”
• John Pilger on Resisting Empire
• Resisting the Hand of the Empire
• Chris Hedges on the End of the American Empire

“On to the General!”

I’ve mentioned previously (here and here) that in the current U.S. midterm election season I’m supporting and working with the Green Party of Minnesota, a people-powerd party dedicated to building a more affordable, sustainable, and democratic North Star state.

We have six Green Party candidates on the ballot in November that many Minnesotans are supporting and getting the word out about – Steve Young and Jane Kirby for Governor and Lieutenant Governor; Seth Kuhl-Stennes for Secretary of State; Ngone Niang for State Senate, District 39; Bruce Johnson for Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District 4; and Rachel Braaten for Three Rivers Park Board, District 3.

Following are some images of my involvement with the Green Party, accompanied by writings by and videos of many of the Minnesota Green Party candidates.

I’ll start by sharing the following from the latest newsletter of the Green Party of Minnesota.

The Green Party of Minnesota is growing rapidly, with many new active members since the 2024 presidential campaign and increasingly younger and more diverse representation. This year we also have more candidates stepping forward, all committed to our foundational Green values* by refusing corporate and special-interest money.

With this growth comes the need for stronger party infrastructure. In recent months we have reinvigorated our social media presence, updated our website, and established a newly functional boardroom in our office. We are also continuing to cultivate leadership that can engage our growing membership, support our candidates, and continue building the infrastructure needed for long-term growth.

The genocide in Gaza, funded by U.S. tax dollars and perpetrated by Israel, has awakened many people to the corruption and Islamophobia within both major parties. The Green Party has long suported Palestinian liberation and the right to return.

In early 2025 the Green Party of Minnesota chartered the Muslim American Caucus, the first of its kind in Minnesota, creating a space for Muslim Americans to organize, build political power, and strengthen their voice within the party. A similar movement is also growing within the Green Party nationally.

This year the Green Party of Minnesota is proud to field statewide candidates committed to putting our values into action, including support for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel.

Above: Steve Young (right), Green Party candidate for Minnesota Governor, greets attendees at Twin Cities Pride – June 28, 2026. For more images of our presence at Pride, click here.

Above: My friend Jane Kirby, Green Party-endorsed candidate for Lieutenant Governor. She’s pictured phone-banking outside the building in south Minneapolis that houses the Green Party MN office – August 26, 2026.

Says Jane:

I’m running because Minnesota needs to be the leader in protecting citizens from ICE and protecting our Water from pollution and waste by outside corporate entities. Minnesota will create green jobs in the fields of alternative energy and regenerative farming and ecologically sound tourism. By taxing the rich and corporations fairly we can provide universal healthcare, education and a guaranteed living wage for all. Our Green administration will operate by the guiding principles of non-violence toward all sentient beings, ecological stewardship with a future focus, and sustainability, social and economic justice, and grassroots democracy, including proportional representation and ranked choice voting.

Above: Stuffing and addressing envlopes for a mass mailing with Green Party friends Tim and Rachael at Pizza Luce on Franklin Ave., Minneapolis – September 2, 2026. Rachel is the Green Party MN-endorsed candidate for Three Rivers Park Board, District 3.

Says Rachel in a September 30 campaign video:

My name is Rachel Braaten and I’m running for Three Rivers Park Board in District 3. If you live in St. Louis Park, Golden Valley, Crystal, Robbinsdale, Brooklyn Center or St. Anthony, I’ll will be on your ballot on November 3rd. I’ve been leading volunteer habitat restoration groups for over 15 years. I was trained to do that by the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. In 2020 I began leading groups in Crystal, and now Crstal has an official program that I’ve been leading for the past five years. I’m running because I’d like the opportunity to be a greater voice for our natural resources and the habitat needs for all the wild creatures.

Above: With Green Party friends at Pizza Luce on Franklin Ave., Minneapolis – August 12, 2026.


My friend Seth is the Green Party endorsed candidate for Minnesota Secretary of State. On August 19 he was interviewed by KTTC TV.





For two other videos featuring Seth, click here and here.

Above: Members of the Green Party of Minnesota and its Muslim American Caucus at the October 10, 2026 fundraising event for Women Against Military Madness (WAMM).

Noted the Green Party of Minnesota on its various social media platforms:

We say with a unified voice: FREE PALESTINE. Divest, boycott, and sanction Israel. Defund the military industrial complex, and let’s invest in universal health care, education, and basic human needs like housing and transit. The Green Party can’t be bought, and tonight we represented with the only political candidates of any party at this very well attended event. Let’s normalize integrity!

Above: At left (wearing my Franz Fanon t-shirt) with fellow members of the Green Party of MN’s Lavender Caucus – Thursday, May 28, 2026. Where at The 19 Bar, the oldest gay bar in Minneapolis and among the oldest in the United States.

Above: Green Party candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Steve Young and Jane Kirby, speak at an event in St. Paul – Wednesday, October 14, 2026.

For a June 2026 interview with Steve and Jane, click here.

Above: With Steve Young and Jane Kirby – October 14, 2026.

Above: Green Party MN candidates Ngone Niang, Jane Kirby, and Seth Kuhl-Stennes at a meet-and-greet in St. Paul earlier this evening – Thursday, October 22, 2026.

Above: Prior to this evening’s meet-and-greet was a community forum co-sponsored by the Green Party of MN and entitled “Surveillance Versus Security.” This forum focused on flock cameras, Skydio drones, and the Waterfall company, and explored the question: “Do local government contracts with these companies make us less safe?”

The forum panelists were (from left) Cedar Larson of Women Against Military Madness (WAMM); Ngone S Niang, Green Party-endorsed candidate for Senate District 39; and Mike Madden of Veterans for Peace.

Above: Ngone Niang, Green Party-endorsed candidate for State Senate, District 39 – Thursday, October 22, 2026.

Above: Seth Kuhl-Stennes, Green Party MN-endorsed candidate for Sectretary of State – Thursday, October 22, 2026.

Says Seth:

I am an independent candidate (outside the two major parties in Minnesota) endorsed by the Green Party and am running on a set of issues that ties into their values and the work of the Secretary of State's Office. I do not accept donations from for-profit or nonprofit corporations, Political Action Committees (PACs) or lobbyists. I only accept donations from individuals. So, I am not beholden to any sort of corporate or special interest. I will be responsive to Minnesota voters and businesses and will work to take measures to strengthen our state's democratic institutions and economy.

My top three priorities (in no particular order) are:

• Institute an electoral system that honors the will of MN voters through adopting proportional representation for the MN House and ranked choice voting for MN executive branch offices, allowing cities and counties to use these methods for electing multi-member and single-seat local officials, and moving to direct election of the U.S. President by ranked choice voting.

• Advocate for state and global well-being by divesting from weapons manufacturers, genocidal nations, nuclear power and fossil fuel extraction, animal harm, and any such companies that profit from those actions and shifting those state investments into entities that uphold peace, human rights, ecological health, and animal welfare.

• Foster a healthy MN business and worker environment by facilitating the growth of cooperatives, credit unions, and community land trusts and honoring employers that provide living wages, practice just-cause employment, and support the right to unionize.

Above: Jane Kirby, Green Party MN-endorsed candidate for Lieutenant Governor – Thursday, October 22, 2026.




Left: Bruce Johnson, Green Party MN-endorsed candidate for Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District 4 – Thursday, October 22, 2026.





Finally, here’s and a piece from my Facebook friend Joshua in Michigan on why he’s voting for Green Party candidate Douglas Campbell for Governor. Although Joshua is in Michigan, not Minnesota, his reasoning for voting Green actually applies everywhere.

___________

Why I’m Voting Green

Joshua Combs on why he's voting for
Douglas Campbell for Michigan Governor

Both parties are rotten to the core and I’m done pretending otherwise.

The Democrats are not a resistance. They are the ones who paved the way for Trump in the first place.

In 2015 they had a “Pied Piper” strategy where they deliberately elevated Trump, Cruz, and Carson and told the press to take them seriously because they thought Trump would be easy to beat. In 2022 they spent over $53 million boosting MAGA extremists in Republican primaries for the same cynical game.

They fund genocide. They take corporate money. They lecture you about lesser-evil voting while they push war, fracking, and police militarization, then blame Green voters when they lose elections they rigged against their own base.

The Republicans are worse. [Republican candidate for Michigan Governor] John James is Trump in a suit. Pure culture war, tax cuts for billionaires, book bans, attacks on libraries, attacks on trans kids, attacks on abortion, and selling Michigan’s water and land to corporations.

I’m not voting for either corporate party.

I’m voting for Douglas Campbell, Green Party for Governor, November 3, 2026. Bobbie Clay for Lt. Governor.

Greens don’t take corporate PAC money. We stand for:

• NO VOTE FOR GENOCIDE
• Fully fund libraries and public schools, not charters
• Medicare for All and housing as a human right
• 100% renewable Michigan
• Get money out of politics

Democrats and Republicans built this mess together. Greens are trying to clean it up.

My vote is not wasted. Your two-party system is wasted.

* Following are the 10 Key Values of the Green Party, originally ratified at the Green Party Convention in Denver, Colorado, June 2000. It should be noted that there is no authoritative version of these values. Instead, they are best seen as guiding principles that are adapted and defined to fit each state and local chapter.

1. GRASSROOTS DEMOCRACY Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect their lives and not be subject to the will of another. Therefore, we will work to increase public participation at every level of government and to ensure that our public representatives are fully accountable to the people who elect them. We will also work to create new types of political organizations which expand the process of participatory democracy by directly including citizens in the decision-making process.

2. SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY All persons should have the rights and opportunity to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment. We must consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and society at large, barriers such as racism and class oppression, sexism and homophobia, ageism and disability, which act to deny fair treatment and equal justice under the law.

3. ECOLOGICAL WISDOM Human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our planet. We support a sustainable society which utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we must practice agriculture which replenishes the soil; move to an energy efficient economy; and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.

4. NON-VIOLENCE It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to society’s current patterns of violence. We will work to demilitarize, and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, without being naive about the intentions of other governments. We recognize the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in helpless situations. We promote non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward lasting personal, community and global peace.

5. DECENTRALIZATION Centralization of wealth and power contributes to social and economic injustice, environmental destruction, and militarization. Therefore, we support a restructuring of social, political and economic institutions away from a system which is controlled by and mostly benefits the powerful few, to a democratic, less bureaucratic system. Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all citizens.

6. COMMUNITY-BASED ECONOMICS AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE We recognize it is essential to create a vibrant and sustainable economic system, one that can create jobs and provide a decent standard of living for all people while maintaining a healthy ecological balance. A successful economic system will offer meaningful work with dignity, while paying a “living wage” which reflects the real value of a person’s work. Local communities must look to economic development that assures protection of the environment and workers’ rights; broad citizen participation in planning; and enhancement of our “quality of life.” We support independently owned and operated companies which are socially responsible, as well as co-operatives and public enterprises that distribute resources and control to more people through democratic participation.

7. FEMINISM AND GENDER EQUITY We have inherited a social system based on male domination of politics and economics. We call for the replacement of the cultural ethics of domination and control with more cooperative ways of interacting that respect differences of opinion and gender. Human values such as equity between the sexes, interpersonal responsibility, and honesty must be developed with moral conscience. We should remember that the process that determines our decisions and actions is just as important as achieving the outcome we want.

8. RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY We believe it is important to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of respectful relationships across these lines. We believe that the many diverse elements of society should be reflected in our organizations and decision-making bodies, and we support the leadership of people who have been traditionally closed out of leadership roles. We acknowledge and encourage respect for other life forms than our own and the preservation of biodiversity.

9. PERSONAL AND GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY We encourage individuals to act to improve their personal well-being and, at the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social harmony. We seek to join with people and organizations around the world to foster peace, economic justice, and the health of the planet.

10. FUTURE FOCUS AND SUSTAINABILITY Our actions and policies should be motivated by long-term goals. We seek to protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of or “unmaking” all waste we create, while developing a sustainable economics that does not depend on continual expansion for survival. We must counterbalance the drive for short-term profits by assuring that economic development, new technologies, and fiscal policies are responsible to future generations who will inherit the results of our actions.

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Butch Ware on Why Third Parties Are Crucial
• Third Parties and the Historical Record
• Elise Labott on How Third Parties Can Revitalize Democracy
• Campaigning With the Green Party of Minnesota
• With the Green Party at Twin Cities Pride
• Andy Thomas Schuler: Quote of the Day – October 10, 2026
• Mickie Kato: Quote of the Day – October 21, 2026
• MPR’s Major (But Unsurprising) Failure
• Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don’t
• “The Fascist Fist Is Tightening Because It Knows That It Is Losing Its Grasp on Us”
• Photo of the Day – March 3, 2026
• How the Green Party Gained Power in the U.K.
• “Green Wave 2026 is Global”
• Meet Some of the “People-Powered” Green Party Candidates for 2026
• “It Is Our Responsibility to Make a Third Party Viable”
• Something to Think About – December 8, 2024
• Jill Stein on the Importance of the Green Party
• “We Give Reasons for People to Come Out and Vote”
• Butch Ware on “Red & Blue vs Green Politics”
• Building Solidarity on the Left
• “The Moment Is Ripe”: Butch Ware on Building a “True Oppositional Alternative” to the Duopoly
• Butch Ware: “You Can Actually Vote Your Conscience”
• The “Green Smoothie” Option
• Politics 101
• When Democrats Undermine Democracy
• Something to Think About – August 15, 2024
• “Americans Deserve Choices”: Jill Stein on Breaking Points – 4/30/24
• Nick Cruse: “‘Vote Blue No Matter Who’ Is the Privileged Position”
• Howie Hawkins: “The Democrats Are Not the Answer to the Trump/Fascism Problem” (2020)
• “The Next Step Is a Green Step”: Cornel West Endorses Jill Stein (2016)
• Bernie Sanders and Jill Stein: Is a “Historic Collaboration” in the Making? (2016)
• Demolishing the False Narrative About Jill Stein and the 2016 Election
• Hope Over Fear: Voting Green