Lynch at Large

Jim Lendall is the Green Party candidate, but was for many years one of our best legislators. After Monday night's joint appearance by the "major" candidates, he sent out the following reflection. It is well worth your time.

Except for exposing the lie when Beebe said he was the first candidate to propose removing the sales tax from food, I'm not going to comment on the lack of substance of the Jonesboro "debate" right now.

What I am going to discuss is the blatant discrimination practiced by the state's universities regarding political expression.

While the 2 corporate candidates were campaigning inside the public college facility, I was threatened with arrest for campaigning outside, more than 100 feet from the entrance to the hall. I stood my ground.

ASU, UAF, and UALR are providing taxpayer supported facilities and personnel for the 2 wealthiest candidates to advertise their campaigns. The policies, of the same public campuses, severely restrict the free speech of the other candidates.

Any campaigning is required to take place in sequestered "free expression zones" often located far away from normal student traffic. The colleges feel they must protect students from being exposed to ideas. The compelling fear of potential litter is more important than free speech.

If the state's universities are giving free campaign services to the candidates who can most easily pay for their own, shouldn't the universities at least ALLOW the other candidates to conduct real campaigns on campus?

Stated in another way:

Even worse than the exclusionary debates is the virtual ban on campaigning on campus for the other candidates. If I want to campaign on campus, I have to get a permit from the security department, wait several days for an ok, and then only campaign in designated areas that are usually far away from the normal walkways for students.

If the 2 corporate candidates want to campaign on campus, they contact the campus p.r. office and get a free room and free publicity contributed by the university.

Combine this with the fact that the nomination procedure for the major parties is completely funded by the taxpayers; candidate filing fees are pocketed by those parties. The petition process and nomination convention for third parties comes out of their own pockets. Is there any wonder why it is so difficult for third parties to emerge?

When the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette mistakenly editorializes about the sanctity of the two-party system, they forget that the two major out-of-touch parties started as third parties and this country did not self-destruct then, ... until now. The major parties control the political process and can exclude any dissenting voices. That is infinitely more danger to this country than new ideas.