With a seemingly endless passion, Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich brought his message of a more progressive and responsible Democratic Party to campus Wednesday night.
Speaking at a meet-and-greet at the EMU and to a standing-room-only crowd in the Knight Law Center, the Ohio congressman underscored his intent to revive the Democratic Party.
“Peace is inevitable if we’re willing to work for it,” Kucinich said. “This is the place it begins, here in Oregon.”
Kucinich, who conceded that the Democratic presidential nomination is locked up by Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., has committed to spending 27 days in six weeks campaigning for Oregon delegates to send to the Democratic Party’s national convention in Boston. He hopes to use the Oregon primary on May 18 as a message to the Democratic Party.
“(It’s the) obligation of the Democratic Party … to provide a consistent alternative,” Kucinich said. “It’s time to challenge ourselves to take the higher path to human unity.”
Kucinich’s message evoked emotion from his audience throughout the night. Interrupted by numerous outbursts of applause, Kucinich also moved one audience member to tears during his EMU session.
“He’s the people’s voice,” local Kucinich campaign coordinator Leandra Bell-Matson said.
Mona Linstramberg, also a coordinator for the Kucinich campaign, shared similar sentiments.
“He’s not addressing focus groups,” she said. “He speaks to the heart.”
Kucinich received thunderous ovations when he attacked the current administration’s foreign policy in Iraq and its use of the USA PATRIOT Act in the United States.
“Fear is the wrong atmosphere to make a law,” said Kucinich, referring to when the USA PATRIOT Act was rushed through Congress.
Kucinich was critical of what he referred to as fear tactics used by the Bush administration to control the public.
“This fear is inconsistent with what we are as a democracy,” he said. “We cannot protect democratic traditions in an atmosphere of fear.
“Fear has led us to undermine our civil liberties, has led us to a corruption of our constitution, has led us to sweep aside international law, and has put us in a war for which there is no moral reason or purpose.”
He also urged voters to take action, arguing that this is a crucial point in United States history.
“This is a time when we need to be insisting on truth, insisting on our democratic traditions, insisting on the protection of our Bill of Rights, insisting on the protections of international law and insisting that our government abide by such laws,” Kucinich said.
Area resident Nicki Berlant voiced her support for the congressman.
“He speaks for the other part of the party,” she said. “He has delegates, so he has a voice.”
Kucinich said that he is proud to be a congressman, and it is his way of giving “service to humanity.”
“This party has to stand for something — it’s gonna have to get people in a new direction,” Kucinich said in an interview Wednesday. “When any one of us is aligned with our purpose, there is an inexhaustible source of energy. Once you’re aligned with your purpose, the energy is always there to do whatever you need.”
Kucinich’s tour this week includes stops in Corvallis, Salem and Gladstone. He also promised to return to Eugene before the May 18th primary.
“You never get tired, and you do everything with a sense of joy,” he said. “It’s actually effortless … it’s a flow.”