By Diana Breashears

Abolishing the three-strikes law, opening borders, legalizing marijuana, halting United States foreign intervention - these are just a few things that construct an ideal world for the Peace and Freedom Party.

Judging from the party's absence from this year's political front, the Peace and Freedom Party utopia is not a popular view among voters. The extreme leftist party was dumped off the ballot after the 1998 election when it failed to meet the 2 percent quota of the vote for its statewide candidates.

Formed during the drama of the anti-Vietnam War demonstrations and free spirits in the summer of 1967, this California ballot-qualified party used to be fairly active, according to Elden Mc Farland, a former Peace and Freedom candidate who unsuccessfully ran for congress in 1986. In the '80s, Mc Farland says, several different leftist groups invaded the party, turning it into a "battleground." The platform became fragmented. "People interested in getting pragmatic stuff done became disgusted...(It was) pretty dysfunctional, I thought, for the most part after that," Mc Farland says.

The party's ideology, Mc Farland says, differs from place to place. "Some of it is a little hard to take," he admits. The party's main creed is socialism, which turns the management of industry over to the general public instead of the wealthy portion of society like in a capitalist culture. Socialism, Mc Farland says, is a taboo subject in the political world because it drifts so far from the mainstream, middle-of-the-road Democrat and Republican platforms.

"The Republicans and Democrats are always rushing to the center. (There is) no real, clear articulation." Because the Peace and Freedom Party isn't roped to the center, it can speak its mind, despite threats of criticism or the loss of votes. Mc Farland believes that the Democrats are sometimes 10 to 12 years behind the Peace and Freedom agenda.

Besides its more radical views such as repealing sales tax and making Spanish an official language, along with English, in the United States, the Peace and Freedom Party resembles a pumped-up version of the Democratic Party. Some other views include:

• The end of racism and discrimination based on color, sex or sexual preference. The party believes that gays and lesbians should have the same legal benefits as heterosexual couples.
• Women's rights, including "free abortion on demand."

• Workers' rights to equal pay, decent jobs and the right to unionize and strike.

• Free public transportation and tighter controls over chemical pesticides destroying the environment.

• Multi-cultural and bilingual education.

The Peace and Freedom Party will not reappear on ballots until it increases its voter registration. To learn more about the party's platform, visit the Alameda chapter's website.