What was the May 22 Coffee Party rally about?
Being peaceful, positive and social. We’re not out there to create a fight. That’s never been the purpose to the Coffee Party. One of the things that stirred up the party nationally and locally is all the divisiveness and hate that is propagating nationally and locally. We want to stand up and say not everyone wants that. We want peace and civility in our political discourse.
What’s the biggest issue for Utah Coffee Party members?
We want people to be well-informed and use pragmatic decision-making. We really think that our government needs to hear the people, especially the people in the middle, not those who are yelling the loudest.
Are you looking to have the same kind of influence over liberal Utahns that the tea-party movement has had with conservative Utahns?
Not at all. We don’t want the Coffee Party to be exclusive with liberals. Our platform is civility in government, and we believe the government is created by the will of the people. We believe in informed decision-making. Whoever in America agrees with that—it doesn’t matter their political affiliation—is who we want.
What financial reforms were you rallying for?
We support the Democrat’s financial-reform bill, but we also believe that both parties need to compromise. Our biggest issue on that bill is that we want to represent the average American, because on the other side fighting the bill are Wall Street and the financial institutions, who are spending one million dollars a day fighting this regulation.
What are issues that face the Utah Coffee Party as compared to the national party?
We’re concerned that the ethics reform didn’t take hold. We’re concerned about gerrymandering. Instead of just complaining, we approach an issue thinking about how we can deal with it and improve it.
To Ms. Lundgren and the other "leadership" of the Utah Coffee Party: I don't live in Utah, but as a former Nevada resident, now active in the Coffee Party in the Washington, DC area, I can say that the issue is not labels such as "liberal", "conservative", or "moderate". The issue is freeing Americans from corporate domination of the political process, and on that aspect of the Coffee Party's platform, we cannot, we MUST NOT, and we WILL NOT compromise to placate people who are ashamed of holding certain political beliefs and want to hide or camouflage them from their friends, family, co-workers, and associates just because Utah or Wyoming or South Carolina happens to be a certain way.
If you can't stand PROUDLY of what you stand FOR, if you can't clearly and vigorously proclaim your support for ideas that will liberate our country from the ensnarement of corporate dominance, then I question your willpower, your backbone, and ultimately, your committment to this positive cause!
Please do not discriminate or try to marginalize people because they say they are "liberals". Please do not shove them to the back of the room because they don't fall into line with the way YOU are defining the Coffee Party. We know the platform of the Coffee Party; it has been articulated, defined, stated and restated in poll after poll of its national membership.
Utah is no exception. THERE MUST BE FREE, OPEN, AND DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS FOR YOUR STATE LEADERSHIP, not a coterie of people who install themselves as self-proclaimed leaders.
Thank you for your time, and be seein' ya in Louisville!
Mr. Perri, There are several liberals in the Coffee Party Support Group, and in Utah's Coffee Party. We do not exclude other points of view however, and never will, locally and nationally. We wish you well in your pursuits outside the Coffee Party Support team.
Great platform. . .