The Pinellas Greens (PG) are a movement organization of registered Greens in Pinellas county (Florida) which combine nonviolent demonstrations and protests with education and community organizing in an overall political approach. The Pinellas Greens will also initiate local electoral campaigns and is open to electoral politics at the state and national level. Elections, however, are only effective when growing from a grassroots base.Because we are rooted in our community, we work from those struggles and are building lasting relationships in solidarity. We are committed to the Ten Key Values in more than simply “rhetoric” and “marketing” but demonstrate that in practice with conviction. We’re a little different from many Greens organizations you might run into whose focus is primarily electoral. We understand that we’re not going to simply “elect” our way out of our problems alone. Quoting Howard Zinn, “Voting is easy and marginally useful, but it is a poor substitute for democracy, which requires direct action by concerned citizens“. However, in the same breath, we have to be ready to govern as well and not simply expect the ruling class to “throw us a bone” from time to time. We’re part of the larger pro-democracy movement working to make democracy possible in this country which we are yet to see. This movement and electoral focus is where the Greens found their direction from the start and we honor that tradition in our own organization.

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom & yet deprecate agitation are people who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder & lightning. That struggle might be a moral one; it might be a physical one; it might be both moral & physical, but it must be struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did & never will. People might not get all that they work for in this world, but they must certainly work for all they get.”—Frederick Douglass

What are “Green” Politics?

“Green” politics interweaves ecological wisdom, decentralization of economic and political power wherever practical, personal and social responsibility, global security, and community self-determination within the context of respect for diversity of heritage and religion. It advocates non-violent action, cooperative world order, and self-reliance.”